Harris Allied, an executive recruiting firm, recently released a report on key training in hiring and retaining employees. One of the points highlighted is that there is never really a right time to offer or accept a counteroffer, as it usually suggests that there is a dysfunctional relationship at hand.

In a release, Kathy Harris, managing director of Harris Allied, said “Employees should know that their employer is going to start looking for their replacement soon after they accept their counteroffer because they know the loyalty has eroded. Additionally, employees will fare better if they accept the new job they were offered versus taking the counteroffer to stay at their current firm, because there were likely good reasons they embarked on their job search in the first place.”

Harris put forth a number of points in order to help those employees who were looking to find a new job. Harris advised them to first start looking for opportunities within their current firm that allows them to take on additional responsibility and advance their skill set, instead of looking for a new job. Employees were also advised to be proactive and get in the loop on what the company is doing and what new initiatives are underway.

Harris went on to say that when employers are concerned, prevention is the best practice. “Employees leave jobs most often for reasons other than compensation. An employer can retain key talent by offering their employees ample opportunities for career and professional development. Tuition reimbursement, senior management mentoring, leadership training, as well as opportunities for internal and external recognition, can also play a role in keeping employees happy and preventing them from looking for a new job.”

Some of the other tips given to employees include to always learn and embrace new technologies; look for opportunities internally that will allow you to work across divisional projects, on bigger teams and that will afford you greater exposure to senior management. Talking to your team leader or HR department about what professional development opportunities exist and looking into training programs or tuition reimbursement benefits will help improve job satisfaction and growth.