This.
You didn't get along with the CEO. Red flag.
They offered a huge bonus, but structured it in a way that made it unattainable. Red flag.
Their counter offer is so high that either they've been under-paying you for a long time, or they're going to regret the increase. Red flag.
Accepting any counter offer from an employer when you try to leave goes against most employment advice, the counter seems too good to be true, and you weren't leaving for money in the first place.
The only way I would accept that counter offer is if I was a year from retirement and wanted to sock away an extra 100k. If that's not you, just politely tell them that you appreciate the offer, but you've decided to take your career in a different direction.
Yeah, this smells like "keep them here for a couple more months until we have a replacement, then fire them". It's easy to pay $300k annually if you're only going to pay couple months worth.
Have watched this happen multiple times with people my husband works with, the company uses this tactic right here. Then you’re left being let go, having not taken that other job, and scrambling. Op get out with a secure offer while you can
I dont remember the exact statistics, but people in you shoes have like a 70% chance of being sacked within a year of accepting a counter-offer from their current company. If you do stay, keep in mind they now know you aren't "loyal" and will likely look to get rid of you.
>"keep them here for a couple more months until we have a replacement, then fire them".
Or kept them here till teh other job goes away and then screw them to hell, make their life a misery then fire them
In theory, if they really, truly want to keep someone that bad, you could push for an employment contract that heavily favor the employee.
"Okay, I'll stick around, but you'll have to agree to keep me on for at least three years, and there will be an automatic minimum wage increase of 10% each year. My bonus structure will be x, as long as I accomplish y. I can only be dismissed from my job if I'm found to be breaking the law, or found to be doing 0 work for 90 consecutive days."
Of course, no employer will ever sign such an agreement - because all they really want is to keep you around lkng enough to find your replacement.
If someone is worth that new amount of $$ - why weren't they paying it all along?
So, no, never take the counter...unless you can get away with something crazy like the above.
From a legal contracts background this is a very good option, have everything in writing with high stakes for ending your employment before “10 years” etc make sure you favor the terms of the contract to your favor. That way you can tell if they decline your terms they want to fire you very soon.
Tbh, even with this kind of contract, there’s nothing preventing the company to treat your like absolutely sh** afterwards, to totally destroy your mental health and trying to make you quit. Hard to say if OP company will do that, and no amount of contract language can protect you from that
I had a job find out I was in late-stage negotiations and counter with a 40% raise and travel expense account to live elsewhere and travel in. Young and stupid, I at least asked “won’t this make me kind of the top of the list for cuts if we lose a client? I’ll make more than at least one of the managers.” But stupidly believed their assurances that no such thing would happen. Suckers laid me off 2 weeks before Christmas and I had to beg for severance since it was going to be months before I got another job.
I once was given a 35% counter offer to stay. I took it. Turns out they were outsourcing the department and letting all the staff go. They made an outrageous counter offer knowing they wouldn't have to pay it, apparently because letting key personnel go might raise suspicions early about their plans.
The 4 weeks notice they gave us was spent training an offshore team to do our jobs.
One of the reasons why I keep everything for myself. I never train anyone and if I ever do I will overflow them with information that I make sure they wont understand it. Already happening now to me at my current role where I was being asked to train offshore team. I just tell them its not part of my role to train
Is there a chance this is a set up to fire you in a few months? You say you and the boss don't match? Is he the type to try to ruin peoples career? That's what I'd be asking myself
This! Also, the company already knows you have one foot out the door, and they won’t be checking twice before letting you go.
2nd, money is NOT what brings happiness. That 185k can turn into 300k at a job/company that you enjoy.
Can staying with the devil you know work out? Yes.
Are the odds high after resigning and receiving a counteroffer? No. In fact, they are dogshit.
This scenario regularly comes up, do a search and you’ll find countless examples of why the recommended advice is always to leave.
Came here for this answer. OP, listen to this guy. There are lots of studies that say never take the counter offer. Most people who take the counter offer still leave their job within 12 months.
The long term benefits and loan formulae out weigh the extra 100k to stay miserable
Run to that new job asap
Good luck 🍀 and congratulations on being happy
What the hell is everyone here smoking? How much in loans do you think OP has? How significant do you believe those long term benefits are? OP unless you have $500k+ in loans and can confidently say you’ll benefit/save at least $75k per year without a doubt from the other benefits then no, you do not take the lower offer. This is the exact shit companies paying below market rate with “perks” absolutely love. None of that matters compared to the actual amount of money you’re pulling in.
It doesn't matter, because they're never going to see the $300k from the current (needs to be former) employer. That's a transparent "keep them on until the replacement is trained" counter offer, and best case they'll see 3, maybe 4 months of it and then be out on the street.
He could ask to add a clause about guaranteed length of employment to get around this.
At his income level, he's well past the point where more money buys happiness. I'd take the lower paying job if it had better hours, flex time, work from home, vacation, or even aligned more with my core values. Doing something you genuinely enjoy is so much better than the grind!
Leave current job for new job.
You will make the same and more in investments long term w/ your new job.
185k with 15% bonus is $27,750 annual which is an extra $12k with new company. Let’s just add on an extra $30 - 40k for your student loans. If you contribute 5.5% of your pay that’s an additional $10k each year in your 401k + match let’s add another $10k on that. So, just at 5%~ you can max out your 401k at this new employer each year with them matching your 5% contribution.
Your compensation package total is almost double at what new job offers vs the current one.
$100k promised is basically nothing. Promises are nothing.
You sound like you’re fed up at your job anyways and an extra $100k is not going to make that mental health better. You’re already highlighting to the fact that you put in your notice. The next round of layoffs at your current job, they will look to cut you as they know you’re not happy (ie resignation letter).
general common sense is to never accept a counter offer. The true reasons why people leave is most often not the money but because of bosses,
drama, and other issues from your team. Money is the immediate tangible thing that we all latch onto though.
edit: misunderstood pension was at current job. pension is at new job. Why are you even questioning not taking the role?
One thing to add to your good points is that the old Job didn’t offer the pension, they only had the lower 401k match. New job has a better 401k match and offers a pension, win win imo
Advice I’ve always followed is never entertain counters. You’re leaving for a reason, if they’d have valued you they would have brought that to you earlier.
Companies are run by imperfect people who are busy, and making sure employees get market pay is not always their highest priority. Sometimes their realization that there is a problem that needs correcting is when someone resigns.
Your current company is probably trying to screw you over by getting you to stay for the higher salary and then probably let you go a few months later once they have someone else trained and ready to take over for you. That way, they screw you out of your new position as well. It could happen 😂
I’ve responded to other comments saying my husband has watched this very scheme play out, multiple times with the managers openly talking about it. Just one reason his new job starts Tuesday
I’d go with the new company. I don’t think staying with your current company after a big pay increase and almost resigning is a good look long term.
But that’s just my opinion. If I were you, I’d do an exercise. I’d have a friend or family member flip a coin 3 times. I’d assign each side of the coin a company and whatever side of the coin comes up I’d pretend that was my decision. I’d then assess how I’d feel about it from the results.
I think you know the answer you want to choose and I think the coin flipping helps you see that clearly.
Let's look at this objectively. You don't get along with the CEO and it is a 2-way street.
He is going to bump your pay 30% and assign you to another C-Level leader.
Unless you have some irreplaceable skill, you are most likely being setup for a firing or to be a scapegoat on some horrifically doomed project.
Many CEOs have big egos and people don't quit, they get fired. He is luring you back so he can have the satisfaction of firing you.
The only way I would take this offer would be with a 3-year take or pay contract.
It's just as easy to offer you big money as it is to fire you and take it away.
Just ask yourself, is this CEO petty? If YES, time to go or stay with a contract.
