Dangers of the "Counter Offer"
There is a lot of literature out there about the pitfalls of taking the Counter-Offer. But here's the 'million-dollar' statistic:
According to national surveys of employees that accept counter-offers, 50-80 percent voluntarily leave their employer within six months of accepting the counter-offer because of unkept promises. The majority of the balance of employees that accept counter-offers involuntarily leave their current employers within twelve months of accepting the counter-offer (terminated, fired, laid off, etc.). Half initiate a new job search in as little as 90 days.
As attractive as counter-offers may appear, they can greatly decrease your chances of achieving your career potential.
We do know how upset candidates would be if an employer withdrew an offer after it had been accepted. Obviously accepting a counter offer is the flip-side of that scenario. We work with our candidates and our client employers to make sure that the move is a good one: and that both parties are committed to the process and to each other. We'll ask you for some soul-searching early in our process, with the express goal of avoiding the withdrawal of agreements on either side.
Watch Out For the Counter Offer!
Read a detailed study on the Dangers of the Counter Offer (pdf)