Ten straight yes or no answers about what the counter actually changes, and a weighted read on whether staying is a decision or a retreat.
A counter offer is almost always about money, because money is the fastest thing an employer can change. The question you are actually deciding is whether the reasons you started looking have changed. Those are rarely the same question, and the money is very good at making it feel like they are.
Yes or no about what has actually been said and written down. No maybes.
A weighted read, because some of these predict the outcome far more than others.
The specific ask that produces the written terms you need either way.
Enter your info to unlock this tool. Instant access, no spam.
Start here
When a counter arrives it is almost always about money, because money is the fastest thing an employer can change. The question you are actually deciding is whether the reasons you started looking have changed. Those are rarely the same question, and the money is very good at making it feel like they are.
The other thing worth knowing: the counter is being made under time pressure by someone who has just found out you might leave. That is not a considered assessment of your value. It is a response to an inconvenience, and sometimes those are the same and often they are not.
So answer ten things yes or no. No maybes, because every maybe is a way of not deciding.
Ten straight answers
Yes or no, as things stand today
Answer about what has actually been said and put in writing, not what was implied or what you are hoping happens next. If something was only implied, that is a no.