• The official blog of Abacus Group — a place to share our knowledge and thoughts on trends in recruiting •

It must be noted that the resignation should only happen once a formal offer has been extended and accepted. Unless you are prepared to be without work, do not give your notice until you are certain you will be transitioning into a new opportunity. The resignation letter is a very necessary element of employment.

Regardless of whether you believe an exit interview is a waste of time or a golden opportunity to help shape the future of the company for your soon to be ex-colleagues, the below pointers should be taken into consideration.

It seems to be that you can’t open your browser without seeing another scandal from a multi-billion dollar company - of which you are most likely a customer. From Facebook to Uber to Papa John himself, top executives continue to make headlines and often for the wrong reasons. This begs the question of where to from here.

Over half of full time employed Americans spend more time with their colleagues than with their families. It is therefore unsurprising the importance of employee relations and the prevalence of contagion in employee turnover.

Securing a new job offer when you are disengaged in your current role can feel like a golden ticket to positive change. But job opportunities vary heavily in desirability, stability, and career value. Review our list of the “Four P’s”—People, Position, Pay, and Practicality—to evaluate your next offer.

Voluntary turnover is on the rise. Just like employees are encouraged to handle resignations gracefully, managers are, too. Managers should accept resignations with a level-headed, inquisitive, and strategic approach that will not disrupt the company or damage relationships.

Voluntary resignations are increasingly common as job seekers regain control of the market. According to compensation survey data and consulting firm Compdata, voluntary turnover has grown steadily from 9.1% in 2011 to 11.6% in 2015. Therefore, managers should prepare to effectively handle the occasional loss of top-performing employees without extending a counteroffer.

Counteroffers have become the norm in response to employee resignations from Accounting, Finance, Technology, and Administrative positions. As employee turnover grows and average tenure shrinks, supervisors are increasingly resorting to bribing their staff with higher pay, title promotions, and other benefits. Sara Bouley, Executive Recruiter in Abacus Group’s Accounting & Finance Division, consults her candidates on the possibility of the counteroffer.

The stay interview is just one of many ways an employer can combat voluntary turnover, according to Talent Management expert Dr. John Sullivan. This week, he published an outstanding catalogue of nine additional approaches in his ERE article “Retention – The Top 10 Ways a Manager can Identify Who is About to Quit.”

Extending a counteroffer in response to an employee resignation is just an option, indicating that the reaction is preventable.  If you’re an employer grappling with the decision to counteroffer an employee, consider some reasons to respectfully handle the resignation. Here are some of the unfavorable outcomes for an employer following an employee’s counteroffer acceptance.