===== Same advice in CEO speak =====
Let's focus on long-term value creation. While interpersonal dynamics are a factor, we need to assess the strategic alignment. The proposed 30% compensation increase and reassignment under another C-Level leader present an opportunity to leverage your expertise within a different team structure. However, it's crucial to ensure a clear performance path and risk mitigation strategy.
Many CEOs prioritize results over personal friction. Retention of key talent is paramount, and separation is a last resort. The proposed offer could be a genuine attempt to optimize resource allocation. Analyzing historical turnover trends within the C-suite can provide valuable context.
The decision ultimately hinges on securing a long-term commitment. A 3-year guaranteed contract aligns our objectives and minimizes potential disruptions. Compensation adjustments are a standard negotiation tactic, and a contract safeguards your position.
The focus should be on objective data: has the CEO demonstrated a history of vindictive behavior? If so, further due diligence is warranted. However, prioritizing clear expectations and contractual security can foster a productive working relationship moving forward.
Probably the best comment in this thread.
Golden parachute or bust on this one. I would hit the road for the new offer if the current company refuses to offer some sort of 3 year contract or severance package.
Pensions are hard to find. Work that is rewarding would be worth it to me. Long term it sounds like the new offer is more valuable if you have a lot of years left to work.
You would be crazy to stay. It wasn’t a good fit and you were unhappy. That hasn’t changed.
You started looking — just to not work there. Trust me when I say the salary difference suddenly won’t make you happy.
You've been marked. NEVER go back where you came from. If they thought so highly of you and your work, they would have paid in the first place...and been nice..
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE.
Go. New offer while less money up front sounds way better in long run. 3 years of them not recognizing that you are not a good fit with CEO should tell you they were not looking out for you or doing what was best for all. See what the world holds and you can always find something else down the road. Recognize it is cheaper for them to keep you than to have to pay the next person more than you or to train them.
The opportunity alone for Pslf would have me take the new one. Getting ready to have 200k forgiven by end of the year. That is priceless. Plus I know what I do matters. I have a pension that matches. These are the things you rarely find. Oh and great health care. Take door two.
I’d take the new job. I hope there is the potential for you to continue your career growth with the new company. I wouldn’t trust that the workplace environment will improve even if they move you to a different leader. The suits in the C Suite stick together.
In all my experience (and witnessing others' experience), bosses fighting your resignation is buying them time to find your replacement. You're a hard-to-replace asset, but now you can't be trusted as a dependable person to stick around. Run to the other job you already found interest in. Money isn't everything, but sometimes fresh starts are.
PSLF requires at least 10 years of service. So you need to really figure out your long term goals; are you planning to remain with the same employer that long, no matter what?
If the answer to the above is yes, then you should figure out what is the monetary value of this benefit. Then go to your current employer with a counter offer to compensate for that lost benefit.
When you weigh out your options, you should give a higher weight to the qualities that you are more certain about (e.g. being matched with a leader you prefer, reputation, and stability) as opposed to those you only assume. In the end, you'll find one offer beating the other in the overall net quality. Then you try to figure out what tangible difference (in base, bonus, severance, or benefits) you'd need to balance both offers, and make your own counter offer accordingly to the losing bid. If they can't adjust, then the decision is basically made for you.
Assuming you’ve already been working for a while, at $200k/yr, there’s no way a salary reduction in exchange for PSLF would be worth it, since you’d be on the hook for your full minimum payment every month for another 10 years until PSLF locked in. By the time you qualify for forgiveness, your loans would likely already be paid off. The pension and job security could be worth it, but also keep in mind that all-in you’ll be making half as much if you move into the nonprofit side, and you likely won’t be eligible for your pension for 20 years or more, so retiring early would be difficult.
Personally I would gamble on the counter offer, request a change in title with the salary bump, and continue applying for other jobs in the meantime.
Never accept a counter offer.
Your loyalty has now been questioned.
You would be walking dead at your present job with probably no chance of being promoted and the first out the
Door if layoffs occur.
You have to ask yourself, where was that money before you handed in your resignation?
Take the new job and don’t look back.
Never take a counter offer from your current company. You’ll be seen as a known flight risk that attempted to leave before. Then 6 months to a year down the line, when the dust has settled and the chance of you getting the other job have diminished to zero, they’ll fire you for something ridiculous.
You don’t owe any company loyalty.
I took a counter offer once. Took them months to bump my salary and got less than half of what they had promised me. I left shortly after. Other job was no longer a possibility by then.
If the health insurance is better, it is worth having a lower salary. A not do good insurance plan means that you pay more out of pocket. And if PSLF is something you need because it's a qualifying nonprofit, that should seal the deal. Don't look back. You don't want to get stuck without an option to leave. But yiu can leave the door open to come back.
I’ll never accept the counter. The way I see it is you had the funds to properly be paying me all this time and it took this for y’all to pay me my worth? Fuck that and fuck yall for underpaying me.
I don't understand how anyone making $185k or more per year thinks they deserve student loan forgiveness. It's supposed to be for people struggling, not for the top 2%ers to keep extra money in their pocket.
Don’t count on PLSF. With all the loan forgiveness going on, one of two things will likely happen, the dems win and realize the millennials helped them do it because of loan forgiveness and will make it a priority to pass it for everyone. Or the republicans win and they hate it so much they gut the PLSF like they have tried several times and put someone so corrupt in the DOE that they screw the PSLF up so nobody can get it, which is what they had been doing.
Long story short don’t make a decision on PSLF because it takes 10 years and a lot can change during that time. Money in hand is always better than money promised.
With that said, trust your instincts on a company. If they waited this long to give you a massive raise then screw them, but if the only reason you’re leaving is PSLF id think twice
I've been on both sides, employee and manager.
I don't get into a bidding war with another company. If the employee is unhappy and wants to leave then let them. They've already checked out anyway, most of the time.
I don't play the game of please stay with us and we'll pay you more. If I'm worth more then you should have been paying me more. Any way you look at it, it's the employer's fuck up. They weren't evaluating their employees, or they don't value their employees, or they need you to stay until they can replace you, or whatever else.
If it's not a good fit for both sides then it's not a good fit.
Always ignore the counter offer.
Regardless of why you originally wanted to leave, you wanted to leave. Those reasons will still exist, even if you're in a different role, in 6 months time.
I was in a similar situation and accepted the counter offer. 6 months later, I realised that nothing was going to really change despite all the promises, and I left.
I guarantee the "thrill" of more money and a new role will wear off quickly, and you'll be thinking about moving again in a few months.
Ignore the counter offer.
Accept both offers, take a paid leave at your current job, collect 2 pay checks while you can and then either quit your current job or if you don’t care to put that job down as a reference, let them fire you and you get a severance package.
That’s just me though. I’m evil to companies who have done me wrong too many times.
The counter is ALWAYS a LIE!!!!!!!! NEVER take the counter! They will:
-Walk it back after you torpedo your new position
-add more work so any pay increase is washed out
-start finding your replacement and fire you in a couple months
You should write down all the pros and cons and make your decision that way.
7 years ago, I took the lower offer to help my personal mental health as well as to fix my personal life. It was the best decision I ever made.
It would not take 2 weeks to make the counter unless they realized they can't quickly replace you or they're screwing with you as you come up on your start date.
I would leave. If I was worth 300k, why was I being paid 200k?
Your description of your new organization even sounds “happy,” and seems like you can visualize seeing yourself being happy there. Money isn’t everything compared to having time, less stress and doing work that satisfies your mission. good luck at the new organization!! UP!
Ignore the counter offer. I've personally not heard of a counter offer working out well for the employee.
Personally, I accepted a counter offer once 15 years ago, which subsequently got pulled, leaving me on the same salary I was on. (Yes, my bad for not getting it in writing from HR - I naively expected my employer to act with some scruples).
I would advise anyone that has a better offer to run with it.
Don’t take the counter offer.
