• Your superior may be simply watching his or her own back – resignations can sometimes reflect badly on the Management
• It may be inconvenient for the Company to recruit a replacement at this time
• It may be damaging to existing projects to change staff and it is often time consuming to train a replacement
• Recruiting can be costly

All of the above suggest that the Company’s asking you to stay is far more beneficial to them than simply mourning the loss of a favoured member of staff. It is therefore important to stay objective and not fall prey to flattery.

Bear in mind …

• The reason you decided to leave the Company in the first place, and whether or not you can seriously see this reason being addressed if you were to stay
• The impact your initial resignation may have had on your work colleagues, and indeed your superiors
• Your loyalty may be hereafter always in question and fellow colleagues may make life harder for you than necessary
• It is likely that they will have begun seeking a replacement as soon as they heard of your resignation
• It is extremely easy to be persuaded by having guilt trips laid - try and imagine whether the Company might show the same sort of loyalty to you

Our advice to you is that counter-offers should rarely be accepted.  After all, you have a new job to look forward to and, ultimately, had a motive to look for that job. When faced with a difficult decision of this kind, re-assess what is of paramount importance to you, and your future, and follow that judgement. It’s your career after all!