In a bit of a not-sure-how-to-proceed situation, feel like I need a range of subjective opinions!
Work in tech, in a corporate professional services profession. Been with current firm for >25 years, but roles have changed completely over that time, various mergers etc. Current role I basically designed for myself, manage a small team that's grown around my role. Love the work I do, my team are highly rated by the business - we are the innovators, etc.
Dark clouds gathered a year ago with the arrival of a new tech senior leadership team who appear to want to work against, rather than with, the business. It's all beholden-to-process in the absence of talent. They piss money away, make idiotic decisions etc - they won't last long, but at this stage of my career I don't have the patience to wait them out.
Two options in front of me - either my team is taken out of the wider tech function and into the business itself (supported by key senior people in the business) or I just leave. Have had a couple of commitment-phobic conversations over the last 6 weeks or so with a couple of interesting organisations via former colleagues. I've never used LinkedIn - never actually had a CV until recently! - so I'm well out of the job-hunting loop, I'm normally the one doing the recruiting.
One of these conversations has now resulted in a formal job offer, slightly more money than I'm on now but not spectacularly so. Firm is a direct competitor of current employer, set up in an appealing way (to me) but probably a couple of years behind where I'm used to operating on a technical level. This could be an opportunity or a PITA. On paper, the role is more senior but that doesn't concern me too much - I just want it to be interesting and challenging, I don't want something I can do standing on my head. About to have a deeper convo with the person I suspect will be my boss, should I take it.
Gut preference is to stay where I am, but out of the current dept structure. Current boss is low-calibre, I don't want to enter a slanging match but suspect that might happen. Will be politically uncomfortable for a while if current plan comes to pass I end up staying but outside the current structure.
Also feel this is where I should somehow be using leverage to get more money etc, but I have no idea how to go about that!
Also waiting for likely offer from another firm - a startup with loads of investment - which interests me the most, but seems a bit wild west.
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TO DO!
So, to summarise. You've been offered a job with a competitor for more money. They have an appealing set-up and are on a journey that you know having already done it with your current employer. it's possibly more senior, and probably more interesting.
On the other side, you are at a firm who are changing in a way that you don't like and, whilst you may end up on the right side of that change, you may not. You've been there a while, so know the deal, but the deal is changing with new management and structure. You love the current role, but not sure how long it'll stay as it is.
If that's a fair synopsis then I'd be leaving in a heartbeat.
You can use the offer to get more £££ from the current job, but I'm guessing money isn't your main motivator here.
this all sounds like the the universes way of telling you to take the new job
By all means raise the offer at your current company, if they want you, they can match the offer, or you can negotiate the position you want (but they could renege). But based on what you’ve written, it is time for a new challenge. Leave.
I suspect some loyalty to your team may be clouding your judgement, but team could be taken away too in another reorg.
Crap bosses seem to have a habit of getting promoted rather than fired, especially if firing reflects badly on the senior management that hired them in the first place, so I wouldn't stick around to wait it out if you have a solid offer elsewhere.
Even without the formal offer elsewhere I’d be looking to leave. As you’ve already found out, finding a new job is as much (if not more) about contacts and networks than CV’s and LinkedIn. I wouldn’t even bother trying to negotiate a better salary with the current employer as money shouldn’t be enough to compensate for poor management and culture.
I'd be starting to discuss sign on bonuses for the members of your team that you want to bring with you, you seem to have a very good relationship with the people already and it's a much easier task going on the journey again with a few key members of the team that can bring the knowledge and the culture that you enjoy working with.
Quit. Sell everything. Live in a caravan but the river.
Take the new job. Get gardening leave in lieu of notice.
I'd be starting to discuss sign on bonuses for the members of your team that you want to bring with you,
this, including golden hellos for them too if they choose to come over. might well save the hiring firm a chunk on recruitment fees, plus they'll like you even more for thinking of them
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate these responses.
Loyalty to my team (and other people I've spent a long time building enjoyable, productive working relationships with) is certainly a factor in clouding my judgement - this simply isn't a position I've ever been in before and it feels weighty.
Also can't deny the fact that leaving would mean a big admin effort, as I generally use my work email for pretty much everything; I've also never had a personal mobile phone ever! This is the lazy me though.
Added - more seriously - to the picture is the fact the outfit who've made the offer have literally just merged with a marginally-smaller US counterpart to form a much bigger firm (larger than my current lot). The tech structure is a strong part of the appeal for the US side (apparently) and significant change is inevitable 6 months from now. This feels more like an opportunity for someone like me than a risk if I'm honest, but I'm possibly being over-optimistic.
Just received the contract with a 7-day deadline, but that feels too soon. Inclined to respond with thanks but, given the magnitude of the personal change, I feel I need - say - 14 days. Would that be reasonable?
Yes, absolutely. If they really want you, another week to think over the offer and make a fully thought-through decision, is small fry for them
7 days is plenty, asking for 14 makes it look like you're fishing for a counter. Also, if after 7 days you still dont know then your answer should be no really!
I generally use my work email for pretty much everything; I've also never had a personal mobile phone ever!
We're all different obviously but I value my downtime too highly to imagine doing this.
Actually I did try briefly combining work and personal mobiles when BlackBerrys first came in I think, which dates it. Big big nah. So I'd see this as another boon. And wouldn't dither over deciding either. Though again that's me and that said the last person to join my old team took about a fortnight to reassure, by which time we were saying bloody prima donna (has now settled in brilliantly fwiw. V different situation but I guess some of us don't like moving.)
7 days is plenty to decide. From a HR/recruitment perspective (this is what I do for a living) asking for 14 days sounds a lot like you’re trying to negotiate with your current firm.
7 days is plenty to decide. From a HR/recruitment perspective (this is what I do for a living) asking for 14 days sounds a lot like you’re trying to negotiate with your current firm.
This is a fair point. I am probably leaning towards making the move, but was upfront with them that I did have a couple of possible opportunities. Will use the weekend to ponder.
One thing I'd welcome some suggestion on - comparing the current benefit package I have and what's on offer from the new place, and balancing this against the salary increase, I'm not sure I'll be that much better off, taking things like pension contribution levels into account. Money isn't the key driver for me here, but I kind of feel it'd be a bit daft to not even raise it. I'm just not sure how to have that conversation!
So far, their HR people have only asked what I'm currently on and then gave a figure with the offer. How commonplace is it to have some kind of back and forth around salary/package, who should I raise it with (the HR contact or the people I've been speaking with and will be working for/alongside) and how do I open that conversation? I'm a total n00b at this - I have literally no experience here at all, plus I'm British so find the prospect of it all frightfully awkward!
If i work through your rather verbose original post then i get the impression you want to move as you dont like the way rhe company is now organised. If thats the case stop dithering and move if the pay is ok enough as a fww quid will never make you happy
If its actually money the stop dithering and negotiate with one or both parties
Even if you didn’t have the job offer, I would be looking at leaving from your description. It sounds like it could actually get unpleasant / annoying at your current place of work to say the least! Go with interesting and positive, a new company should also be invigorating and quite refreshing, something new and all that. And yes, I would expect 7 days is plenty and I wouldn’t give more than that. 🙂 good luck, it should be a fun year for you!
Decision made, going for it! Thanks all.
Best of luck. Enjoy the new place.
