Not offered a pay rise

w00519772

I was offered another job last week. I said I would make a decision by tomorrow.

I thought I would receive a pay rise from my current employer as the potential new employer offered 10% more than my current salary. I spoke to my line manager and he said there is no doubt he would match it. However, after talking to the director it was rejected on the grounds that the company has to make savings. The director even invited me to a meeting to explain, something he says he has never done before (apparently I am very valued and they do not want me to leave). The director is very assertive and I am told that he does not like to spend money on pay rises. His bonus is linked to how the department performs so he wants to minimise costs. That is his problem not mine. Everyone has problems.

I am a specialist and there would be a lot of knowledge lost if I left. I know that no-one is indespensible, but I think I am as close to indespensible as I could be. Also the director does not really understand what I do on a day to day basis. I can see that my line manager is concerned about this.

I am not sure what to do about this. I think I prefer my current role, but then the salary is better from the potential employer. I am not sure how to play this. Any suggestions from someone who has been in this position? How did you approach it? Did it work out?

dotdash79

What made you interview for this new role?

There is a reason why you are looking at another position, is it just money? Is it something else?

I know people who have been given a 20% pay rise to stay in a job and it's made them happy for about a month then it's back to normal.

w00519772

dotdash79 wrote: »

What made you interview for this new role?

There is a reason why you are looking at another position, is it just money? Is it something else?

I know people who have been given a 20% pay rise to stay in a job and it's made them happy for about a month then it's back to normal.

Yes, it was mainly the money. I have been with my current employer for five years and I found a similar job in the same location for a better salary. I was hoping to get a payrise. I have analysed the opportunity using lots of criteria e.g. salary, career prospects, training opportunities, culture, organisational structure etc and it is 45 all. I am treing to decide whether I should put more weighting on salary. What do you mean by: "then it was back to normal"? Do you mean they were unhappy after a month i.e. did they regret their decision.

liney

Stay after this and you will forevermore be the person who bluffed.

w00519772

liney wrote: »

Stay after this and you will forevermore be the person who bluffed.

I think that most people understand that it is difficult to make a decision about your career. Just because you do not accept an opportunity today does not mean that you will not accept another opportunity next week or the week after or......

TELLIT01

Basically you have been playing job poker and been called. You have 2 very straightforward options - stay or leave. Only you can make the decision but, having effectively tried to hold your existing employer to ransom, how do you think things will be in the future?
I can't imagine many employers offering a payrise just because you have (or claim to have) been offered more by another company. If your main motivation for the move was financial the motivator is still there. If your current employer gives you an extra 10% and then your prospective employer comes back with 15% what will you do? How can your current employer be sure you won't move on soon anyway if you get a better offer.....

Gavin83

liney wrote: »

Stay after this and you will forevermore be the person who bluffed.

Depends how you play it I think. If you go in an resign and then retract this resignation after a pay offer I don't see how they can hold it against you, it was their choice. Everyone knows the importance of money and sometimes due to changing circumstances you need an increase to your salary and this trumps everything, even if you love your job.

If you go in clearly digging for a pay rise accompanied with a job offer then you might upset management somewhat. However money talks, if your making a shed load of cash for your company then you can get away with an awful lot.

Sometimes it's even nice to learn your own value. If I company is willing to go to a lot of effort to keep you it's a nice ego boost.

duchy

If they "can't" offer more money....what can they offer instead ?
That's what I'd be asking the director at the meeting.

Only you know which position long term will offer you what you want personally (which may be money, or security, or more diverse projects etc etc) but at this point either they don't think you are worth the extra to them, they can't afford to pay you more...or they are bluffing. If they aren't bluffing and no further offer is forthcoming - does the job offer more than the new job in other ways that would make you want to stay ?

Gavin83

Sorry in response to the OP I agree with keitht53. You have effectively played a game with them and sadly for you the guy who makes the decision isn't playing. Your in a tricky situation now. If they don't offer you a pay rise and you stay anyway it'll make you look really bad in the eyes of the management. It also makes your future pay rise situation bleak as they won't bother knowing you'll stay anyway. If I was in your position and they weren't willing to match I'd leave.

nearlyrich

I have always thought if you resign you should mean it and threatening to resign to get a pay rise is not the way to get a pay rise.

dotdash79

w00519772 wrote: »

What do you mean by: "then it was back to normal"? Do you mean they were unhappy after a month i.e. did they regret their decision.

Yes, they ended up leaving anyway.