New Job Offer / Bidding War

92203

Hi There,

I've recently been offered a new job, after being head hunted by a company who are larger than my current employer, and in the long term would offer more opportunities for career progression.

My current employer has matched what I was offered, so I declined the new job on the basis that I like where I am.

Although the next step in my career may well be to go and work for a company like the one who've offered me the job, I think I could spend a good while longer working in my current job, without coasting or stagnating.

Since then, the other company have E-mailed me back and asked me to name a figure which would tempt me to come and work for them. I am currently penning them a very polite and diplomatic E-mail to say that I will be staying where I am, though would definitely be happy to work for them in the future.

A friend who works in the same industry as me has said that I'd be mad to turn the new job down and suggested that I should work the situation to my advantage and tell the other company that I would like £10k more in order to move ;

I'm reluctant to do this for following reasons ;

1. Leaving would be disloyal and insulting to my current employers after they've done so much to keep me.
2. The figure I'd be asking for would be a 50% increase on what I was earning when I attended my initial interview
3. If the other company perceive what I ask for to be a wildly unrealistic figure, it may damage my chances of gaining employment with them in the future.

I'd be interested to know people's opinions on this. I genuinely feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. Both scenarios have their pluses and minuses, however a bird in the hand etc definitely ring true.

KiKi

Even if you got £10k more, £20k more, £30k more - would you be happy there?

1. Forget loyalty. I get it, I do (I have the same issue where I am), but if they were facing hard times, they wouldn't be loyal to you. You only get one life, and need to be in a job where you're happy and enjoying it as much as possible.

2. I think that's fine - they've *asked* you to give another figure. I think it's especially fine if you justify it by explaining that this would be a small increase on what your current company have offered you. If you had just plucked it out of the air, that's different, but your current company have offered more - so the new company have to compete.

3. See 2.

Personally I'd hypothetically put myself in the situation of taking the job offer - would I feel really sad on my last day in my current job? Would I be excited about the new role? Or would I feel sick and think I'd made the wrong decision?

Ultimately, assuming the money's not an issue for you, I'd stay / go where you think you'll be happier with what you'll be doing day in, day out.

Or, tell them the figure and see what happens. You may not end up with a choice. But your current company were only prepared to match the offer, and the new company are prepared to go above and beyond it. They want you, and that's always flattering!

pathtofreedom

I was always told there are 3 things to consider with jobs.
1 money,
2, the people you work with - are they friendly or all playing politics making your life hell -
3 the actual work you're doing. is it fun, interesting, or boring so you're clock watching, or lots of free overtime expected or working weekends at no notice.

So in your current job you like the people and the work but not the money. If you take the new job can you guarantee you will have an interesting job you like, and get the money but might end up with more politics and stress.

So if you are the kind of person good at politics, and don't mind being with people you can't stand all day, then the extra money might make it worth doing.

So if you can get 2 out of the 3 you're onto a good thing, if you're really lucky and get all 3 then dive in. Problem is you won't know till you work at the new place, if the people or hours or work is any better / worse than where you are now.

AndyBSG

92203 wrote: »

Leaving would be disloyal and insulting to my current employers after they've done so much to keep me

Seriously, forget any idea of loyalty to your current company because you can rest assured they would show you no such loyalty to you if they were struggling and needed to make you redundant.

There are only two factors to consider here.

- Your long term career aims. If turning the job offer and increased payment down in the short term makes more sense for your long term then do that.

- How much more do they have to offer for it to become to good to refuse? If 10K isn't enough but 20K is then tell them that, even if 20K is completely unrealistic. They haven't asked you to make a realistic request, they've asked you how much it will take to get you... Whether they want to pay that is up to them.

getmore4less

Any company that matches a job offer has basically said

Thanks for being so cheap for so long. and still tries to get you on the cheap.

They should do more than match they should exceed they are trying to recruit you back, you have another job to go to.

They need to better the offer which you now know was lower than their top one.

Get them(current) to back date the pay rise 6/12 months and make the new offer higher and that will show you if they are realy keen to keep you.

Even the new place tried to get you on the cheap as they still have room to up their offer.

Have you researched the true rate for this type of work do so ASAP an before you do any more negotiataion.

if you can secure a 50% rise you have been seriously underpaid for some time.

Bottom line is you are trying to get the best rate for the job you want most from the two on offer.

92203

Thanks for the advice,

I am keen to ensure that if and when I do leave my present employer, I do so on amicable terms. At least to the point of getting good references from them.

I guess the main reservations I have are
1) Burning my bridges with current employer
2)Going to a potentially unknown job, which may or may not work out.

Issue 2 is going to occur at some point in the future anyway, but I am genuinely worried that leaving after agreeing to stay would be perceived as being discourteous, and result in bridges being burnt and/or references not being as complimentary as they would be otherwise.

What are people's opinions on the specific point of leaving after agreeing to stay (I would of course re-negotiate my start date to give them time to find a replacement)?

AndyBSG

In all honesty, if you work for an even remotely professional company then no one should take it personally that you decide to leave.

Simply explain that the other company has come back with an offer that is too good to refuse and that although you're sad to be leaving you simply can't afford to turn it down.

asajj

I don't think any company would go out of their way to hold a grudge against you especially you leave in good terms. At the end, like everyone else, you work for a living. If the offer is too good, you take it. However consider whether you will like people over there, what you will be doing etc. If you are good enough to be chased up like this, you can find such a job anytime anyway.

As said, forget the loyalty. I do have the same issue but you don't get anything in return. If they are struggling, they would let you go right away. This is business.

Acc72

It is really difficult to give advice as many of the factors will be personal to you.


How did the job offer come about ?


I don't mean to sound disrespectful but if I understand correctly you currently earn approx. £20k p.a. ?


Although flattering, I am not sure that "Headhunters" would enter into a "bidding war" at this level.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Acc72 wrote: »

It is really difficult to give advice as many of the factors will be personal to you.


How did the job offer come about ?


I don't mean to sound disrespectful but if I understand correctly you currently earn approx. £20k p.a. ?


Although flattering, I am not sure that "Headhunters" would enter into a "bidding war" at this level.

No, sorry.

All we know is "The figure I'd be asking for would be a 50% increase on what I was earning when I attended my initial interview" and he would be asking for 10K more than the first offer.

So if he was initially earning 30K, was offered 35K, and is now asking for 45K, this fits the criteria.

Also if he was earning 40K, got offered 50K and would now be asking 60K, it fits.

Likewise 50K initial, 65K offer, 75K ask.


Any figures A, B and C will work as long as C = 1.5A and B = C-10. Obviously the bigger they get the wider the gap between A (initial salary) and B (initial offer from new company) and the less likely it is, but none of these are particularly unlikely.