Would You Let Your Employer Know if You Were Looking Elsewhere?

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  oscargamer on 31/03/2016 - 12:02

  +3

  Maybe. First I would recommend that you talk to your boss and explain your feelings. His /her reply should give you a good idea of where they see you in the business over the next few years.
  Their reply will either make you want to stay or leave.
  By the way, one year in a job is a very very short time

  • 

    Sex on 31/03/2016 - 12:56

    +1

    Thanks for the suggestion. I spoke in depth with my manager and HR when I got that one salary increase. During the discussion, they asked me what salary would make me happy. I specified an amount which I thought was extremely reasonable (most grads are getting more than I am in similar accounting roles). The amount I asked for was the amount I was receiving in my first job, which I had immediately before this one (I chose to move because there was no progression in my old firm). They said they would go to think about it.
    A week later my manager came up to me and said I would receive my raise in the next pay and it was nowhere near what I requested. The fact that they didn't come back to me first and ask me what I felt of the increase was what made me feel a bit cut.

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  geek001 on 31/03/2016 - 12:05

  +4

  If I were you, I think I would at least mention that I am not happy about my pay privately with my manager. I wouldn't specifically say that I am looking elsewhere because if there is nothing out there, you could be there for a while, that may impact other things like your study support, future increments. And also, every time you ask for short notice leave, everyone will be suspecting you are off to an interview.

  • 

    Sex on 31/03/2016 - 14:15

    Yeah, I was torn as to whether or not to bring this up again. As per my response above to oscargamer, I was actually the one who initiated the meeting to talk about salary. I was clear in what I asked for. I feel like their response demonstrates what they value me at as an employee. That's what confuses me…they tell me how they value my career with them (hence the study support), but it just doesn't show for me.

    • 

      geek001 on 31/03/2016 - 16:02

      I probably wouldn't bring it up again if it has already been said. Is it a privately owned local company? As in your boss is also the one who owns the company? The trouble with small businesses is that the owners always feel that they are paying their employees too much. There seems to be a huge gap in what the employers expect to pay and what the employees expect to get. That's why in Australia, we have relatively high unemployment and yet you get business owners saying they cannot find anyone to fill a role.

      From what I have read of your issue, you seemed to have moved sideways with your jump to this current company. If the lack of progression was a problem in your last company, a company of 20 employees would not have offered much more in terms of progression. My advice for your next role would be either a move upwards or a salary increase. Don't leave your current company for any other reason. You have a job now, so that works in your favour in salary negotiations for your next role.

      Also, I probably wouldn't stay if they offered more money when you have an offer from someone else, because if you stay, your future increments will affected because you will be considered as "overpaid" already. So really, your options are, look for another job and don't look back, or stay and concentrate on getting your CA.

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  stargalaxy on 31/03/2016 - 12:17

  +2

  I think you need to talk to your manager about your performance evaluation and why they arrived at the increment figure. 1 year in a job is very short, if you have a few 1 years job in the future, potential employers will assess this negatively as they will think you will jump ship after a short time and would not wants to waste time training and investing in you with resources.

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  pointless martyr on 31/03/2016 - 12:19

  -3

  Yep - just the same as when you tell your missus you are are looking to upgrade too.

  Or when you call the cops to say you ran a stop sign

  Or if you find $50, put an ad on gumtree searching for the rightful owner

  Just be honest - no bad can ever come from that

  :)

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  sparkles on 31/03/2016 - 12:21

  +8

  I would say nothing. Zero. It's not being dishonest, it's being discrete. Your main bargaining tool is when you have an external offer, and they fight for you to stay. If they don't fight for you, move on. Simple. Bare in mind after just one year you are not expendable, especially if you are junior and they are footing all or part of the bill for your post grad. You really should factor that cost into you salary comparisons too, before you start questioning your salary level. Any pay rise within the first year should be considered good these days.

  • 

    v2 on 31/03/2016 - 12:55

    +3

    Totally agree….you can have that talk once you have received an offer to bargain or negotiate. In saying that, if your employer didn't increase your pay or provided additional benefit when you initially raised the concern then i would jump the ship. Sometimes you just have to change employer for the pay jump….internal process and politics will often restrict you the pay rise you feel you deserve.

  • 

    Slippery Fish on 01/04/2016 - 09:34

    -1

    Lol I was thinking what a whinger when he said I got a pay rise but it wasnt every cent I wanted…

    And heres where ill get negged.

    Get real op, you went there because you were happy with the amount they offer, to go to your boss for a pay rise in a year of working there is I guess fair but to then complain because they didnt give you everything you asked for!they will have budgets that allow for x pay as thats what they expect, to have gotten anything shows they value you.

    Do you expect a 2 and 3 and 4 year payrise that you set and in 4 years you are payed top dollar? Those being paid more likely earned it and wernt entitled whiners.

    /Endrant.

