Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. Our #2 candidate was extremely qualified. The only reason #1 got the offer was because she had a shade more direct client experience. After #1 accepted the offer we broke the news to #2 (because you never leave an applicant hanging). Then #1 reneged. We then turned around and offered the job to #2, who accepted, but it was extremely uncomfortable all the way around. #2 eventually forgave us for the backdoor job offer (and was a fine employee), but it’s a hell of an awkward start for anyone.
Declining a job offer may be “just business” but backing out without notice is as bad as walking off the job without notice.
If you stay you will be right back in that pattern again and looking for a better-paying job in a year. Plus your manager may do what it takes to get you to stay and then screw you on your next raise even more than what he’s already been doing. I know real managers who think like this.
Given that you took steps to find another job, and you have an offer in hand, take it.
I wouldn’t leave a job just for the money, unless it was a real lot, so once I’ve made up my mind to leave offering me more money to stay isn’t going to work.
A couple of years ago I received an unsolicited offer to leave where I was and go to another organisation for quite a reasonable salary increase. I weighed it up and declined because I was happy where I was . Around 6-8 months later the boss called me in and told me he was reviewing my remuneration as he thought it was a bit low and would do some bench marking. He looked shocked when I said he could benchmark against organisation X who offered me so much money a while back to do the same job.
I’ve been given 2 quite tidy pay rises since then without needing to ask.
The company I worked for in 2007 had spawned a sister company that was going to be taking over one of our projects. My supervisor instructed me to give incomplete or inaccurate info to the sister company so they would fail and we’d get our project back. After a couple of months of stalling, I wanted to do something useful. So I decided to give 2 weeks notice and become a handyman while looking for a new job.
The company countered by firing my supervisor, promoting me to his position, giving me a huge bonus and a pretty nice raise. I wasn’t really expecting a counter-offer, but I took it and everything worked out well. A year later, the sister company hired me so I still got to stay with the same project I’d put so much time into.
I agree with everyone else, but I need to also add something. I recently learned of a legal case that seems to establish that they don’t have to honor their new agreement as long as the old agreement isn’t up yet. If I could remember the specifics, I’d look it up. Any legal dopers know what I’m talking about?
So, knowing about that, I’d consider it very, very bad to take them up on a counteroffer. It would seem you actually have to quit for your old contract to end.
