What raise would make you stay in a job you disliked?

[niq]

PDQ

Asking for a friend whose name starts with "n" and ends with "iq"

For purposes of this quiz, assume you intensely dislike but don't hate your job. There are a few good things going on, but the place is mostly a mess. You can express this raise in raw dollar terms or as a percentage. Some or all of raise would come in the form of a deferred bonus or a one-time stock grant. So you would have to stay a year to see it.

[readyin07]

25%

[schrodinger]

Around 25%, plus a bump in pay grade, which would make me eligible for higher bonuses.

[Deleted]

I presume you told your current job about the offer and they offered you a raise to stay? In that case, no raise would make me stay. Your current company knows you've got one foot out the door, and you'll be the first to get put on shitty projects and the first to be replaced.

Plus your new job had a lot of other perks too right? Shorter commute, better daycare drop off, other stuff? Yeah dude, take the new job and run!

[hamster]

Would more money actually make your friend happy though?

[Waffles]

Promotion.
Although if I was taking a job in a field that is more appealing to me, I don't care what the raise is, I would leave.

25% if the answer has to be in the form of a number anyway

[Poppy]

Ugh, impossible to put a number on without knowing what the alternative is. I'm tempted to say that it just wouldn't be worth it to stay someplace I disliked if I had something I would be excited to do instead. But I'm sure there's some number that could make me stay if I felt like I retained my mobility and would land on my feet when they decided I wasn't worth what they were paying me anymore.

[mainelyfoolish]

Nothing. For me, once I've made the decision to look for a new job, I've already mentally checked out of the old one and the old job starts to become a Bitch Eating Crackers.

[emilyinchile]

Sept 15, 2014 17:41:38 GMT -5 mainelyfoolish said:

Nothing. For me, once I've made the decision to look for a new job, I've already mentally checked out of the old one and the old job starts to become a Bitch Eating Crackers.

Pretty much this in realistic financial terms. Obviously if someone wants to pay me $1,000,000 to stay for a year, I'm in! Otherwise it would depend on my situation specifics - can anything about the job be made less awful? am I really wanting or needing the extra money for something specific or would it just go to general savings/lifestyle increases? - to know if a more plausible number like an extra $25k would outweigh the negatives.

[Deleted]

At least 50%.

[v]

What are the alternatives?

I would certainly be looking, but it is hard to stay what it would take to stay without knowing the specifics of other jobs you could realistically get.

[niq]

Sept 15, 2014 17:48:31 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

"Intense dislike" seems like an attempt to rationalize staying at a job you hate If that's the case, it would have to be a ridiculous offer for me to stay, assuming I have another option. Like give me twice as much salary, work from home as much as I want, and triple my vacation time ridiculous.

More money is not going to solve the frustrations you currently have with your job. You'll just be looking again within a year.

Yeah, the number I can come up with in my head is basically "match the offer letter's total compensation, and then tack on enough RSUs so that every year I stay is a year's worth of private college savings". Which would be like a 60-75% raise. If they want to give me that much money, sure, I'll stay.

And ... there are some things going right here. I'm on track for a promotion, which I'm going to be giving up and starting all over (but at a better-run company) if I leave. We're finally hiring again. People are a little more engaged. We're coming to the end of a big release that has been killer, the next 12 months might be bad but they can't be this bad (and I would have the power to make sure that doesn't happen). But they seem dwarfed by the overall brokenness of the company.

[crashgizmo]

It would depend on my current financial picture. Right now, both DH and I make a decent enough living that if one of us "intensely disliked" our job, money wouldn't make us stay. Now, 6 years ago, when I was single, struggling, and barely making ends meet, I might have sold out for a 10% raise and a cookie.

[Deleted]

Well, I'm in a job that I can't stand and I haven't received any change in salary since 2008. But my industry is very competitive and notoriously low-paying, my skills are extremely specialized and I should be content to even have a job. (I'd get fired if I ask for a raise.)

I'm not happy, but what can I do?

[niq]

Sept 15, 2014 17:51:05 GMT -5 v said:

What are the alternatives?

I would certainly be looking, but it is hard to stay what it would take to stay without knowing the specifics of other jobs you could realistically get.

