Welcome to our Autumn edition of M.I.F.Y™

For those of you who are new subscribers, M.I.F.Y™ (More Information for You) has been designed as an integral part of our career advisory service. Our primary objective is to provide you with information on a variety of topics, all of which are intended specifically to enhance your own career planning and management.

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RESIGNING GRACEFULLY & HANDLING COUNTER-OFFERS!

You’ve accepted an offer for a new job, and are ready to hand in your resignation to your current employer. In our experience you will, very often, be remembered more for the way in which you handle your resignation and the how you conduct yourself during your resignation period, rather than for your performance at work up until that moment. Whatever the circumstances, the way in which you resign and how you perform during your resignation period are crucial.

When you are poised to tender your resignation, you should bear in mind these practical tips:

• Wait until you have received a job offer in writing from your prospective employer, and are absolutely satisfied with and fully understand the terms and conditions on which the offer is based. Resigning on the back of a verbal offer of employment is both foolhardy and premature. Equally, if you resign before you have fully agreed the terms and conditions of the new offer, you may find yourself being forced to accept terms and conditions which you would not otherwise have accepted. You will be in a far stronger bargaining position before you accept the offer;

• Timing is everything – it is important that you pick the right moment, preferably not when you are about to begin an important client meeting. Arrange a private meeting with your partner or manager, and tactfully convey your intentions. Be appreciative of the skills you have acquired and for the support you have received from your employer, and of how they have impacted on your career;

• A formal letter of resignation should accompany your verbal resignation – it will help you to maintain control of the situation. Your letter should be short and to the point, and should provide enough information to avoid any doubt as to your intentions. Never include any personal remarks in a letter of resignation. Even if you have negative thoughts, don’t be tempted to commit them to paper. Your comments will remain in your personnel file and may come back to haunt you at a later stage;

• By the same token, you should never be tempted to tell any of your colleagues what you really think of them – keep your own counsel. It could jeopardise your reference. There is even the possibility that you might want to return to the firm or organisation at some time in the future; or any one of your colleagues may end up at another firm or organisation you would like to join at a later date;

• Remain positive about your current employers throughout your notice period, and take time to speak with your colleagues. It is important that you acknowledge their contributions to your own successes and progress. Networking is an important tool – maintain contact with key people since you never know when your paths might cross again in the future;

• Always ensure that you give at least the notice that you are obliged to give. It is unprofessional to leave your current employers or colleagues in the lurch. Plan your notice period carefully – it is important that you do not leave ongoing projects without a proper handover. If you are called on to assist in the recruitment or training of your successor, be as co-operative and helpful as you can; and

• If you think that there is a possibility that your current employer might ask you to leave as soon as you resign, you should take all reasonable steps to make advance preparations for this eventuality. In order to avoid any debate about what you can and cannot take with you, remove any personal belongings from your office prior to doing so.

However, one aspect of tendering your resignation requires a little more thought – the counter offer. The golden rule of counter offers is that good employers will never offer them, and smart employees will never accept them! Here are some of the reasons why this is true:

• Most good employers will understand that achievers have a desire to progress and improve their current situations. While they are very aware that loosing a good employee means that they have lost their investment in the time and training of that employee, they also know that they have probably received more than their money’s worth from that employee;

• Never use your resignation or a counter offer as a bargaining tool. You do not want to advance your career through force. Remember that the legal market is small and that you could be damaging your reputation by failing to conduct yourself professionally and appropriately. You need to think about who you will be letting down if you accept a counter offer. By reneging on a commitment to your new employer, you will loose the respect of its leadership - a firm or organization you may need later on in your career;

• Even if you do accept a counter offer, it will be obvious to your current employer that you were unhappy in your current role. It will always then be far easier to question your loyalty in the future, and in the longer term you may well live to bear the repercussions of this decision;

• The most important consideration at this point is for you to remind yourself of your original reasons for initiating the change. They have probably not changed in the intervening period and probably won’t change in the future, regardless of any promises that are made. Changing jobs is more often that not about new challenges and increased responsibility, and not just about more money;

• By making you a counter offer, your current employer is really only thinking about what is best for the firm or organisation. If they were really acting in your best interests, they would already have offered you the challenges, promotions, or package you are moving for;

• Avoid being drawn into a long negotiation or discussion with your current employer, which may induce them into investing time and resources in enticing you to stay with them. This may only make you feel guilty about what you are doing, and at the end of the day may make it harder for you to leave;

• If you do decide to accept a counter offer, then you will have to accept that things will never be the same. Colleagues and your employer will view you differently, and you will probably no longer be considered a team player; and

• Statistically, more than 80% of employees who accept a counter-offer find themselves moving on within six months!

It is important to remember that each of us makes career moves for our own reasons, and each of us has the right to choose whether we leave or stay in such circumstances.

If you would like more information on the issues raised in this edition of MIFY, or would like more information on any other career issues, please do not hesitate to contact one of our CareerGateway™ Consultants – Helen@frasiawright.com, Debbie@frasiawright.com

For further information and to view our extensive list of NQ vacancies visit our website - www.frasiawright.com