The New Wave of Counteroffers

Retaining staff in the Senior Living industry has always been a challenge.  However, the last 16 months proved to be more than a challenge. It’s been tumultuous and traumatic to say the least. As a result, a number of senior living organizations experienced a staff exodus.

While the COVID vaccines offer smoother sailing, many senior care workers are looking back and taking inventory of their employer’s response to COVID; how well it was handled from the beginning, and whether their own personal sacrifices, overwhelming work schedules, and hard work were truly appreciated.

Upon assessing this situation, many senior care workers, including executives and nurse leaders, are deciding to leave for greener pastures. Thus, there’s a new wave of counteroffers! Let’s examine the counteroffer from both sides, the employer and employee.

As an employer, should you make a counteroffer?

• Due to COVID, you might be facing a skills shortage and a counteroffer could remedy the situation. It could be very difficult to find and recruit a new senior care employee for the specific job and skills required.
• You could right a wrong. Salary negotiations are difficult for most people but can be particularly difficult for women. Women are often less likely to ask for a higher salary when offered a job. A counteroffer for a woman may act as a “market correction” if she is not being paid a fair market value for her position.
• The odds are against you. Statistics show that around 80% of people who accept counteroffers leave for a new job anyway within 12 months. Therefore, just because the offer may seem like a good option and solution at the moment, it won’t guarantee they’ll stay.

As an employee, should you consider or accept a counteroffer?

• If you receive a counteroffer as a response to your resignation, your employer could be responding to the devastating events due to COVID. However, that’s short-term. The fact is, no matter how good your relationship is with your employer, your loyalty is likely to be questioned moving forward.
• Chances are good that you might be leaving your job for reasons beyond money. While a counteroffer may speak to you financially, it does not change the other circumstances or underlying issues that spurred your job search in the first place.
• Counteroffers may be a stall tactic. Often employers will pay you more or satisfy your working needs only for a short time. Then, they will start searching for your replacement.
• If your resignation forced the hand of your employer to recognize your work and offer you more compensation or a promotion, they may feel cornered. That uncomfortable position may create a problematic and awkward working relationship moving forward.

In this COVID and variant era, there’s still uncertainty. Therefore, it makes sense as to why an employer would make a counteroffer and reasons why an employee might accept one. Senior care organizations are astucalltoy aware of today’s intense competition for talent, and well-intentioned resignees may find themselves contemplating a counteroffer they did not expect, much less consider. However, if past history is any indication, counteroffers rarely have happy endings.

ABOUT JULIE RUPENSKI

Julie Rupenski is the Founder, President & CEO of MedBest, opening the doors in 2001. Since then, Julie has gained national recognition for providing top talent solutions exclusively for the Senior Living Industry. Her specialties include filling C-Suite, Vice President, Regional, and Property level positions.

Julie has an in-depth knowledge of the Senior Living Industry.  She previously worked in operations for both Senior Housing and Senior Living prior to founding MedBest. Today, Julie makes it her personal and professional mission to place qualified people in health care positions where they have the greatest impact.

Julie earned her degree in Gerontology at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida and continues to cultivate her career through senior living conferences, forums, trade shows, and expos.

(Julie’s industry articles and interviews have been published in Provider Magazine, Argentum Quarterly, LeadingAge Magazine, Florida Health Care Association, Florida Assisted Living Association, Florida Senior Living Association, LeadingAge Florida, LeadingAge Indiana, Pennsylvania Health Care Association, Oregon Health Care Association, and Virginia Assisted Living Association.)

Contact Julie Rupenski at jrupenski@www.medbest.com / 727-526-1294.

ABOUT MEDBEST

MedBest is an award-winning national Executive Search Firm exclusive to the Senior Living Industry established in 2001.  We recruit and acquire exceptional senior care talent, permanent and interim executives, for the full continuum of LTC facilities across the US including Assisted Living, Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Independent Living, Memory Care, Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Home Health Care.

Contact us at 727-526-1294 / info@www.medbest.com