How do you guys handle counter offers?
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As someone who is intimately familiar with both side of that issue, I have just a few thoughts.
1st, you went to the interview because you were unhappy where you are.
2nd, if you went straight to a 50% pay increase to stay; we now know there are problems that are are not pay related at this job. As does the employer, and he has decided not to correct them, he is only trying to get you to stay long enough to fire you on his terms.
3rd, As Scott said, you may burn the bridge to the man who has faith in you today.
4th, if you leave on cordial terms, there is no reason why you couldn't come back in a few years for that 50% pay increase, but as I said earlier, the money isn't the issue, there is another problem, and I'm sure the current boss has no desire to fix it.
As an employer, I NEVER EVER make a counter offer or ask what it would take to get someone to stay. If they are leaving, and we agree to terms to make them stay, it is all but guaranteed you are only keeping them for a short while. They will leave anyway once they realize your new arrangement can't resolve the real problem.
Thank them for the offer and tell them if they have a place in the future that will help you grow in your skills and value, you would be willing to talk then. Be polite, and gracious. Burned bridges are condemned in your world!
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@JasGot Thank you for your insight.
My current employer left me as the sole IT department for 250 employees for over 10 years. I was doing help desk and project management. This was only ONE of the many factors I was looking for change. I believe the company never put a contingency plan in place if I were to leave, or get hit by a bus for that matter. When I put in my notice, they realized they had no job description for my title. I was asked to write a job description for them to use for recruitment. I was pretty shocked by that.
The company is simply trying to solve a problem now by countering and getting me to stay. They put themselves in a bind. HR mentioned that employees will want to leave if take another job. That is somewhat flattering, but what in the world does that say about the company then?
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@magicmarker said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
That is somewhat flattering, but what in the world does that say about the company then?
Yeah, that should make you ready to run away, and run away fast.
How many other people are in a similar position and the company could collapse at any moment and they have just been lucky thus far?
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@magicmarker said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
It's a 19% NET raise when factoring in benefits, commute, etc. The GROSS raise is 27%. Plus a year end bonus depending on company and personal performance.
Reminder of all the things to compare: https://thenicholson.com/thinking-taking-offer-need-know/
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@magicmarker said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
I was asked to write a job description for them to use for recruitment.
And of course you declined. ESPECIALLY since you have stated they have an HR department. This is their job,
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@StorageNinja said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@magicmarker said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
It's a 19% NET raise when factoring in benefits, commute, etc. The GROSS raise is 27%. Plus a year end bonus depending on company and personal performance.
Reminder of all the things to compare: https://thenicholson.com/thinking-taking-offer-need-know/
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
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@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
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@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
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@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
Because it's often really comfortable and once you are in you tend to feel badly for the company because leaving seems impossible for them to handle. So you tend to stay.
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@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
once you are in you tend to feel badly for the company because leaving seems impossible for them to handle. So you tend to stay.
Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner
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@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
Because it's often really comfortable and once you are in you tend to feel badly for the company because leaving seems impossible for them to handle. So you tend to stay.
cough Stockholm Syndrom
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@Obsolesce said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
Because it's often really comfortable and once you are in you tend to feel badly for the company because leaving seems impossible for them to handle. So you tend to stay.
cough Stockholm Syndrom
We had one guy on ML where I literally felt like flying to where he worked and going in there and telling his boss to fuck off, it was so bad lol.
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@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
Because it's often really comfortable and once you are in you tend to feel badly for the company because leaving seems impossible for them to handle. So you tend to stay.
Seeing as how I am one of these people, I agree with both factors. There are a few other too.
The main reason I have stayed so long is my previous boss treated much better than most others in 1 man shops. I have a sense of feeling "connected" to the entire IT system as I built most of it (basically for LOB app).
On the flip side, many negatives you and others have pointed out over the years are definitely true also.
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@Obsolesce said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
Because it's often really comfortable and once you are in you tend to feel badly for the company because leaving seems impossible for them to handle. So you tend to stay.
cough Stockholm Syndrom
Wait, WHERE do you live?
HAHAHAHA
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@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@Obsolesce said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
Because it's often really comfortable and once you are in you tend to feel badly for the company because leaving seems impossible for them to handle. So you tend to stay.
cough Stockholm Syndrom
Wait, WHERE do you live?
HAHAHAHA
Did anyone ever stay in touch with @guyinpv ? I really did want to go rescue him
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@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@Obsolesce said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
Because it's often really comfortable and once you are in you tend to feel badly for the company because leaving seems impossible for them to handle. So you tend to stay.
cough Stockholm Syndrom
Wait, WHERE do you live?
HAHAHAHA
Did anyone ever stay in touch with @guyinpv ? I really did want to go rescue him
They might have him trapped in a cage like in You.
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@pmoncho said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The main reason I have stayed so long is my previous boss treated much better than most others in 1 man shops. I have a sense of feeling "connected" to the entire IT system as I built most of it (basically for LOB app).
Oh there are definitely upsides, too. Like getting to be fully in charge, getting to do things your way, getting to play with every aspect of the technology, not needing to deal with the network effect, having all documentation cached in your head, knowing every detail of every configuration, all of the history, the why and hows. It can be nice. It has advantages. But the "all alone, and no one but you to support things" generally outweighs any benefits in the long term.
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@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@Obsolesce said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
Because it's often really comfortable and once you are in you tend to feel badly for the company because leaving seems impossible for them to handle. So you tend to stay.
cough Stockholm Syndrom
Wait, WHERE do you live?
HAHAHAHA
Did anyone ever stay in touch with @guyinpv ? I really did want to go rescue him
I feel like he reported that he eventually broke free. But it took a while.
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@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@JasGot said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:
The fact that he is out of the one man shop and onto something bigger is an additional factor as well.
A HUGELY positive factor.
oh yeah of course. I dont know how people get stuck in 1 man shops for so long
Because it's often really comfortable and once you are in you tend to feel badly for the company because leaving seems impossible for them to handle. So you tend to stay.
I dealt with being a 1 man band for 3 years, never again. I'd rather cut off an appendage.
