After months of looking for a new job on the sly, you received a terrific offer from another organization. But when you told your boss, he asked if you would reconsider your resignation and, instead, accept a counteroffer. It’s for the same amount of money the new employer is offering you, so what’s the rush to leave?

Not so fast. The decision of whether or not to accept a counteroffer requires a thoughtful analysis of your current job situation and what you will gain in the long run by staying. While it’s tempting, if not easier, to take your current employer’s counteroffer, it’s important to ponder several points before deciding to stay put.

Taking a counteroffer is no guarantee you’ll now want to stay. You may find contentment for several months, but many employees who accept counteroffers end up leaving their companies because the issues that originally caused their dissatisfaction were left unresolved. That’s not to say that all counteroffers are bad. Indeed, in some cases an employer genuinely values an employee so greatly that the counteroffer leads to years of career success. But be aware this is typically the exception, not the rule.

Examine the initial reasons you wanted to leave your current position. If uncorrected, these factors are likely to continue to bother you in the future. If salaries are equal, what did the new employer offer you that your current company can’t? How important are those things to you? Such perks could include a position of greater responsibility, room for career growth or a more worker-friendly environment.

Ask yourself why your employer moved so quickly to keep you. Is your manager the same one who passed you over for a recent promotion, turned down the raise you asked for during your last review or refused to invest company resources to help you build your professional skills? In other words, would your boss have given you a raise or a promotion if you had not told him of the new offer? If not, it may be time to move on.

You tipped your hand, and your employer may no longer trust you if you stay. Since you indicated you’re willing to leave the company, you may no longer be viewed as loyal. You’ll also be vulnerable: If tough times hit the company, you could be among those first in line to be laid off. In short, if your employer doesn’t trust you, you may not be able to trust your employer.

Why would you consider accepting the counteroffer? Some people just don’t have the confidence to believe they can succeed in a new environment. While it may require less energy and resourcefulness to toil in the same job for years and years, it’s not necessarily the best thing for your career.

Counteroffers make the worksite awkward. You’ll be viewed differently, and you may lose status as a team player. Your colleagues also could become jealous, because they’ll figure out you were offered more money to stay — possibly more than they are making.

Taking the counteroffer can hurt your reputation with the other employer. If you accept the counteroffer, make sure you have no intention of trying to work for the other company in the future. It takes time to interview and put together a job offer. Having extended an offer you’ve shown interest in, then rejected, the potential new employer might not trust you down the road.

If you’re happy with most elements of your position, boss, colleagues and perks, and it’s only greater compensation you’re after, talk to your manager. Don’t use a “better offer” as a tactic to get a higher salary from your current employer, which could work against you in the long run.

Remember, companies don’t like to lose a good employee. It’s worth asking for what you want before you look around for other options — you just might get it.

Founded in 1948, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, a division of Robert Half International, is one of the world’s largest specialized financial recruitment service. The company has more than 350 locations throughout North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and offers online job search services at http://www.roberthalf.com/.