• 

  Islund on 31/03/2016 - 12:30

  +2

  If you feel your employer does not know your worth then move on. I would not use and external offer to bargain with existing employer for then you may never get a future pay rise and, you have also lost the opportunity presented to you by that offer.

  But then - you have a profession and I do not so your circumstances are different in that by itself.

• 

  charzy on 31/03/2016 - 12:48

  +8

  Start looking. Do not let them know - they don't need to know.
  If you need to do an interview, organise it before work, after work or during an extended lunch break if you work one out.
  While you are looking, you can get feedback about your recent pay rise.

  Once offer is on the table from another company that you like, then decide if you want to stay and use that as leverage, or jump ship.
  If they value you, they will increase your pay to keep you. If not, they'll tell you to go suck it.
  If you feel valued with low pay, that's another reason why you may want to stay. If you feel otherwise, take the offer and leave.

• 

  v2 on 31/03/2016 - 12:55

  +3

  Totally agree….you can have that talk once you have received an offer to bargain or negotiate. In saying that, if your employer didn't increase your pay or provided additional benefit when you initially raised the concern then i would jump the ship. Sometimes you just have to change employer for the pay jump….internal process and politics will often restrict you the pay rise you feel you deserve.

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  Davo1111 on 31/03/2016 - 13:42

  +5

  Have you factored in the cost of " and am getting study support for the CA postgrad qualification"?

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  purplelady on 31/03/2016 - 13:45

  I actually was looking for this kind of thread this morning! So yeah I'm torn too. But I'm also thinking what if I told them and then I end up not finding anything for ages? If they are okay with me here I'd still feel embarrassed, if they are not okay and start looking for my replacement, then I'll have no choice but to leave.

  From people I asked around, they all say not to say anything.

• 

  cypher67 on 31/03/2016 - 13:48

  +3

  I wouldn't tell anyone unless you knew someone well connected that could assist you in other organisations. Soon as they know you are trying to leave your career progression with them is over.

  • 

    purplelady on 31/03/2016 - 13:55

    that's right. It's also one of my concern too if I consider telling them I'm leaving

• 

  Google Chrome on 31/03/2016 - 14:12

  When I notified my boss I was leaving to another company with more pay,higher position etc…, he was pretty cool about it and asked if I could train the guy that was replacing my job. After his training was completed I was offered by my boss a transfer to another department with even better conditions that if I was to move companies.

  Needless to say, if you approach your boss and have a good conversation with him about how you see you should be paid, acknowledged etc… He should be very accomodating of you if he sees that you are a required member of the company.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 31/03/2016 - 14:25

  +1

  Don't mention it until you have an offer already on the table from another company. Otherwise you're potentially burning a bridge and might find yourself "redundant". Yes the big and small companies abuse the redundancy rules to get rid of employees out of spite, as example a Fujitsu employee questioned the CEO during a Q&A session regarding why his overtime wasn't being paid and being kept off the books. Suddenly his position was redundant a week later, despite being critical for one of their accounts as the senior architect.

  On a second note, you've been there 1 year and you're the youngest, yet you feel you should earn the same as people with more experience who have been there longer? That isn't how it works. The reverse could be posted: "Why am I being paid the same as the new young guy when I have 10 years more experience and been at the company for 5x as long as him?"

  I was stuck for 3 years with no pay rises, no bonuses, no training, no real benefits (except for fake gym discounts and the like which were the same price you could get walking in) because of a HR girl lying. Ended up getting a 50% pay rise after I slugged through it, which put me at the level of my colleagues with 10 - 20 years more experience than me. I earned it through persistence, otherwise I would say it wasn't right that my salary is the same as the colleague in my team with 15 years experience over my 3 years.

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  melgibson19 on 31/03/2016 - 15:14

  +2

  I am a sole trader and I am constantly looking elsewhere despite myself

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  redvaldez on 31/03/2016 - 15:32

  I was in a similar boat, but in a different professional field. Not dissimilar to you, i liked the work environment, but wasn't happy with my pay or career progression. Was grappling with whether or not to disclose it to my Principal. Decided against it - it was a very small office (I was sandwiched between him and his wife each day) and didn't want things to be awkward. Glad I didn't tell him as it took me nearly 12 months to find a replacement gig. He had been good to me though so I gave him as much notice as I could (just shy of 4 weeks) which I thought was a good compromise.

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  lost69 on 31/03/2016 - 15:50

  -4

  ROFL, 1 year and leaving you might be seen as a job hopper. I've quit a stack of jobs in a day or a few hours. Trivial. Accountancy is the definition of boring, I wouldn't last 1hr let alone 1 year. Leave OP, find something better. You only have one 1 life 2 live and living it in some tiny suffocating small business fondling numbers is a waste.

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  chumlee on 31/03/2016 - 15:55

  +2

  No job progression at first job. Too low of a pay rise at second employer. Why don't you stick around for a while and produce excellent results to justify why you have earned a bigger pay rise rather than wanting one cause everyone else earns more.