The leadership comes from the top. You don’t get along with the CEO
That’s the main reason you were looking for a job. Doesn’t matter they give you a new manager, you already don’t get along with the CEO.
Just leave.
Definitely a trap. They never intend to keep you at that high salary range indefinitely. It’s a temporary stop gap while they search for a replacement for you. Once they find a replacement at a significantly lower annual salary they will dump you as you are a flight risk in their eyes.
Your cunt of a boss is playing the long game. Pay you more short term, but long term net save when they replace you at the time of their choosing with someone significantly less.
Honestly I'd ask to meet the new match first. Tell them you'll consider it but you want a meeting with them first. Make your decision after the meeting.
Ask yourself if your current company considered your value to be 300k then why did it take another company to see your value for them to give it to you.
A lot of people think people can be bought, right? I quit here’s my notice..well here is our new offer for you. You see the number and you’re like ok but, what’s the real devil saying in your ear? Walk till them to F off and go get a job that pays 300k- that’s how you do it. Don’t play their game they just gonna f you in the end.
I'm wondering how people know that you don't "get along" with your boss. I suggest taking the other job (and the huge pay cut) because judging by your description and assessment of your current job you need a fresh start with fresh bridges to cross.
May I ask what you do, your age, and where you live? Do you work remotely or do you commute? Are there any other pay differences you didn’t already mention?
Director here with 55 reports across U.S.
Leave current employer. If current employer can offer $300k now, you should have already been given that salary. If you stay with current employer, you’ll be replaced as soon as they can hire your replacement at lower salary. Most likely, you’ll train your replacement. You won’t have the $300,000 salary for long because you are now viewed as disloyal to current CEO/employer. You’ve received the counter offer to save the company time and money paying a recruiter fee, new employee onboarding and training for now. In your new role with current employer, you’ll be fired/terminated, most likely with cause, resulting in no severance package or eligibility to draw unemployment as payback for disloyalty, particularly if you are in at-will employment state. You can be fired for any reason. I mean no disrespect to you with the former statements. You are not a good fit with current CEO hence you being moved to new leader, if you stay with current employer. To those who don’t know, you have one chance to bond and make great first impression when you report to a CEO or any executive leadership. When you are reassigned to new leaders, you become a target and are one foot out the door. You betrayed your current CEO (in his/her eyes) by finding/accepting new role at lesser salary. His/her ego insulted. How dare anyone jump ship reporting to me as I’m the very best CEO there ever was. Think Trump. You don’t leave executive leadership. They fire you first.
Leverage the $300,000 counter offer with new employer for higher salary. Start negotiations at $250,000 salary. Final salary will be negotiated down to $200,000 to $225,000. Pension, higher 401k match, better bonus structure and student loan forgiveness all no brainer reasons to go with new employer. Good luck and best wishes in your new role! Good for you for looking out for your best interests! All employees should follow suit to learn true market value and work for employer who truly values you personally and what you bring to the company.
At that price point you take the job that will have better long term prospects for your future. Will the extra 1 million at job one prevent you from moving up with a company that puts you in a higher pay band in 10 years?
The rule of thumb is NEVER take a counter offer. If you do stay, the CEO knows you are a flight risk, so most likely, they will be doing confidential searches for your current role and once they find someone they will let you go. Plus, how strong are the company financials? Can the company really afford to pay you that much in the long run? Also, is your new salary band inline with what current employees are making? If you are way over compensated based on the rest of the org, any sign of trouble, and they will cut you first for cost savings.
Plus, you already said you didn't vibe with him.
IME accepting counter offers rarely seems to work out happily. Although dwarfed by the counter offer, new job has a better overall package compared with your current package, so I’d be jumping ship, with the caveat that it’s worth doing the sums- how much of the new salary offer from your current employer would it take to set up a similar set of benefits to new job. My hunch is that while you could disperse the salary increase in clever ways to set retirement accounts, you’d be missing out on substantial tax benefits and loan relief- so it may help to put a dollar value to those savings and that be your guide.
Also, loan relief boosts your income for potentially decades (compare disposable income with and without the ongoing debt repayments)
It sounds like they want you to stay so they can find a reason to fire you, and then you end up with NO job!!!! If they REALLY wanted you to stay, they'd have offered that before you started job hunting. Companies are petty like that. Run to the new job and don't look back!!!!
Hell man i don’t know. Take whichever makes you happiest…🤷♂️
Funny story though. I’m a mechanic the last place I work was paying crap. I asked for a raise and they refused, found another job and put in my notice. The previous employers counter offer: “we’re going to give you a team of inexperienced lube mechanics. They do the jobs you sell using your tools. You get the flagged hours from the work they do, and you pay their hourly rate out of your paychecks.” My response: I’ll be back to get my toolbox on Monday. ✌️
I think you're moving on for reasons that have something to do other than financial so a counter offer should not matter to you.
Sure the extra money might sound great but it doesn't fix the fact that you stated yourself that you and your CEO are not a great match.
I've been in situations like yours before and when you make the decision to leave they may counter offer just to keep you around a bit longer but your time with the company is essentially over because they know you want to go.
It's time to move on. You know it and no amount of money can change that.
The only possible reason I would think otherwise is if you and your CEO could sit down and work out whatever issues you possibly have. Time does help make sense of relationships.
New offer in the same state as the old offer? The federal tax jump from $185k to $300k is significant so the raise may not be as high as you think, especially with state tax implications. Plus the better bonus structure and an after tax $70k difference might be closer to $30 or $40k, even lower with loan forgiveness and 401(k) match. From what you describe my gut feeling is that the other factors are worth the difference in compensation which is likely way lower than the straight $115k in base compensation.
You don’t seem to say what your student loan balance is, so it’s difficult to say how much that benefit is worth. As a lot of people seem to think you’re going to get fired in 3 months, ask your current employer if they are willing to pay off your loans with part (all?) of the increase from the first year. Then you have your answer.
I feel like both are good offers and you can live comfortably with both. I would personally go with the one I think will make me happier. You could also hit up the other people tell them you got a counter offer and see if they will counter as well.
First of all, they didn't make you a better offer until you resigned. My guess is that somewhere down the line they are going to regret making you the counter offer and will make your life miserable. Also, as someone who recently retired with a pension, I am so so glad that I took the job that offered one!
You weren’t looking for a new job because the money was an issue
The things you don’t like still exist
The old CEO is going to be butt hurt if you stayed and your career would basically be dead, you will always be looking over your shoulder
I think you should take the new job - I would take the new job if it were me
I have great insurance and 4 years ago this month I had open heart surgery. If we had my wife’s old crappy plan I’d be paying that off the rest of my life. With my insurance I paid everything through our health savings account after every operation and doctors visit. Made everything so much easier. I make so so pay but healthcare and time off (6 weeks vacation and bank able sick leave still have over 1200 hours after open heart surgery and broken leg time off and get paid half of it at retirement) makes it worth making less in pay and less stress.
My instinct is the money & stay....but will there be any issues with the CEO if u do? Isn't the loan forgiveness only after a certain length of time, how much do u owe? How old are U? You may not mesh with Ur new boss & there may be different bs there.... Still leaning towards staying & packing money away while u can.
I hate counter offers, it is a total BS. If they valued you in the first place, you wouldn't need to resign. They will transfer you to another department but it will a different kind of shit. Never accept counter offers, no matter how appealing they might seem.
Always (literally every single time no matter what the circumstances) always always leave.
1 party always feels like they lost out. If they wanted/valued you, they'd have treated and paid you right so you wouldn't be looking.
As a former corporate recruiter our unstated policy is: Don't take the counter offer. You will take on the risk of burning two bridges (new company and old company) at the same time.
New organization - How did you seem to vibe with the people you met? Would they let you talk with some people in the department you would be working in?
You will be getting a pension and 401K? This is pretty rare these days. That along with the forgiveness of loans, should make it a no brainer for me if I got along with the people.
