STAFF RETENTION NOT ALWAYS A MONEY ISSUE.

• Position: EMPLOYMENT COUNTEROFFERS - Brief article

In the fight to hold on to top talent, many companies are offering higher salaries to workers who announce they are planning to leave for another job opportunity, but research from global staffing firm Robert Half, Menlo Park, Calif., suggests this method only serves as a stop-gap retention strategy for employers and is not a long-term career solution for employees. The findings show staff members who accept counteroffers typically end up leaving the company in less than two years anyway.

The primary reasons leaders say they extend counteroffers are to prevent the loss of an employee's institutional knowledge and to avoid spending time or money hiring a replacement.

"Counteroffers are typically a knee-jerk reaction to broader staffing issues," says Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half. "Money doesn't solve everything. If you accept a counteroffer, your employer may question your loyalty to the company. More importantly, the root causes of why you were looking to leave in the first place may still exist."

Robert Half offers workers the following advice when considering a career...