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  GameChanger on 31/03/2016 - 16:27

  lol telling the boss is like asking to be fired. You only move jobs once you have signed a contract at the other place.

  If all else fails become a pimp

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  bluesky on 31/03/2016 - 19:55

  You mentioned you are getting study support for the CA postgrad qualification. What does this entail - time off for study? Have you factored in a monetary value for this also?

  If you get a higher paid position elsewhere, will this study support come as part of it? And how crucial if the new employer does not give you this support (given the higher pay you are seeking)?

  Do consider this as well.

• 

  Mumbles on 31/03/2016 - 20:24

  +1

  If you are a recent graduate or have very few years in your industry then I would recommend you take things slowly and give more consideration before changing employers.

  Yes, the level of pay and promotions seems important but even more vital in the earliest years is training and building of experience.

  Do a list of Pro's and Con's next to current employer and for future employer.

  There is a saying "The grass is not always greener on the other side".

  You will often find that there is good reasons why other jobs pay higher. Eg. stressful bosses, higher work load, longer hours, no training provided, etc.

  Make sure you know what you will be getting into before you jump ship as it could mean the premature end of your training and development. Plus you are handcuffed to the new employer as it will look bad on a graduates resume the jumping about.

  The situation and advice will be different when you have years of solid work experience. Do as you like since you don't rely on training a you have a long history of work experience to show you can be loyal.

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  [Deactivated] on 31/03/2016 - 23:47

  +2

  No, don't say anything. If you tell them you're on the lookout they may find your replacement before you line something up. Alternatively, you may not find anything better and they'll know about it, which will severely diminish your bargaining power at salary review time.

  If one of my staff started asking for a huge pay increase even before they had served a full year I'd take a very dim view of the request I.e if you're so dissatisfied with the salary you shouldn't have applied for the role in the first place.

  Forget about what others are paid in your company and don't bring it up in salary negotiations - if you do the key message that will come across is that you don't understand how to be discreet with sensitive payroll data. Talk about your achievements and make reference to the market rate for someone of your skills and experience instead.

  Experience and training are more important than your salary at this point of your career, and don't underestimate the value of working in a good environment as long as you're taking useful skills out of it. As someone mentioned above the grass is definitely not always greener on the other side.

  • 

    Sweetnsour on 01/04/2016 - 09:20

    Good advice. Good relationships at work are important to developing your work network. Also these relationships assist in developing new knowledge and experience.

    If you decide to stay, I would not stay dormant. I would proactively seek new skills to progress further in your field.

• 

  Brendoo on 01/04/2016 - 10:54

  Do not let your company know that you are looking for another job. That will never be seen in any positive light by the managers or HR at your company. Essentially it will indicate to them to do nothing for you as you've decided your loyalties no longer reside there.
  Many companies in the current economy are not giving pay rises at all, so to even get one should be seen as positive. You have been there for a very short time which makes bargaining not so easy for you I imagine (unless you are critical to the operation of the company or pulling in large amounts of revenue almost solely due to you). In general, when you ask for a pay rise, ask for much more than you expect to get (but not a laughable amount), it will generally get chopped in half at least. It's a game of negotiation. And be sure you have clearly listed reasons as to why you deserve the pay rise (and not just "because he gets more" or "because this is what an accountant gets at my level in the industry"). I can guarantee HR will have documented data that shows the industry pays much less and you are being paid on or more that average, even though it may be rubbish in reality.

  Does your company have a formal performance appraisal, salary review and bonus process, documented showing what percentage amounts you can receive based on defined performance measures? This can help, or at least help you know if it's worthwhile staying.

  Are you getting good experience and increasing your skills there? Can you get good training paid for by the company? Don't underestimate the actual financial value in that, even though it's not in your pay. It may have significant value on your CV later and it can be worth staying to build on that before quitting as it can boost the salary at a new company.

  At the end of the day, if you are not happy, look for another job and hand in your notice once you have secured a new job. If your company really values you, then at that moment they may decide to better the salary of the new company to keep you. But until you have another job and known salary, you don't have a huge amount of bargaining power and most companies will assume you'll just cop your current and do nothing. They may be prepared to give you more (they would have a max amount already known to them) but generally they won't use it until you actually quit, if they want to keep you, especially if they have already given you a pay rise within the past year.

• 

  farknos on 01/04/2016 - 14:11

  +1

  I cant believe they didnt give you what you asked for.
  Do they realise who they are dealing with?
  I would get a better paying job and stamp my feet on the way out the door just to show them who's boss.

  might be a good idea to test the water out there first and make sure your expectations can be met with a new employer.

  most existing roles today would be replaced for less than they are currently paying due to the change in unemployment and the amount of options available.

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  [Deactivated] on 13/04/2016 - 15:25

  YES.

  Walk up to your boss. Poke him in the chest, call him a w@nker, tell him he can take his job and shove it cause you are looking for a better one.
  Also add you are going to bang his wife/husband/pet.

  Source: 6 days straight on meth.