The alternative at hand is about a 15% raise in total compensation, a reduction in daily commute time from 90 minutes by car to 45-60 minutes by bike (which is worth $5K alone in parking/gas/insurance), a bigger group of possible peers & mentors in terms of becoming a lead. On the downside, giving up what seems like a clear promotion, a product I'm probably slightly less interested in (but not totally bored by), child care costs would go up, possibly by an amount that ate most of the raise in base pay.

If I'm going to negotiate at all, it's going to be for a stupid large amount. But if they said yes to the stupid large amount, I mean, I should stay, right? So I've got to figure out how stupid to make it

[MrsE]

Nothing. Once I realized this it was time to look more seriously.

This is why after 5+ years with my current company, I resigned two weeks ago and look forward to starting my new job next Monday (that offered me a 26% raise, and is less than 5 miles from home).

Good luck. Coming to the realization there is nothing that could make you stay is a difficult one... And following through with the job hunt, interviewing, offer negotiating, accepting and resigning is even more difficult (and nerve wracking!). Hopefully it will be worth it in the end!

ETA: Me not be ... Typing from iPhone

[niq]

Sept 15, 2014 18:13:09 GMT -5 MrsE said:

Nothing. Once I realized this it was time to look more seriously.

This is why after 5+ years with my current company, I resigned two weeks ago and look forward to starting my new job next Monday (that offered be a 26% raise, and is less than 5 miles from home).

Good luck. Coming to the realization there is nothing that could make you stay is a difficult one... And following through with the job hunt, interviewing, offer negotiating, accepting and resigning is even more difficult (and nerve wracking!). Hopefully it will be worth it in the end!

I have been at jobs where there was nothing that could have made me stay. It wasn't awful, I was just ... bored to death. I halfheartedly tried to find something more interesting within the company, but mostly looked to move.

Also at the time I was a renter and we didn't have kids. More money wouldn't have really changed my life all that much -- or so I thought. Now, more money means being ahead of the game on college savings and/or being able to cash flow a big chunk which would really change things.

Good luck with your new job!

[everafter07]

I wouldn't just ask for mo money, I'd as for some changes that would make you happier in the long run. Telecommuting 2x a week maybe?

[everafter07]

But I agree, it would take a lot to make me stay given your situation. It sounds like the other place will be a much better fit, and it will look very bad if you decline a job you've already accepted (you did accept?) You'd likely burn a bridge, I'd think.

[kadams767]

If the alternative job met my needs financially, I wouldn't stay in a job I hated for any raise, save for the ridiculous, out-of-this-world scenarios of $1m bonus, double salary, etc. Of course, this is assuming I am in my own personal current situation, where I am not in serious debt, have a good savings, retirement, etc., and live comfortably without many money concerns.

[abramos]

It would be really hard to put in a dollar figure for me to stay. I doubt my organization would change just for me to stay. Throwing money at the situation will not solve the problem(s).

If you could put a $$ on respect or actual work that I would enjoy, then I would stay. Otherwise, I am outta here.

[Deleted]

They will give you a big raise now and screw you in the future. you want to leave for a reason. It sounds like a great offer.

[Deleted]

I'm at ge point where it's really not about the money. It's about feeling valued by my boss/ the organization. That ain't gonna happen.

[Deleted]

I would take the offer!

But I was nervous to leave my old job and stayed there way longer than I should have. It was safe and I was good at it and I had almost 100% autonomy in my work which was nice. I think I would have stayed if I had gotten the title I deserved and they came close to matching my new salary.

[gatsby]

I recently chose not to accept/renew a contract with an employer without having another job lined up, but I was so miserable at work that I had to do it. No amount of money could have convinced me to stay. I was fortunate and found another job fairly quickly. I am making slightly more money than I was, but I am so much happier. That's what has made the difference - not the raise.

happiness > money

[konapoppy]

Take the new job and don't look back.

[papie]

50%? but I love my job so it is hard to picture staying in a job I dislike...

[gt7301b]

I think your friend needs to take the new job. My guess is your friend would be looking for another job in 6 months to a year if he stays.

[Pom]

New job, no question. Wish your friend good luck for us

[monsterz]

You should leave. After a year you will be back looking for another job. There are reasons you want to leave and those won't change with more money.