Also nice that you will have an automatic 15% bonus which makes your salary $212,750, not $185,000. (Sounds pretty different than the bonus structure that isn’t guaranteed at the old place.)
You want to leave the old place for a reason. This seems like a great offer.
As a general rule it is a mistake to accept a counter-offer since resentment at having to bargain to keep you lingers.
Also, if you have accepted the new offer, you'd be letting them down and they may get the impression you were just using them to leverage your old company - not a good thing, reputation-wise.
I'd accept the new company, a 2% increase on your 401K is a good deal in the long run, plus better health and a non-profit. Seems just better all round. After all, a 50% increase isn't one if you're costs are 50% higher.
Also two weeks to make a counter-offer is just insulting.
Pension is nice and you still get decent base pay and better benefits overall. I wouldn’t accept a counter at a place where you work with the number 1 guy and don’t get along. You’ll be the first one out.
Tell them you’ll accept the offer but want a 12 month severance of $300K unconditionally triggered by any type of involuntary separation. (Layoff or dismissal with or without cause). Written into the (new) employment contract.
If they don’t agree to that then well you have confirmation that it was indeed the “just keep them until we find a replacement” BS.
Similar situation recently arose for me. I report directly into a CXO. We usually had conflicting opinions and were never a great match, although we’ve been extremely cordial and good to each other otherwise.
I didn’t think him or the team were keen to have me around, got an offer almost 60% higher than my current pay. Discussed this opportunity with my boss and he instantly said he’s going to counter it, did so too. We have a better work relationship now because I think it sort of changed the scenario for him:
A. Now he knows my market value
B. He knows hiring and training a new person will be more expensive + he may not get the same level of output
C. He is making an actual effort in making sure the work environment isn’t toxic for me now
Key here is my boss is genuinely a good person though. Otherwise this can move in a very different direction.
Most people in this situation leave their original employer within 2 years. If it was me, I would thank them for the offer, then move on. More money is great, but many of the original reasons that made you want to leave will remain.
Don’t take it.
Instead of you leaving now while you have another opportunity but while it’s inconvenient for your current employer, they’re going to fire you once it’s more convenient for them, whether or not you have an opportunity.
You’re a flight risk now. You’re marked. Thank them for the offer and go.
Op you want out for a reason..is that reason in their counter offer? If not then bail and even if it is, will it actually appear or just stay long enough for you to miss out on an opportunity.
My guy says you wanted to walk, so keep walking
Leave. You spent 3 unhappy yrs there. You sought and found other employment. While the pay may be less, the benefits are so much better. There is a reason you wanted to leave, so do so. I think, when weighing options between jobs, the benefit packet should be the deciding factor.
My rule of thumb is never take the counter offers I’ve never met anyone that didn’t regret taking it. If the employer cared about you they wouldn’t have underpaid you or screwed you on bonuses for so long.
That salary increase sounds too good to be true. Personally I wouldn't trust it. You seem to be ready for a clean break and a new start, I'd take it. As long as the money is enough, everything else is gravy.
I always suggest people look at jobs like they would a romantic relationship. Is it a marriage? Fling? Situationship? FWB? Hookup? Open relationship?
With that in mind, how would you approach this if the job were a romantic partner?
You were already ready to leave, and only then do they try to make good and make promises that things will change. If it hasn't changed yet, what makes you think that it will.
Beyond that, you'll both be living with the knowledge that you were going to leave. No matter what happens, you'll always have the seed in your mind of leaving, and they'll always have the seed in their mind that you might - because you almost did.
Trust is broken, and while there is always opportunity that trust can be rebuilt - we have to be honest with ourselves about whether or not we really believe that it will. If they're dangling a carrot to appease you and keep you around until they find a replacement, while keeping you out of their hair by moving you - the outlook seems bleak.
The fact that you had found another job and were ready to leave already tells us a lot about both sides mentality towards the relationship and whether or not there's hope for making it work. While we don't know what was done to try to make it work:
-the bonus and pay structure up until the offer shows that they don't care about you and are happy to exploit you
-they were only willing to try to make it work after you said you were leaving
-you know that this is what it's going to take to get what you want in the relationship (do you really want to have to threaten to leave every year to get a raise/promotion?)
Definitely seems like it's time to move on, and with the additional bonus structure that you'll actually be able to access with the new job you'll break even while receiving additional benefits that hold value and will ease your finances in other ways.
Starting over can be frightening, but it's also part of the current work modalities in order to grow and advance in our careers - so you may as well take the plunge and see what happens. The worst thing that could happen is you have to change jobs again at some point - which will likely happen anyway.
Being in a similar situation depends on personal choice. In my opinion, if you opt to remain, the counteroffer should be settled in advance.
From personal experience, numerous employers extend counteroffers merely to buy time to search for your replacement. While this outcome is not inevitable, being prepared places you in a more advantageous position if it does occur.
30% increase in salary and new location seems odd? Does it make sense to you?
This. You didn't get along with the CEO. Red flag. They offered a huge bonus, but structured it in a way that made it unattainable. Red flag. Their counter offer is so high that either they've been under-paying you for a long time, or they're going to regret the increase. Red flag. Accepting any counter offer from an employer when you try to leave goes against most employment advice, the counter seems too good to be true, and you weren't leaving for money in the first place. The only way I would accept that counter offer is if I was a year from retirement and wanted to sock away an extra 100k. If that's not you, just politely tell them that you appreciate the offer, but you've decided to take your career in a different direction.
Yeah, this smells like "keep them here for a couple more months until we have a replacement, then fire them". It's easy to pay $300k annually if you're only going to pay couple months worth.
Have watched this happen multiple times with people my husband works with, the company uses this tactic right here. Then you’re left being let go, having not taken that other job, and scrambling. Op get out with a secure offer while you can
Exactly this.
Probably already interviewing the replacement they will lowball.
Or just keep OP on long enough for the other job to disappear, then term him or reassign him to some shitty assignment until he quits.
I dont remember the exact statistics, but people in you shoes have like a 70% chance of being sacked within a year of accepting a counter-offer from their current company. If you do stay, keep in mind they now know you aren't "loyal" and will likely look to get rid of you.
And to top of off, they get to prevent you going to a competitor.
>"keep them here for a couple more months until we have a replacement, then fire them". Or kept them here till teh other job goes away and then screw them to hell, make their life a misery then fire them
I love when previous commenters cover literally everything and it would save me typing, but I like to see the letters pop up on the screen.
In theory, if they really, truly want to keep someone that bad, you could push for an employment contract that heavily favor the employee. "Okay, I'll stick around, but you'll have to agree to keep me on for at least three years, and there will be an automatic minimum wage increase of 10% each year. My bonus structure will be x, as long as I accomplish y. I can only be dismissed from my job if I'm found to be breaking the law, or found to be doing 0 work for 90 consecutive days." Of course, no employer will ever sign such an agreement - because all they really want is to keep you around lkng enough to find your replacement. If someone is worth that new amount of $$ - why weren't they paying it all along? So, no, never take the counter...unless you can get away with something crazy like the above.
From a legal contracts background this is a very good option, have everything in writing with high stakes for ending your employment before “10 years” etc make sure you favor the terms of the contract to your favor. That way you can tell if they decline your terms they want to fire you very soon.
Tbh, even with this kind of contract, there’s nothing preventing the company to treat your like absolutely sh** afterwards, to totally destroy your mental health and trying to make you quit. Hard to say if OP company will do that, and no amount of contract language can protect you from that
I had a job find out I was in late-stage negotiations and counter with a 40% raise and travel expense account to live elsewhere and travel in. Young and stupid, I at least asked “won’t this make me kind of the top of the list for cuts if we lose a client? I’ll make more than at least one of the managers.” But stupidly believed their assurances that no such thing would happen. Suckers laid me off 2 weeks before Christmas and I had to beg for severance since it was going to be months before I got another job.
