Inform employer of interview with another company?

[Jukka Brothers]

I've got an interview next week with another company. Do I tell my current employer about it? I've been on here before bitching about my salary so my hope is my current employer will finally give me a raise if they know I'm actually looking...or maybe they'll can me for looking haha.

I'm open to any thoughts/suggestions.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

I've got an interview next week with another company. Do I tell my current employer about it? I've been on here before bitching about my salary so my hope is my current employer will finally give me a raise if they know I'm actually looking...or maybe they'll can me for looking haha.

I'm open to any thoughts/suggestions.

I definitely wouldn't tell them about the interview prior to the interview. If you receive an offer letter, you can use that as leverage against your current employer. Then, if it all goes wrong, and your current employer fires you on the spot, you have an immediate backup plan. Creating animosity without having an immediate backup plan is not smart.

 

[knight1fox3]

I definitely wouldn't tell them about the interview prior to the interview. If you receive an offer letter, you can use that as leverage against your current employer. Then, if it all goes wrong, and your current employer fires you on the spot, you have an immediate backup plan. Creating animosity without having an immediate backup plan is not smart.

Agreed. I had a similar situation recently. Had an interview with another company. Did not tell my current employer. The company I interviewed with made me an offer and I went to my current employer to ask for a raise. I like my current job but felt I was underpaid. My current employer agreed to the raise but if they had refused, I had the offer from the other company to fall back on and I would have put my 2 weeks in.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

When I went through this last year, I kept my mouth shut until I had the offer on the table. I presented the information to my previous employer, they actually said the new position was a great opportunity for me and recommended I go for it, so i did. I knew they would not be able to match what the new position provided (position, benefits, pay, growth potential, etc), but I liked who I worked with and wanted to provide the courtesy.

 

[Jukka Brothers]

Thanks for the feedback thus far, guys. I figured I shouldn't say anything until I actually have a job offer. I'm loyal, extremely and to a fault, and I knew that was probably clouding my judgement when it came to how I should handle this. I'm on my 3rd straight 80 hour week right now, probably tired and a little pissed, so I figured I should come here for some outside advice.

 

[snickerd3]

3rd straight 80 hr week...sounds like you really need to find a new job. unless you are making fatty money with OT pay, but probably not if you are looking elsewhere.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

If you are in a situation where you are leaving to go work for the competitor, wait until the ink is dry on your offer letter.

Unless it's something where you're relocating, going back to school, maternity leave, etc. that has nothing to do with your current job and is more of a life change, keep it quiet.

 

[Jukka Brothers]

I do get overtime pay. There are only a few of us left and it is the one guy ahead of me that drives me absolutely insane by not doing anything but makes about 25K more than me. And this is really not an exaggeration when I say he actually "works" about 3 hours a day.

 

[Peele1]

I've got an interview next week with another company. Do I tell my current employer about it? I've been on here before bitching about my salary so my hope is my current employer will finally give me a raise if they know I'm actually looking...or maybe they'll can me for looking haha.

I'm open to any thoughts/suggestions.

In general NO NO NO NO NO!

You may consider dropping hints, like, "since I earned the certification, I've been getting a lot of calls and email from head hunters and recruiters, maybe the job market for professionals is not so bad"... "so and so company says that they are looking for someone with my skills and asked me to put in a resume"... "Since I'm a licensed PE, my credential is public knowledge, and I've got several recruiters contacting me"...

However, it depends. I've had good working relationships with my employees and I was unable to give them a raise or promotion. Several occasions I've been told about interviews and such. I treated them as well as I could, even though I could not give a raise. Eventually, they got a job. One one occasion, I was able to get management to match the offer and he stayed a while longer.

If you have a good working relationship then you may talk to your boss. They may even recommend you to someone. I have a friend who, during an interview, was talking about their common background and hometown. The interview told them "you don't want to work here, hang on..." they called a recruiter at another company and got my friend an interview there the next day. Twice I've been told by bosses that this job was a stepping stone to a better one. A good boss is like a good parent, and wants their folks to do well and will support them, even if it means leaving.

 

[Jukka Brothers]

I've got an interview next week with another company. Do I tell my current employer about it? I've been on here before bitching about my salary so my hope is my current employer will finally give me a raise if they know I'm actually looking...or maybe they'll can me for looking haha.

I'm open to any thoughts/suggestions.

In general NO NO NO NO NO!

You may consider dropping hints, like, "since I earned the certification, I've been getting a lot of calls and email from head hunters and recruiters, maybe the job market for professionals is not so bad"... "so and so company says that they are looking for someone with my skills and asked me to put in a resume"... "Since I'm a licensed PE, my credential is public knowledge, and I've got several recruiters contacting me"...

However, it depends. I've had good working relationships with my employees and I was unable to give them a raise or promotion. Several occasions I've been told about interviews and such. I treated them as well as I could, even though I could not give a raise. Eventually, they got a job. One one occasion, I was able to get management to match the offer and he stayed a while longer.

If you have a good working relationship then you may talk to your boss. They may even recommend you to someone. I have a friend who, during an interview, was talking about their common background and hometown. The interview told them "you don't want to work here, hang on..." they called a recruiter at another company and got my friend an interview there the next day. Twice I've been told by bosses that this job was a stepping stone to a better one. A good boss is like a good parent, and wants their folks to do well and will support them, even if it means leaving.

I do have a good relationship with my boss and this is why I considered telling him in the first place. Also, this was not a job I sought out. I was actively recruited by someone I know who works in HR for this company. I'd like to tell him about it and let him know I'm going to the interview and just want to hear what they have to say. However, I'll probably stick with keeping my mouth shut until there is an actual offer. It is a company we have worked with in the past so part of me is worried that they'll hear about the interview from someone else. Lots of things to consider...

 

[knight1fox3]

I do have a good relationship with my boss and this is why I considered telling him in the first place. Also, this was not a job I sought out. I was actively recruited by someone I know who works in HR for this company. I'd like to tell him about it and let him know I'm going to the interview and just want to hear what they have to say. However, I'll probably stick with keeping my mouth shut until there is an actual offer. It is a company we have worked with in the past so part of me is worried that they'll hear about the interview from someone else. Lots of things to consider...

Well if they do find out, they really shouldn't be surprised that you would be shopping around. Especially if they are working you to the bone for minimal pay. There's nothing wrong with wanting to work a normal amount of hours and to be paid FAIR market value.

 

[Jukka Brothers]

Good point.

 

[Jukka Brothers]

So I got the job offer. It's about 4K more than what I currently make. Not exactly what I was looking for, but I'm not complaining. What's my next step? Do I tell my current employer about the job offer, ask for a raise and then tell them about the job offer, etc...

 

[knd107]

If you have a solid offer then bring it up with your current employer and see what they are willing to do. When I switched, I was offered a counteroffer that was more than what I was going to get at the new place. I didn't bring up the actual details of the offer. I just said that I was looking into other options for further career development in my discipline (from Data Centers to Labs). I ended up leaving and then coming back fairly soon since the new place was not what I expected. Don't burn your bridges. Also, don't forget about things like commuting time, benefits, etc. Also, ask for a additional week of vacation or PTO if they can't do any better than a certain price. One place offered me 32 hour work week since they couldn't do better on salary.

Missed out on asking for a additional week of vacation. Still kicking myself over that.