Is a counter offer a negotiation tool?

w00519772

I was recently offered another job. The original offer was £41K and I negotiated up to £44K.

My current employer then offered £41K (£2K increase), which I rejected. My question is should I of gone back to the new employer and used the counter offer to negotiate more.

I realise it is too late now. I am just trying to learn from my mistakes.

skintpaul

Take the new job. No one applies elsewhere unless they are after more money / better terms / unhappy where they are..

sangie595

£3k more is a good improvement on a starting salary. Get too greedy and there is a good chance you will alienate the employer and end up without the job. So no, I don't think you should have gone back, especially since your current employer wasn't even matching the new salary. Birds in the hand, and all that!

TELLIT01

I agree with sangie595. Playing one against the other isn't a good idea. Both could get fed up with your game and you end up out of work. Either accept or reject the offers and leave it at that.

paddyrg

Nope, move on. Returning only creates new tensions and may mean you get overlooked for bonuses, promotions etc for being "that guy".

Look at it this way - before looking for and getting a new job, you either tried to get a pay rise in your current one, or didn't. If you did, and it was refused, they made you go though a lot of grief to take you seriously. If not, you're clearly leaving because you want something different, which staying can't give you. Either way, move.

Reggie_Rebel

So you've got a new job paying 5K more than your current one, the current one comes back and offers 3k less than the new one and you want to negotiate.

Unless you are a League Two footballer should you be in that sort of job?