Job Discussion Forums

[basiltherat]

While chatting to colleagues, the following came up.

SITUATION

You have a good job with a tefl institute. They treat you well and seldom have difficulties doing the work assigned to you. In short, things are pretty pleasant.

You get a job offer from elsewhere. You know you can do the work which will be assigned to you. Conditions seem good also. In addition the pay is well above your current pay. You decide to accept.

You decide to give notice to your current employer.

The manager calls you in to chat and explains that they would like you to remain with (not quit) the institute. They encourage you to change your mind by explaining that if you remain a pay increase will be forthcoming. The pay increase that is offered is slightly below the offer you have got from the one you have just received from the institute that has offered you the new position.

Assuming all other things are equal, the question is ..... do you stay or go.

Personally, I'd still leave. The current employer should have been more perceptive in regard to one's abilities and potential and the rewards one deserves. In other words, too late.

Any views on this ?
best
basil

[guangho]

I would stay. Finding a decent employer in any field is rare and in TEFL it's nigh near impossible. Also, they seem to value and respond to you in ways that you do not know wether the new place will. In fact, you know nothing about the new place that comes from first-hand experience and there is no guarantee that you will have the same or better quality job with the same piece of mind.

However, if they are offering you new duties/promotions/career advancement opportunities that your current place cannot match- in other words, if it is truly a step up- I might go. Or I might arrange to go to the new place while keeping a few odd hours with the old one (if possible) to help them out and ferment good will.

[jr1965]

[ls650]

[expatben]

Ultimatly it depends on trust. Either school can promise you the moon but what does it mean if promises are worthless?
I would stay with the school. As has been said finding a good employer in this field can be particularly hard.
It seems that no one is willing to offer you something in writing so who do you trust more? I do think a school that is more desperate to keep you may be more inclined to making you happy. This gives you a leverage.

[Guy Courchesne]

Hard to put a price on security and job satisfaction. I like ls650's idea.

[Justin Trullinger]

Complicated. If you were genuinely satisfied with the first job, well, a bird in the hand...

But honestly, though your hypothetical dictates that I was satisfied with the earlier job, here's what the situation says to me. They could have given me a raise at any point. They know I'm worth it, and can afford it. So where was it???? If they had offered me the raise, not knowing I was looking around, this would be a sign of good will, good work situations, and a good relationship of mutual values and respect.

But if the raise comes only when I'm ready to leave, it comes only to keep me from going.

My interpretation: They have shown their commitment to paying teachers as little as possible to keep them working there.

I'd go.



Justin

[basiltherat]

thnx guys. this is really enlightening stuff. its great to get differing thoughts on this. btw, have any of you been in such a / or similar situation ? if so, how did it end. perhaps its not so hypothetical.

justin
exactly my thinking. i know its a complicated one. the colleagues i was discussing this with all diagreed with us. yes, i agree ..... 'so where was the money before ?'
best
basil
i was getting worried that i was the only one thinking in this way. lol