It’s no surprise that the job market has seen drastic changes over the course of 2020 and one area that has seen a huge increase is counter offers being made to leaving employees.

No business wants any valued staff member to depart and for good reason, they know the business, understand the clients’ needs, are familiar with team members, know how the firm/team operates and understand the workload and the business’ expectations. New and greater benefits being potentially offered elsewhere, either with a competitor or a complementary role, the ‘grass has never looked greener,’ or does it?

The flexibility of work, such as working from home, is now not viewed as a benefit, but as a ‘tool of trade’. This has been the biggest change since the start of the pandemic and now as there is a shift or ‘returning to normal’ in many countries, it is a hot topic and a frequently asked question when a job seeker is thinking of accepting an offer of employment.

For businesses which aren’t in a position to match salary expectations, have always been in a tough battle, trying to retain employees. A work from home flexibility arrangement is now becoming just as important and businesses which can’t offer this flexibility will struggle to retain their staff members or attract top talent.

Even so, hesitation is still a real factor in the job market. Those currently employed, when considering a job offer, realise that by making a move will result in entering another probation period with their new employer.

The reasons for changing jobs are different for everyone, but ask yourself, regardless of your motivation, if you are seeking a new opportunity and you accept a counter offer, is it wise to stay on? Will your work the situation be resolved by the acceptance of the counter offer, or will you be looking again and entering the job market in 6-12 months in the future?