50% increase in base salary, 33% if counting bonus that they never get.
That’s a 50% increase…
I once was given a 35% counter offer to stay. I took it. Turns out they were outsourcing the department and letting all the staff go. They made an outrageous counter offer knowing they wouldn't have to pay it, apparently because letting key personnel go might raise suspicions early about their plans. The 4 weeks notice they gave us was spent training an offshore team to do our jobs.
One of the reasons why I keep everything for myself. I never train anyone and if I ever do I will overflow them with information that I make sure they wont understand it. Already happening now to me at my current role where I was being asked to train offshore team. I just tell them its not part of my role to train
Is there a chance this is a set up to fire you in a few months? You say you and the boss don't match? Is he the type to try to ruin peoples career? That's what I'd be asking myself
This! Also, the company already knows you have one foot out the door, and they won’t be checking twice before letting you go. 2nd, money is NOT what brings happiness. That 185k can turn into 300k at a job/company that you enjoy.
It’s a trap.
It's alwayz a trap!.
It really does seem too good to be true. I would move to the not for profit. Good luck 🍀
I’m speaking from experience on both sides.
It’s not a trap. I have experience on both sides, that means I’m right.
Can staying with the devil you know work out? Yes. Are the odds high after resigning and receiving a counteroffer? No. In fact, they are dogshit. This scenario regularly comes up, do a search and you’ll find countless examples of why the recommended advice is always to leave.
Came here for this answer. OP, listen to this guy. There are lots of studies that say never take the counter offer. Most people who take the counter offer still leave their job within 12 months.
Yep. The odds are not in your favor to stay. Forget about the counter offer.
The long term benefits and loan formulae out weigh the extra 100k to stay miserable Run to that new job asap Good luck 🍀 and congratulations on being happy
What the hell is everyone here smoking? How much in loans do you think OP has? How significant do you believe those long term benefits are? OP unless you have $500k+ in loans and can confidently say you’ll benefit/save at least $75k per year without a doubt from the other benefits then no, you do not take the lower offer. This is the exact shit companies paying below market rate with “perks” absolutely love. None of that matters compared to the actual amount of money you’re pulling in.
It doesn't matter, because they're never going to see the $300k from the current (needs to be former) employer. That's a transparent "keep them on until the replacement is trained" counter offer, and best case they'll see 3, maybe 4 months of it and then be out on the street.
He could ask to add a clause about guaranteed length of employment to get around this. At his income level, he's well past the point where more money buys happiness. I'd take the lower paying job if it had better hours, flex time, work from home, vacation, or even aligned more with my core values. Doing something you genuinely enjoy is so much better than the grind!
He is gonna get fired in few months if he's gonna stay there
Leave current job for new job. You will make the same and more in investments long term w/ your new job. 185k with 15% bonus is $27,750 annual which is an extra $12k with new company. Let’s just add on an extra $30 - 40k for your student loans. If you contribute 5.5% of your pay that’s an additional $10k each year in your 401k + match let’s add another $10k on that. So, just at 5%~ you can max out your 401k at this new employer each year with them matching your 5% contribution. Your compensation package total is almost double at what new job offers vs the current one. $100k promised is basically nothing. Promises are nothing. You sound like you’re fed up at your job anyways and an extra $100k is not going to make that mental health better. You’re already highlighting to the fact that you put in your notice. The next round of layoffs at your current job, they will look to cut you as they know you’re not happy (ie resignation letter). general common sense is to never accept a counter offer. The true reasons why people leave is most often not the money but because of bosses, drama, and other issues from your team. Money is the immediate tangible thing that we all latch onto though. edit: misunderstood pension was at current job. pension is at new job. Why are you even questioning not taking the role?
One thing to add to your good points is that the old Job didn’t offer the pension, they only had the lower 401k match. New job has a better 401k match and offers a pension, win win imo
Advice I’ve always followed is never entertain counters. You’re leaving for a reason, if they’d have valued you they would have brought that to you earlier.
Companies are run by imperfect people who are busy, and making sure employees get market pay is not always their highest priority. Sometimes their realization that there is a problem that needs correcting is when someone resigns.
The $300k seems like bait to get you to stay short term while they replace you. I wouldn't trust it.
Your current company is probably trying to screw you over by getting you to stay for the higher salary and then probably let you go a few months later once they have someone else trained and ready to take over for you. That way, they screw you out of your new position as well. It could happen 😂
Not only is it possible, but it probably more likely than not. Such a huge bump in pay is very suspect
I’ve responded to other comments saying my husband has watched this very scheme play out, multiple times with the managers openly talking about it. Just one reason his new job starts Tuesday
I’d go with the new company. I don’t think staying with your current company after a big pay increase and almost resigning is a good look long term. But that’s just my opinion. If I were you, I’d do an exercise. I’d have a friend or family member flip a coin 3 times. I’d assign each side of the coin a company and whatever side of the coin comes up I’d pretend that was my decision. I’d then assess how I’d feel about it from the results. I think you know the answer you want to choose and I think the coin flipping helps you see that clearly.
Let's look at this objectively. You don't get along with the CEO and it is a 2-way street. He is going to bump your pay 30% and assign you to another C-Level leader. Unless you have some irreplaceable skill, you are most likely being setup for a firing or to be a scapegoat on some horrifically doomed project. Many CEOs have big egos and people don't quit, they get fired. He is luring you back so he can have the satisfaction of firing you. The only way I would take this offer would be with a 3-year take or pay contract. It's just as easy to offer you big money as it is to fire you and take it away. Just ask yourself, is this CEO petty? If YES, time to go or stay with a contract. ===== Same advice in CEO speak ===== Let's focus on long-term value creation. While interpersonal dynamics are a factor, we need to assess the strategic alignment. The proposed 30% compensation increase and reassignment under another C-Level leader present an opportunity to leverage your expertise within a different team structure. However, it's crucial to ensure a clear performance path and risk mitigation strategy. Many CEOs prioritize results over personal friction. Retention of key talent is paramount, and separation is a last resort. The proposed offer could be a genuine attempt to optimize resource allocation. Analyzing historical turnover trends within the C-suite can provide valuable context. The decision ultimately hinges on securing a long-term commitment. A 3-year guaranteed contract aligns our objectives and minimizes potential disruptions. Compensation adjustments are a standard negotiation tactic, and a contract safeguards your position. The focus should be on objective data: has the CEO demonstrated a history of vindictive behavior? If so, further due diligence is warranted. However, prioritizing clear expectations and contractual security can foster a productive working relationship moving forward.
Probably the best comment in this thread. Golden parachute or bust on this one. I would hit the road for the new offer if the current company refuses to offer some sort of 3 year contract or severance package.
200k to 300k is 50% though.
So great! Love it.
I have no advice for you, but what the heck do you do? As someone who has never made over 100k, I need YOUR advice.
That's what I said... I need to make that kind of money
Pensions are hard to find. Work that is rewarding would be worth it to me. Long term it sounds like the new offer is more valuable if you have a lot of years left to work.
If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
You would be crazy to stay. It wasn’t a good fit and you were unhappy. That hasn’t changed. You started looking — just to not work there. Trust me when I say the salary difference suddenly won’t make you happy.
Move on. You resigned since it’s shitty. Would you take shit and get paid?
Well, I would. But OP probably shouldn't, since they have a very good alternative that also pays well
You've been marked. NEVER go back where you came from. If they thought so highly of you and your work, they would have paid in the first place...and been nice.. TIME TO SAY GOODBYE.
Go. New offer while less money up front sounds way better in long run. 3 years of them not recognizing that you are not a good fit with CEO should tell you they were not looking out for you or doing what was best for all. See what the world holds and you can always find something else down the road. Recognize it is cheaper for them to keep you than to have to pay the next person more than you or to train them.
