What would you do if you were DH?

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DH is an over thinker and getting in a muddle about a job offer. He works in a profession and is currently on £61k. His current work have been stringing him along for almost a year saying he will be promoted ‘soon’ and he’s been doing a number of the senior positions tasks already. He has been approached by another (good!) company and following interview offered a job. Which would you choose:

Job A- new company, next jump on professional ladder, good salary £70k + 8% yearly bonus. He would be a senior role in a smaller team so could move up the ladder faster, also offices abroad to potential for working abroad. Potentially longer hours as more senior.

Job B- current job. Been there 6 years and likes it, nice company which promotes wellbeing. When he informed them of job offer seemed very keen to keep him, said ‘would try to come close’ to offer. Sounds like won’t offer quite the same role (director) but a pared back version of that. DH is worried he’s only finally getting this promotion in a sense due to having a better offer rather than them actually wanting to give it. Financially it’ll be around £67k he thinks. No bonus.

I think Job A- his current work have taken advantage of him imo and are doing the bare minimum to keep him, it’s a good professional opportunity which I think he’d be gutted if he misses. He’s not one for change so I’m hoping others opinions might encourage him!

Job A. Even if they counter offer.

Has he negotiated the Job A offer at all? Or was the £70k their initial offer? He could go back to them and say his current employer has verbally said they would try to match and will be giving him counter offer next week. He can tell Job A, is this the best you can offer? That he’s really interested but if his current company will pay him the same for fewer hours/less responsibility….then perhaps Job A can do a bit better as their role is more senior and more hours?

Ignore if he’s not the haggling type. I am 😛

Also annoys me that they said ‘try and get near it’. Surely they’d have to go beyond their offer for him to consider it. That’s how I’d feel anyway!

It depends if he wants travel abroad and longer hours. (I wouldn’t, even for more money).

The culture at my DH’s work is that to get a pay rise you have to get offered a new job and then they increase your pay to stop you leaving.

It seems to just be the way it works there. Not great, but I don’t think your DH should take it personally as in they don’t value him.

@AP5Diva hes already negotiated that offer but I’m with you- don’t ask don’t get!

It's just so bad they have strung him along until the point he would apply for another job and then say they can offer something better suddenly.

@mrsbitaly he didn’t apply- this other company contacted him, they have an internal recruitment person. He’s been frustrated for a while so agreed to an informal chat, then they got two directors to do a more formal interview and he was offered the job on the spot. It’s hard to get good people in his field at the moment and he’s very good at his job!

100% job A
even if the counter offer comes back with more money than the new job… for all the reasons already posted.
Wish him courage, new starts are brave but he wouldn’t have looked around if he was truly happy

Oooh he was head hunted. Then yes he could definitely let them know his current job is going to try and match and is doing a counter offer and ask job A for a best and final offer to get him for sure.

Could even say “for £75k, I’ll tell them don’t bother with a counter offer…”

Oh cross-post. He was headhunted… still the same answer though. New job will value him more

If he accepts a counter offer (which personally I don't think he should) he'll be regarded as disloyal and a flight risk anyway. New job, definitely.

DH is worried he’s only finally getting this promotion in a sense due to having a better offer rather than them actually wanting to give it.

So what? Either way he’s got it. I think he should do what’s best for his career. Has he been in current job a bit too long? Can he talk with anyone who works at the new company to see what the culture is like?

Job A but after negotiation for a better deal

I would say either take the first job or stay in the second one for life. That will focus his mind on whether he wants change or not.

Defo new job.

Job A. Even now his company are stalling. People I've known in this position that have stayed, have done so because their company pulled out all the stops to keep them - higher offers, straight away! The fact they're asking for more time and aren't talking about promising to top the other offer says it all...

☝This. They're not that keen to keep him that they're pulling out all the stops, so not that 'valued' at all.

If DH would like to stay at current employer, instead of humbly waiting for a "close" offer, he can just name his own terms. " If you want me to stay , you need to exceed 70 K AND offer a real promotion. I want to run the department. "

I'm not even sure what there is to over think. Job A for sure.

I see it differently. They're saying he's valued, but they are demonstrating by faffing around that really, he isn't. So why should he believe that they mean anything they promise him as a counteroffer?

He shouldn't be listening to what they say - which is 'you're valued.' He should be looking at what they're doing - which is pretty much demonstrating they can't be bothered to make the effort to keep him.

Actions over words OP! Job A!

Thanks for everyone’s replies. Almost unanimous! I’ll show DH this thread.

I'd actually vote Job B!

I wouldn't leave a job I knew I liked for one I didn't really know about. Also wouldn't move to a smaller team as there can end up being fewer opportunities rather than more.

For £3k plus bonus, I wouldn't move jobs. Is the bonus in his contract or does it relate to performance etc?

Job A. He was headhunted. These people want him, his prospects for career advancement are better. His current employer has been taking the piss for years.