Resignation & Counter Offer Handing in your notice and receiving a counter offer is something that you will probably do a few times in your life, hopefully you have followed our ‘Thinking of a Job Change’ document to first understand if anything could be changed or improved in your current role to take away your reasons for wanting a new challenge. The Resignation Process Let’s assume you have been through this aforementioned process and you are fully committed to leaving, it is important to understand the correct way to approach this task.  Firstly, don’t do anything or tell anyone until you have received and read the contract, clarified any final points, then signed and returned it  As soon as you are certain, let your line manager know as they will appreciate as much notice as possible, but find the right moment!  This conversation could prompt a negative or aggressive response, make sure you remain professional at all times, you have done nothing wrong and the company will manage without you!  Be ready for a barrage of questions from your line manager, you should rehearse your responses in advance of this discussion so that you manage it as succinctly and professionally as possible  You are not obligated to reveal your new company, if necessary don’t be afraid of keeping this confidential  Your letter of resignation is your legal requirement and needs to be submitted as soon as possible (after you have privately told your line manager). In certain circumstance it may be appropriate to include HR in all correspondence so that it is officially received Writing a Resignation Letter It is important to write your resignation letter in a good positive light, you never know what the future holds; you may end up working for a colleague, your line manager or even the company again at some point. We would advise including the following in your resignation letter:       Your name Date Recipient Notice of termination of employment Effective leave date Positive comments on duration of employment    Happy to assist in all handover, replacement training needs Your signature Names of any cc The Counter-Offer The first thing to understand about counter-offers is that most candidates in specialist roles will receive one, so get ready for it! There is a high chance of receiving a counter-offer if you are in a technical or accountable role that is critical to the performance of a business in some way… once you hand in your notice you will be leaving the company exposed so your line managers natural reaction is to try and remove this imminent exposure by putting a counter-offer your way. When your employer makes a counter-offer, think very carefully and consider the following points when evaluating which way to proceed:  Delayed recognition: If you receive a salary increase now and not previously, why wasn’t this recognised before you handed in your notice? Does this mean you will need to hand your notice in again to progress your career in the future?  Trust Issues: The process of handing in your notice or attending external interviews will demonstrate that you are not committed to the company as you once were  No longer a team player: Once you have informed your line manager of your desire to leave you may no longer be seen as a team player, this could see you on the wrong side of future internal reorganisations  Value for money: Accepting a substantial counter-offer could mean that you are overpaid compared to your current company’s wage structure, they could put additional work pressures on you to deliver more, reducing your work life balance and you could be first in line for any future redundancy actions  Money doesn’t solve everything: Money is very rarely the sole reason why people look for an external opportunity. Will a pay rise or promotion truly takeaway your reasons for leaving? In a previous end of year statistics review we found that 73% of candidates who accepted a counter-offer reregistered within six months The counter-offer situation can be a tricky one to handle, feel free to contact us for more advice on your specific situation. The Notice Period One to three months is a long time to wait and start your new role, especially when you want to leave! It is important to be patient and complete your tasks and handover as smoothly as possible, make sure your line manager knows how proactive you’ve been, this should make them less merciless when it comes to settling any outstanding salary, holiday entitlement or bonus owed to you. Throughout your notice period the more you can learn about your new company and colleagues the easier the transition will be. We strongly advise doing some research on your new company (visit their website, Google searches) and colleagues (LinkedIn searches). We also would recommend that you keep in contact with your new line manager in the period before you start. They may even invite you to the office or for an informal meeting to learn more about the role and meet your future colleagues. If so, make an effort to accommodate their request.