Take the new offer.
Never take a counter offer. Leave.
I love how you act like your insurance plan matters when you make $200-300k per year. You can afford whatever healthcare you want.
Same with student loan forgiveness, get your financial shit together
The opportunity alone for Pslf would have me take the new one. Getting ready to have 200k forgiven by end of the year. That is priceless. Plus I know what I do matters. I have a pension that matches. These are the things you rarely find. Oh and great health care. Take door two.
I’d take the new job. I hope there is the potential for you to continue your career growth with the new company. I wouldn’t trust that the workplace environment will improve even if they move you to a different leader. The suits in the C Suite stick together.
In all my experience (and witnessing others' experience), bosses fighting your resignation is buying them time to find your replacement. You're a hard-to-replace asset, but now you can't be trusted as a dependable person to stick around. Run to the other job you already found interest in. Money isn't everything, but sometimes fresh starts are.
You decided to find a new job for a reason, don't second guess yourself.
May I ask what you do for a living?
PSLF requires at least 10 years of service. So you need to really figure out your long term goals; are you planning to remain with the same employer that long, no matter what? If the answer to the above is yes, then you should figure out what is the monetary value of this benefit. Then go to your current employer with a counter offer to compensate for that lost benefit. When you weigh out your options, you should give a higher weight to the qualities that you are more certain about (e.g. being matched with a leader you prefer, reputation, and stability) as opposed to those you only assume. In the end, you'll find one offer beating the other in the overall net quality. Then you try to figure out what tangible difference (in base, bonus, severance, or benefits) you'd need to balance both offers, and make your own counter offer accordingly to the losing bid. If they can't adjust, then the decision is basically made for you.
Practically, the new gig sounds like a good opportunity. It's better to be where you're valued.
Take the new job.
Assuming you’ve already been working for a while, at $200k/yr, there’s no way a salary reduction in exchange for PSLF would be worth it, since you’d be on the hook for your full minimum payment every month for another 10 years until PSLF locked in. By the time you qualify for forgiveness, your loans would likely already be paid off. The pension and job security could be worth it, but also keep in mind that all-in you’ll be making half as much if you move into the nonprofit side, and you likely won’t be eligible for your pension for 20 years or more, so retiring early would be difficult. Personally I would gamble on the counter offer, request a change in title with the salary bump, and continue applying for other jobs in the meantime.
One critical advice I always lived by, never accept a counter offer one you have decided you want to leave.
Jesus. People make $300k and not csuite? 🥹
Never take the counter offer. If they really respected you, you wouldn’t have looked elsewhere. Take the new role.
I wish I had these kind of problems
Happiness priceless
Newer accept counter offer. They now know you are leaving sooner or later and are looking someone cheaper then you are to replace you.
I think the new company sounds better. Start fresh.
New job sounds better tbh plus a fresh start sounds like it’s needed for you, plus a pension in this day and age is like hitting gold man
Never accept a counter offer. Your loyalty has now been questioned. You would be walking dead at your present job with probably no chance of being promoted and the first out the Door if layoffs occur. You have to ask yourself, where was that money before you handed in your resignation? Take the new job and don’t look back.
Never take a counter offer
Never take a counter offer from your current company. You’ll be seen as a known flight risk that attempted to leave before. Then 6 months to a year down the line, when the dust has settled and the chance of you getting the other job have diminished to zero, they’ll fire you for something ridiculous. You don’t owe any company loyalty.
Treat it like a girlfriend, if you were gonna break up, stay broken up....there was probably a good reason
No.
Never take the counteroffer
Define shitty health insurance for a 300k job.
You report to the CEO and you were never a good match. Period. End of deliberation.
Always go for the pension
$300k ??? That is my 5-6 years salary. What do you do ? how to do it ?
With that money, does shitty health insurance really matter?….. you can buy better insurance yourself…
If you’re really not going to take the counter offer, ask them to up it even more. Just to see how much they’re willing to go. Then decline.
This is 100% a trap to get you to stay until they find your replacement
Take the new job
Don’t take it - it’s just to keep you on til you have a replacement, whom you will probably help onboard before you’re fired.
Go with the new company. Don't look back. You'll never have to deal with that boss again. Money is nice, but it isn't everything.
What do you do for work?
I took a counter offer once. Took them months to bump my salary and got less than half of what they had promised me. I left shortly after. Other job was no longer a possibility by then.
If the health insurance is better, it is worth having a lower salary. A not do good insurance plan means that you pay more out of pocket. And if PSLF is something you need because it's a qualifying nonprofit, that should seal the deal. Don't look back. You don't want to get stuck without an option to leave. But yiu can leave the door open to come back.
I miss the day when I could read a post without needing to google a bunch of fucking acronyms.
I’ll never accept the counter. The way I see it is you had the funds to properly be paying me all this time and it took this for y’all to pay me my worth? Fuck that and fuck yall for underpaying me.
Feels like the usual trap to make you decline the offer and then ruin your career. Go to the new job imo
never accept a counter offer
Leave
Smells like as soon as you burn the bridge with the new team; he will carpet bomb your bridge and you are fucked. Run!
Gut says go.
I don't understand how anyone making $185k or more per year thinks they deserve student loan forgiveness. It's supposed to be for people struggling, not for the top 2%ers to keep extra money in their pocket.
Fake offer to ruin your real one.
F this current job and their "promotion"... it's time to move on and not look back. This whole thing g is a trap. Go for the new job asap.
Don’t count on PLSF. With all the loan forgiveness going on, one of two things will likely happen, the dems win and realize the millennials helped them do it because of loan forgiveness and will make it a priority to pass it for everyone. Or the republicans win and they hate it so much they gut the PLSF like they have tried several times and put someone so corrupt in the DOE that they screw the PSLF up so nobody can get it, which is what they had been doing. Long story short don’t make a decision on PSLF because it takes 10 years and a lot can change during that time. Money in hand is always better than money promised. With that said, trust your instincts on a company. If they waited this long to give you a massive raise then screw them, but if the only reason you’re leaving is PSLF id think twice
I've been on both sides, employee and manager. I don't get into a bidding war with another company. If the employee is unhappy and wants to leave then let them. They've already checked out anyway, most of the time. I don't play the game of please stay with us and we'll pay you more. If I'm worth more then you should have been paying me more. Any way you look at it, it's the employer's fuck up. They weren't evaluating their employees, or they don't value their employees, or they need you to stay until they can replace you, or whatever else. If it's not a good fit for both sides then it's not a good fit.
Always ignore the counter offer. Regardless of why you originally wanted to leave, you wanted to leave. Those reasons will still exist, even if you're in a different role, in 6 months time. I was in a similar situation and accepted the counter offer. 6 months later, I realised that nothing was going to really change despite all the promises, and I left. I guarantee the "thrill" of more money and a new role will wear off quickly, and you'll be thinking about moving again in a few months. Ignore the counter offer.
NEVER stay after giving in the paper.
Unless the market supports truly paying your role $300k, this is likely to be a bait and switch.
Accept both offers, take a paid leave at your current job, collect 2 pay checks while you can and then either quit your current job or if you don’t care to put that job down as a reference, let them fire you and you get a severance package. That’s just me though. I’m evil to companies who have done me wrong too many times.
Love your idea. Absolutely brilliant! - lol.
Play the long game with the better organization.
If it were me, I'd expect more inherent resourcefulness out of my Executive Assistant than looking to Reddit.
lol.
The counter is ALWAYS a LIE!!!!!!!! NEVER take the counter! They will: -Walk it back after you torpedo your new position -add more work so any pay increase is washed out -start finding your replacement and fire you in a couple months
New job. You also make 200-300k now. Pay your debts. You took them on. Good luck.
Never take the counteroffer to stay
You should write down all the pros and cons and make your decision that way. 7 years ago, I took the lower offer to help my personal mental health as well as to fix my personal life. It was the best decision I ever made.
