As a healthcare professional, you are well aware of the fact that the industry is facing a staffing shortage, which according to Alison Kuhns, Managing Director of The Execu|Search Group’s Healthcare division, actually puts job seekers in an excellent position. “At The Execu|Search Group we are not only seeing our candidates receive multiple offers, but also receive a counter offer from their current employer.”

While you may not be surprised to receive multiple job offers, candidates are often caught off guard by the counter offer they may receive when they resign from their current position. “Employers understand how competitive the current marketplace is,” explains Alison. “Since it is often more expensive and time consuming for them to start the hiring process from scratch, they will often try and entice their talent with an immediate pay raise or promotion.” Though it may be tempting to accept the counter offer, you need to understand how taking the offer can impact your career in the long-run.

To help navigate a counter offer, here are some key questions to consider before making your decision.

Does the counter offer eliminate your main reason for leaving?

For many healthcare professionals, leaving a job because you feel underpaid or undervalued is not uncommon; however, as a job seeker choosing between offers, you should make sure all of your needs have been met before you accept the counter offer. For example, in an attempt to hold onto a strong employee, hiring managers may offer an immediate pay raise and/or title change.

Though a pay increase is always nice, if your reason(s) for wanting to leave aren’t only monetary, those reasons will likely still exist even after a raise. “If your unhappiness stems from working long hours, a long commute, or an unpleasant boss, a pay raise serves as a band aid to the solution and will only prolong your dissatisfaction,” advises Alison.

Does the counter offer help or hurt your career goals?

Though it may be easy to “stay with what you know,” before you accept a counter offer, Alison suggests taking a step back and thinking about how your current employer will help to reach your career goals. When deciding between offers from your current employer and new employer, consider this: a recent Wall Street Journal survey showed that of the number of professionals who accepted their counter offers, approximately 93% of them left within 18 months, while only 7% stayed with the company for longer. In other words, while a counter offer may fix your frustrations temporarily, the same situation may cause you to leave after a short amount of time. Before you accept a counter offer, think about the bigger picture, not just the short-term solution!

Does the counter offer reflect your value?

If you have a clear understanding of your market value for what professionals in your field are paid based on location and experience, and the counter offer does not meet such levels, or you still don’t feel acknowledged or valued by your employer, this may be your signal to avoid the counter offer. “If you believe you are worth more and capable of doing more, these are reasons to strongly consider looking past the counter offer,” stresses Alison. In the end, if you consider a counter offer, it’s important to understand what your market value is and how you feel the potential new employer sees your value.

Is your counter offer in writing?

Before accepting a counter offer, make sure it’s in writing and you are very specific with your requirement(s) to stay. Similarly, your manager must be ready to present concrete examples of how your concerns will be addressed. Getting statements in writing will avoid any temporary fix your manager had in mind and will force your manager to create an actionable solution that ensures your satisfaction.