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!

He'd have to be bloody good at negotiating to be anywhere close to a 45% tax bracket!

He should probably move BUT I would suggest he name his price and job title that he would stay for. If they accept it then they really want him.

Unfortunately it usually pays to move.... a bit like insurance.

Easy - A.

Just to check though, are there any differences in the pension? It makes up a big part of (many) packages and should be considered as well as the pay and bonus.

I was a headhunter for years and, in my experience, every single professional who accepted a counter offer regretted it and left a reasonably short period after.

Very often, the reason that makes you up look for another job will still be there (regardless of the counteroffer)

So it'll cost company B over £13,000 in recruitment fee's alone to replace him and they've not even offered him what they would save as a payrise ? Says it all really.

The market rate is £71,000 if they were offering more to stay, I might consider it, but less pfftttt no chance.

@Chewbecca pension is the same (5% him 5% them for both)

It’s a no-brainer - Job A 🙌

No brainer - job A

Think of how many years he has been underpaid at his current company they’ve been robbing him blind and suddenly they’ve seen the light and want to pay him what he’s worth. He’s suffering from corporate Stockholm Syndrome.

100% Job A

Still Job A, DH made a similar move and haven't looked back. They've had more than enough time to recognise his worth and haven't bothered.......until they think they might lose him.

His current employers can promise him the moon, but unless he's holding it in his grubby little mitts there's no guarantees they'll follow through

And if they don't he's lost his chance with the new company and he'd have to start looking all over again.

New company, fresh start.

when someone (or a company) shows you their their colours, believe them!
I don’t understand why he thinks a company who has strung him along for a year half promising a promotion while making him do a lot of the job for no extra income is ‘a nice company’. More like tight chancers by their actions. If they manage to stop him leaving, he will be back to being taken for granted with no chance of progression

Job A all day for me

I always think you should take your opportunities when they come.
It has basically fallen in his lap, he needs to take the chance imo.

I think it is one of those things where it is hard to know. I was in a similar position a good few years ago. I took the new job, more money, better opportunities, they seemed lovely. It broke me, the boss was some sort of psychopath. His method was that everyone was terrified of being "the target" so if you were the target they joined in as it kept the spotlight off them. I don't work like that, didn't play the game and became the target. I was so close to a nervous breakdown and walked out.

An extreme example but just important to remember the grass isn't always greener.

Job A

He has loyalty to old company because he's a great employee. He should ask himself whether they show him the same loyalty? Stringing him along and not paying him market rate don't shout loyalty to me...

A

similar happened to DH 20 years ago, he opted for the new company which was much smaller and had only been operating five years or so. He helped grow the company and in turn he grew with the company. Now on the board, salary increase from 30k to 250k including bonus and LTIP over the course of 20 years. I’m very risk adverse and was nervous about him making the jump.

Good job he didn’t listen to my concerns.

Definitely A for all the reasons pp said.

But also, don't underestimate the power of having 'director' in the new job title for future progression opportunities

Always go with the external offer, in my book.

It's time to jump ship. Agree it's about being valued.

100% job A

How old is your DH?

I have just had a similar situation at work and the only reason I stayed is because I'm too near my pension and it's a good pension.

My DH was in the same position as yours, he was headhunted a few years ago and took the new job. He knew that although his old company would match the pay rise they would use that pay rise to avoid any other increases the next few years.

The only way to move up is to move on.

No one can tell him what to do. Either way could be better or worse - it's ''unknown''.

The current place would probably take him back if he hated the new job. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Job A.
Comes with a better title which will give access to higher positions in the future.