Job Discussion Forums

basiltherat · Joined: 04 Oct 2003 Posts: 952

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 Very Happy

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

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 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 175

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

expatben · Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:44 pm Post subject:

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 · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

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

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:51 pm Post subject:

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 · Joined: 04 Oct 2003 Posts: 952

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

mlomker · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 378

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

Stay with them. Better the devil you know...and I hate having to break in a new school owner again. they get really hurt when you explain how much more you get teaching privately and why you really don't want to do 'a few extra hours overtime'

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

basil's original proposition needs some clarification, I think.

You were offered another position elsewhere.

Ok, who made the first move? If you did, then there must have been a reason. Better pay? Better working conditions? A step forward in one's career?

If somehow the company heard of you, and offered you the job, it still boils down to the offer itself being tempting and for what reason(s), but at least in this scenario, you weren't doing the job hunting. It came to you.

All that aside, just how happy are you in the current job? Do you foresee some career advancement? Forget security if you are stuck doing the same old thing for the same old pay. It obviously looks like the original employer is running scared and trying to keep you with promises. Definitely get that in writing before deciding anything! If you have the least inkling of moving onward and upward (one should always consider improving oneself), and the first job isn't cutting it, why not change? You don't have to burn any bridges behind you. If the new job doesn't pan out, you know the old company still appreciated you in some sense and might take you back. I say go for the new move in this case.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

basil's original proposition needs some clarification, I think.

You were offered another position elsewhere.

Ok, who made the first move? If you did, then there must have been a reason. Better pay? Better working conditions? A step forward in one's career?

If somehow the company heard of you, and offered you the job, it still boils down to the offer itself being tempting and for what reason(s), but at least in this scenario, you weren't doing the job hunting. It came to you.

All that aside, just how happy are you in the current job? Do you foresee some career advancement? Forget security if you are stuck doing the same old thing for the same old pay. It obviously looks like the original employer is running scared and trying to keep you with promises. Definitely get that in writing before deciding anything! If you have the least inkling of moving onward and upward (one should always consider improving oneself), and the first job isn't cutting it, why not change? You don't have to burn any bridges behind you. If the new job doesn't pan out, you know the old company still appreciated you in some sense and might take you back. I say go for the new move in this case.