Stick or Twist Jobs

[Henrietta75]

Last year I was furloughed and then made redundant from my job of 2 years. I sent out many applications and finally had a bite from a company an hour away that needed urgent help, a possible temp to permanent role depending on how it went. 3 months into the role they gave me the permanant position and its a great place to work, people are friendly and I am happy with my salary. No problems.

9 months later out of the blue I get a recruitment consultant who says I have a great opportunity come up in my home city, good prospects blah blah. I turn him down by saying I am enjoying my existing role with some overlap as a Director has left and I am helping out a bit there too.

Few days later he persists in that the salary would be 5k higher and they are only looking at people already in positions rather than unemployed / between contracts and I dont want to miss this opportunity, please just chat with the company. I relent and discover its a newish company with great potential, new tech, work from home, better benefits etc.

I am now torn because I have built up a great relationship with my existing company and ironed out many wrinkles for them and have been given lots of praise. Salary increases would only really be inflation or small bonuses where with the new company its already £5k more.

The other problem is my partner works but because of health issues will have to go part time and the extra money would come in handy. I am a loyal person, I have been at one company for 16 years before I was made redundant. Next job the boss was a tyrant and I left after 18 months. The next job I was there 2 years before the pandemic caused them to go under. I expected to be here at the existing place for quite a while but now think should I not miss this opportunity, I will also be letting down my existing company. I am not saying I am irreplaceable but they will have the hassle of recruiting again and retraining the candidate in the business processes for 3-4 months.

Should I leave or stay?

Or post in Work section of the board?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/work

If you are happy where you are, I'd stay. It's easy to promise the world with a new company, but the reality could be very different.

You have more to lose by leaving somewhere great if things go wrong, then missing out on a great opportunity but ultimately still happy where you are.

@Ginuwine Are you the self appointed AIBU police today?

OP could you drop in to your existing company that you are currently trying to be poached to see if they would match the salary increase?

I’d speak to current company and explain you’ve been approached. You are happy but is there any scope for salary increase in current role. Happiness at work and being valued is something to be valued.

i’d speak to current company and explain you’ve been approached. You are happy but is there any scope for salary increase in current role. Happiness at work and being valued is something to be valued

100% this. Wise words.

£5K plus presumably significant commuting costs to a place an hour away, though.

Is £5K considerable? I wouldn’t move for money alone (to the amount of £5K) if I was earning £60K already and 50% of that £5K was going to disappear as tax and NI.

But for career progression, or a salary progression with another move in mind, or additional saving on commute, or TIME saving on commute - I might.

I also would move for £5K if I was on £20K, for money only - assuming all else was neutral not negative.

You don’t say nearly enough about the actual job. Your reasoning to stay seems to be guilt at moving on quickly, and loyalty. Even though some employers are great, honestly - they very very rarely deserve your guilt or loyalty.

You have nothing to lose by having a chat with new company. It’s not even an interview! But then you have nothing to lose by interviewing formally too. I would absolutely find out more.

An aside: I work with 3 senior people who have left my company and later returned. There’s no ill will. They made good career decisions for them, and are even more valuable to our company now they’ve returned.

I wouldn’t take the risk on moving. You have no idea what the new company is like, particularly if it’s new. Having friendly people and being valued is so important. And why are the agency being so insistent? Is it a role that is hard to find candidates for? Or is there something else going on about why they didn’t accept your original decline?

they are only looking at people already in positions rather than unemployed / between contracts

That would be a massive red flag for me - that is a shitty attitude and I wouldn't want to work there even it was 5K extra.

@vivainsomnia

If you are happy where you are, I'd stay. It's easy to promise the world with a new company, but the reality could be very different.

You have more to lose by leaving somewhere great if things go wrong, then missing out on a great opportunity but ultimately still happy where you are.

I absolutely don’t disagree with you that happiness has an incredibly high value.

However, I think it’s important to remember that staying and missing the current liked set up vs leaving and not liking the new one aren’t the only two outcomes here. Of course, OP could leave and love the new place. But even if she leaves and hates it, she could then go on to something else good instead.

OP, you don’t sound like you have really voluntarily left a job. You’re proud of your 16 years as you like that you’re loyal.
But so far:
Redundancy
Forced out rather than positive choice
Form going under

I would just say, be careful not to over-rate loyalty -not only because you often don’t get it back, but because if loyalty actually means turning down opportunities, is it the positive trait you think it is?

You seem to feel bad even finding out more about this new role. That’s wrong - leave emotions aside.

Adding current happiness into your decision making process when you know more about it, or are offered it, is very valid. But not even finding out more because of “loyalty” is a bad move, I think. Are you loyal, or is that a nice way to see yourself instead of “a bit scared of something new”? That’s not a criticism by the way! I’m scared of new, and feel all the guilts when I hand my notice in! I just think you might be ruling out the new job too quickly, for the wrong reasons.

@SwanShaped

I wouldn’t take the risk on moving. You have no idea what the new company is like, particularly if it’s new. Having friendly people and being valued is so important. And why are the agency being so insistent? Is it a role that is hard to find candidates for? Or is there something else going on about why they didn’t accept your original decline?

The more high quality candidates an agency put forward, the more likely I am to use that agency again. That’s even without them making commission from this one! If I get one brilliant candidate who I employ from Agency A, a gem amongst 10 unsuitable ones, I’ll use them less than Agency B who sent me 5 great candidates who just weren’t my final choice. I don’t see this as a red flag.

@SwanShaped sorry, I should have added - I do think your points are worth investigating! Like looking into glassdoor reviews. Just I don’t find it a dealbreaker for the agency to be insistent.

It might not be true in your area but in mine the ones where recruitment consultants suddenly contact you or are very pushy it’s for companies with poor reputations that are struggling to recruit.

Work out what the deductions would be on that extra £5k. It's probably not worth it. Stick with the devil you know.

The thing about not considering candidates who aren’t already in a job is weird. It might be recruitment agent bullshit, mind you - they so often spin any old crap to stroke egos into considering roles/going to interviews etc.

If I was happy where I was, it was secure and I didn’t need the extra money, I’d stay put.

If you are happy where you are, I think you should stay.

Have you actually been offered the job?

If not there’s no harm in interviewing, if you don’t get it, decision made. If you do, then you can consider turning it down, plus you’ll have found out more about the company and role at interview.

@Dixiechickonhols

It might not be true in your area but in mine the ones where recruitment consultants suddenly contact you or are very pushy it’s for companies with poor reputations that are struggling to recruit.

Exactly

Makes sense @Cocomarine

There is something fishy about this recruitment person. Check this company out. Go for an interview by all means but be sure you don’t think they will collapse.

In the meantime, as your preference is obviously to stay, can you think of ways to expand your responsibility in a way that would be worth more to them, as well as ask for a bit more cash, that way you are offering a win win.

Then you can either just talk to them about how to expand your role - or add in the point that you have another offer but you’d rather stay with them and progress your career

I think @Cocomarine makes very good points here - loyalty towards an employer is often overrated.

The recruitment consultant is interested in earning commission not your best interests.

I would stay. Doesn't mean you stay there forever, but I wouldn't jump based on a hard sell from an agency.

Id meet them and see how you feel. Being happy at work is so important, but so is a work life balance. Hear what offer is on the table.