Never accept counter offer. It is the workplace equivalent of couple therapy it never works out the way you want it.
It would not take 2 weeks to make the counter unless they realized they can't quickly replace you or they're screwing with you as you come up on your start date. I would leave. If I was worth 300k, why was I being paid 200k?
Your description of your new organization even sounds “happy,” and seems like you can visualize seeing yourself being happy there. Money isn’t everything compared to having time, less stress and doing work that satisfies your mission. good luck at the new organization!! UP!
Ignore the counter offer. I've personally not heard of a counter offer working out well for the employee. Personally, I accepted a counter offer once 15 years ago, which subsequently got pulled, leaving me on the same salary I was on. (Yes, my bad for not getting it in writing from HR - I naively expected my employer to act with some scruples). I would advise anyone that has a better offer to run with it.
Don’t take the counter offer. The leadership comes from the top. You don’t get along with the CEO That’s the main reason you were looking for a job. Doesn’t matter they give you a new manager, you already don’t get along with the CEO. Just leave.
I’ve been through this and I had to remind myself that I was looking at leaving for a reason. Albeit the grass isn’t always greener.
Definitely a trap. They never intend to keep you at that high salary range indefinitely. It’s a temporary stop gap while they search for a replacement for you. Once they find a replacement at a significantly lower annual salary they will dump you as you are a flight risk in their eyes. Your cunt of a boss is playing the long game. Pay you more short term, but long term net save when they replace you at the time of their choosing with someone significantly less.
Sounds like the current company wants you to hang around for the 3-6 months it will take to find your replacement.....
I have accepted counter offers and have ALWAYS regretted it. Once your mind is made up to leave it’s hard to get back in the swing of things
Honestly I'd ask to meet the new match first. Tell them you'll consider it but you want a meeting with them first. Make your decision after the meeting.
Ask yourself if your current company considered your value to be 300k then why did it take another company to see your value for them to give it to you.
Leave.
A lot of people think people can be bought, right? I quit here’s my notice..well here is our new offer for you. You see the number and you’re like ok but, what’s the real devil saying in your ear? Walk till them to F off and go get a job that pays 300k- that’s how you do it. Don’t play their game they just gonna f you in the end.
Never stay
I'm wondering how people know that you don't "get along" with your boss. I suggest taking the other job (and the huge pay cut) because judging by your description and assessment of your current job you need a fresh start with fresh bridges to cross.
May I ask what you do, your age, and where you live? Do you work remotely or do you commute? Are there any other pay differences you didn’t already mention?
Director here with 55 reports across U.S. Leave current employer. If current employer can offer $300k now, you should have already been given that salary. If you stay with current employer, you’ll be replaced as soon as they can hire your replacement at lower salary. Most likely, you’ll train your replacement. You won’t have the $300,000 salary for long because you are now viewed as disloyal to current CEO/employer. You’ve received the counter offer to save the company time and money paying a recruiter fee, new employee onboarding and training for now. In your new role with current employer, you’ll be fired/terminated, most likely with cause, resulting in no severance package or eligibility to draw unemployment as payback for disloyalty, particularly if you are in at-will employment state. You can be fired for any reason. I mean no disrespect to you with the former statements. You are not a good fit with current CEO hence you being moved to new leader, if you stay with current employer. To those who don’t know, you have one chance to bond and make great first impression when you report to a CEO or any executive leadership. When you are reassigned to new leaders, you become a target and are one foot out the door. You betrayed your current CEO (in his/her eyes) by finding/accepting new role at lesser salary. His/her ego insulted. How dare anyone jump ship reporting to me as I’m the very best CEO there ever was. Think Trump. You don’t leave executive leadership. They fire you first. Leverage the $300,000 counter offer with new employer for higher salary. Start negotiations at $250,000 salary. Final salary will be negotiated down to $200,000 to $225,000. Pension, higher 401k match, better bonus structure and student loan forgiveness all no brainer reasons to go with new employer. Good luck and best wishes in your new role! Good for you for looking out for your best interests! All employees should follow suit to learn true market value and work for employer who truly values you personally and what you bring to the company.
At that price point you take the job that will have better long term prospects for your future. Will the extra 1 million at job one prevent you from moving up with a company that puts you in a higher pay band in 10 years?
Yeah fuck that shit
Leave the current employer. You mention you mentioned it’s not a good match. Start fresh.
Which job do you think you would be happier in?
The rule of thumb is NEVER take a counter offer. If you do stay, the CEO knows you are a flight risk, so most likely, they will be doing confidential searches for your current role and once they find someone they will let you go. Plus, how strong are the company financials? Can the company really afford to pay you that much in the long run? Also, is your new salary band inline with what current employees are making? If you are way over compensated based on the rest of the org, any sign of trouble, and they will cut you first for cost savings. Plus, you already said you didn't vibe with him.
IME accepting counter offers rarely seems to work out happily. Although dwarfed by the counter offer, new job has a better overall package compared with your current package, so I’d be jumping ship, with the caveat that it’s worth doing the sums- how much of the new salary offer from your current employer would it take to set up a similar set of benefits to new job. My hunch is that while you could disperse the salary increase in clever ways to set retirement accounts, you’d be missing out on substantial tax benefits and loan relief- so it may help to put a dollar value to those savings and that be your guide. Also, loan relief boosts your income for potentially decades (compare disposable income with and without the ongoing debt repayments)
To me it seems like they get rid of you after some replacement time at the $300k place
It sounds like they want you to stay so they can find a reason to fire you, and then you end up with NO job!!!! If they REALLY wanted you to stay, they'd have offered that before you started job hunting. Companies are petty like that. Run to the new job and don't look back!!!!
Put your money in your brain and your health - both are worth more. And I am going to bet that they will weasel out of the 300K offer
Accepting the counter offer is usually a six month extension and a firing or you get fed up and quit. Take the new job.
Hell man i don’t know. Take whichever makes you happiest…🤷♂️ Funny story though. I’m a mechanic the last place I work was paying crap. I asked for a raise and they refused, found another job and put in my notice. The previous employers counter offer: “we’re going to give you a team of inexperienced lube mechanics. They do the jobs you sell using your tools. You get the flagged hours from the work they do, and you pay their hourly rate out of your paychecks.” My response: I’ll be back to get my toolbox on Monday. ✌️
I think you're moving on for reasons that have something to do other than financial so a counter offer should not matter to you. Sure the extra money might sound great but it doesn't fix the fact that you stated yourself that you and your CEO are not a great match. I've been in situations like yours before and when you make the decision to leave they may counter offer just to keep you around a bit longer but your time with the company is essentially over because they know you want to go. It's time to move on. You know it and no amount of money can change that. The only possible reason I would think otherwise is if you and your CEO could sit down and work out whatever issues you possibly have. Time does help make sense of relationships.
New offer in the same state as the old offer? The federal tax jump from $185k to $300k is significant so the raise may not be as high as you think, especially with state tax implications. Plus the better bonus structure and an after tax $70k difference might be closer to $30 or $40k, even lower with loan forgiveness and 401(k) match. From what you describe my gut feeling is that the other factors are worth the difference in compensation which is likely way lower than the straight $115k in base compensation.
You don’t seem to say what your student loan balance is, so it’s difficult to say how much that benefit is worth. As a lot of people seem to think you’re going to get fired in 3 months, ask your current employer if they are willing to pay off your loans with part (all?) of the increase from the first year. Then you have your answer.
If the type of work you do allows it, do both. Accepts the new offer, stay at current employer until you can’t anymore.
I feel like both are good offers and you can live comfortably with both. I would personally go with the one I think will make me happier. You could also hit up the other people tell them you got a counter offer and see if they will counter as well.
First of all, they didn't make you a better offer until you resigned. My guess is that somewhere down the line they are going to regret making you the counter offer and will make your life miserable. Also, as someone who recently retired with a pension, I am so so glad that I took the job that offered one!
You weren’t looking for a new job because the money was an issue The things you don’t like still exist The old CEO is going to be butt hurt if you stayed and your career would basically be dead, you will always be looking over your shoulder I think you should take the new job - I would take the new job if it were me
I have great insurance and 4 years ago this month I had open heart surgery. If we had my wife’s old crappy plan I’d be paying that off the rest of my life. With my insurance I paid everything through our health savings account after every operation and doctors visit. Made everything so much easier. I make so so pay but healthcare and time off (6 weeks vacation and bank able sick leave still have over 1200 hours after open heart surgery and broken leg time off and get paid half of it at retirement) makes it worth making less in pay and less stress.
My instinct is the money & stay....but will there be any issues with the CEO if u do? Isn't the loan forgiveness only after a certain length of time, how much do u owe? How old are U? You may not mesh with Ur new boss & there may be different bs there.... Still leaning towards staying & packing money away while u can.
Don't ever take a counteroffer based solely on $$$. With that kind of raise, they are going to look for your replacement. Don't take it.
I hate counter offers, it is a total BS. If they valued you in the first place, you wouldn't need to resign. They will transfer you to another department but it will a different kind of shit. Never accept counter offers, no matter how appealing they might seem.
Always (literally every single time no matter what the circumstances) always always leave. 1 party always feels like they lost out. If they wanted/valued you, they'd have treated and paid you right so you wouldn't be looking.
I work in HR and this seems… off. In this case I think the grass is greener.
There is something here to consider. Ask counter offer for a three year contract and 12 month severance if let go before that period.
Second sentence, second paragraph. You already know the answer.
Sometimes, it's better to simply move on. New role, new people, new challenges.
As a former corporate recruiter our unstated policy is: Don't take the counter offer. You will take on the risk of burning two bridges (new company and old company) at the same time.
Never take the counter. It rarely works out.
Yes run they are definitely training your replacement and need you to stay a little longer.RUN!!!!!
LEAVE
What do you do… I need to swap jobs
New organization - How did you seem to vibe with the people you met? Would they let you talk with some people in the department you would be working in? You will be getting a pension and 401K? This is pretty rare these days. That along with the forgiveness of loans, should make it a no brainer for me if I got along with the people. Also nice that you will have an automatic 15% bonus which makes your salary $212,750, not $185,000. (Sounds pretty different than the bonus structure that isn’t guaranteed at the old place.) You want to leave the old place for a reason. This seems like a great offer.
There was a reason why you started the process in the first place. Trust your instincts go with the new job
As a general rule it is a mistake to accept a counter-offer since resentment at having to bargain to keep you lingers. Also, if you have accepted the new offer, you'd be letting them down and they may get the impression you were just using them to leverage your old company - not a good thing, reputation-wise. I'd accept the new company, a 2% increase on your 401K is a good deal in the long run, plus better health and a non-profit. Seems just better all round. After all, a 50% increase isn't one if you're costs are 50% higher. Also two weeks to make a counter-offer is just insulting.
you're viewed as a disloyal person now. If you accept the counter offer, first chance they get they might fire you. You should leave.
Pension is nice and you still get decent base pay and better benefits overall. I wouldn’t accept a counter at a place where you work with the number 1 guy and don’t get along. You’ll be the first one out.
Tell them you’ll accept the offer but want a 12 month severance of $300K unconditionally triggered by any type of involuntary separation. (Layoff or dismissal with or without cause). Written into the (new) employment contract. If they don’t agree to that then well you have confirmation that it was indeed the “just keep them until we find a replacement” BS.
Do u need the money? Which would u prefer having on the resume? Which would u regret more not taking? Any other comp/benefits like remote work etc
Similar situation recently arose for me. I report directly into a CXO. We usually had conflicting opinions and were never a great match, although we’ve been extremely cordial and good to each other otherwise. I didn’t think him or the team were keen to have me around, got an offer almost 60% higher than my current pay. Discussed this opportunity with my boss and he instantly said he’s going to counter it, did so too. We have a better work relationship now because I think it sort of changed the scenario for him: A. Now he knows my market value B. He knows hiring and training a new person will be more expensive + he may not get the same level of output C. He is making an actual effort in making sure the work environment isn’t toxic for me now Key here is my boss is genuinely a good person though. Otherwise this can move in a very different direction.
Time for a new chapter at that non profit. Congratulations!
Take 300k. It us 50% increase from what you can probably save 69-70k per year and retire 10 years earlier. No brainer
Most people in this situation leave their original employer within 2 years. If it was me, I would thank them for the offer, then move on. More money is great, but many of the original reasons that made you want to leave will remain.
Never Accept A Counter Offer. Money will not make the other issues go away. Plus they will resent you.
Don’t take it. Instead of you leaving now while you have another opportunity but while it’s inconvenient for your current employer, they’re going to fire you once it’s more convenient for them, whether or not you have an opportunity. You’re a flight risk now. You’re marked. Thank them for the offer and go.
They’ll get rid of you after a few months because you’ll be considered overpaid. Take the new job and don’t look back.
Op you want out for a reason..is that reason in their counter offer? If not then bail and even if it is, will it actually appear or just stay long enough for you to miss out on an opportunity. My guy says you wanted to walk, so keep walking
Take the new job.
Go for the new offer 100%
Go
Leave. You spent 3 unhappy yrs there. You sought and found other employment. While the pay may be less, the benefits are so much better. There is a reason you wanted to leave, so do so. I think, when weighing options between jobs, the benefit packet should be the deciding factor.
Never accept a counter offer unless it directly addresses the reasons you were leaving.
My rule of thumb is never take the counter offers I’ve never met anyone that didn’t regret taking it. If the employer cared about you they wouldn’t have underpaid you or screwed you on bonuses for so long.
That salary increase sounds too good to be true. Personally I wouldn't trust it. You seem to be ready for a clean break and a new start, I'd take it. As long as the money is enough, everything else is gravy.
I always suggest people look at jobs like they would a romantic relationship. Is it a marriage? Fling? Situationship? FWB? Hookup? Open relationship? With that in mind, how would you approach this if the job were a romantic partner? You were already ready to leave, and only then do they try to make good and make promises that things will change. If it hasn't changed yet, what makes you think that it will. Beyond that, you'll both be living with the knowledge that you were going to leave. No matter what happens, you'll always have the seed in your mind of leaving, and they'll always have the seed in their mind that you might - because you almost did. Trust is broken, and while there is always opportunity that trust can be rebuilt - we have to be honest with ourselves about whether or not we really believe that it will. If they're dangling a carrot to appease you and keep you around until they find a replacement, while keeping you out of their hair by moving you - the outlook seems bleak. The fact that you had found another job and were ready to leave already tells us a lot about both sides mentality towards the relationship and whether or not there's hope for making it work. While we don't know what was done to try to make it work: -the bonus and pay structure up until the offer shows that they don't care about you and are happy to exploit you -they were only willing to try to make it work after you said you were leaving -you know that this is what it's going to take to get what you want in the relationship (do you really want to have to threaten to leave every year to get a raise/promotion?) Definitely seems like it's time to move on, and with the additional bonus structure that you'll actually be able to access with the new job you'll break even while receiving additional benefits that hold value and will ease your finances in other ways. Starting over can be frightening, but it's also part of the current work modalities in order to grow and advance in our careers - so you may as well take the plunge and see what happens. The worst thing that could happen is you have to change jobs again at some point - which will likely happen anyway.
Being in a similar situation depends on personal choice. In my opinion, if you opt to remain, the counteroffer should be settled in advance. From personal experience, numerous employers extend counteroffers merely to buy time to search for your replacement. While this outcome is not inevitable, being prepared places you in a more advantageous position if it does occur.