Game theory. Calling your bluff, most people won't leave if the boss says no.
It would be a very elaborate bluff to interview at another company, receive a bigger offer and not sign it.
Ask HN: Why is it easier to get a raise with a new job?
41–50 of 67 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why is it easier to get a raise with a new job?
#42I got an offer for 150% of my current salary and a senior title. I declined because it didn't match where I want my career to develop.
any way to leverage this in my current job? I'd have to disclose that I was flirting with others...
Re: Ask HN: Why is it easier to get a raise with a new job?
#43I've seen it time and time again. An employee wants a 10% raise but management says no and the employee quits. Then after a long search a new hire comes in at 10% more. Why not just give the existing employee that 10%? I think the reason is that big raises are not sustainable over time. If you keep giving your employees 10% raises every year, eventually you can't afford it. So you keep raises to 2-3% as long as possi…
I think the reason is that big raises are not sustainable over time.
The argument is turnover costs at least as much but probably more.
Re: Ask HN: Why is it easier to get a raise with a new job?
#44This gap is way too big here in India. Here you get yearly hike of 8-10% while by getting a new job you can get as much as 60-100% hike easily.
Maybe here starting salaries are too low, You have to job hop to reach a good salary.
Re: Ask HN: Why is it easier to get a raise with a new job?
#45I've seen it time and time again. An employee wants a 10% raise but management says no and the employee quits. Then after a long search a new hire comes in at 10% more. Why not just give the existing employee that 10%? I think the reason is that big raises are not sustainable over time. If you keep giving your employees 10% raises every year, eventually you can't afford it. So you keep raises to 2-3% as long as possi…
> I was able to average 18% raises for over a decade by switching jobs nearly every year. Hmm. For those curious, assuming I still understand how to do basic math like this and a few relatively low starting salaries for year one: 40k*(1.18^10) = 209k 60k*(1.18^10) = 314k 80k*(1.18^10) = 418k Are you one of these software engineers I hear about making 400k? I suppose I would find 150k-200k as more believable since you…
I'm also a remote software engineer, and my guess is that you're starting too high. My first job (on-site in Ohio) paid something like $7.50/hr (so ~$15k annually), and I'm now at $165k base 14 years later. That puts me in the same ballpark of 18% annually.
Re: Ask HN: Why is it easier to get a raise with a new job?
#46I got an offer for 150% of my current salary and a senior title. I declined because it didn't match where I want my career to develop. any way to leverage this in my current job? I'd have to disclose that I was flirting with others...
well, you should be going to interviews anyway right? i would just mention that you do interviews with competitors to see what level of skill and employment they would offer.
you aren't holding them over a barrel, but just make it known you know your worth?
sorry if my advice isn't as formed as it should be.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/10/26/the-d...
Re: Ask HN: Why is it easier to get a raise with a new job?
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
I had the exact same situation. When I left they said how much do we have to pay to get you to stay. I literally told them that there is no amount I don't want to work for a company that won't pay me what they think I'm worth. The next job I took I got a 25% pay increase, and the job after that I got another 30% pay increase. At my current company I've gotten a bigger raise every year than I ever would have asked for…
Your 2nd company didn't pay you what you are worth so clearly you so choose to work for companies like that.
To his defense he wrote he woulldn't work for companies not paying what they thought he was worth, not what he was worth or what he was thinking he was worth. Basically companies that try to take advantage of him by paying less that what they know they should and could.
Re: Ask HN: Why is it easier to get a raise with a new job?
#48I've seen it time and time again. An employee wants a 10% raise but management says no and the employee quits. Then after a long search a new hire comes in at 10% more. Why not just give the existing employee that 10%? I think the reason is that big raises are not sustainable over time. If you keep giving your employees 10% raises every year, eventually you can't afford it. So you keep raises to 2-3% as long as possi…
> I was able to average 18% raises for over a decade by switching jobs nearly every year. Hmm. For those curious, assuming I still understand how to do basic math like this and a few relatively low starting salaries for year one: 40k*(1.18^10) = 209k 60k*(1.18^10) = 314k 80k*(1.18^10) = 418k Are you one of these software engineers I hear about making 400k? I suppose I would find 150k-200k as more believable since you…
As another data-point: My day-rates as a long-term contractor which have some decent year-on-year increases from switching clients
2012 £200 (first time programming for money)
2013 £300 (new client)
2014 £425 (new client)
2015 - took a year off -
2016 £500 (new client)
2017 £650 (same client)
2018 £800 (new client)
Re: Ask HN: Why is it easier to get a raise with a new job?
#49Because you have more leverage: No "raise", no work. At your current company "No raise" _only_ means an increased risk of you leaving.
Re: Ask HN: Why is it easier to get a raise with a new job?
#50I found I was being 12% less than my peers. My boss said yes I'll get you a pay rise to match. 6 months later, nothing had happened. It then took me 3 weeks to get another job paying 20% more. When I told my employer I had this offer, all of a sudden the 12% appeared. I said no, too little too late - a few weeks later they said "Name your price" to stay. Simple explanation: they saved money. Of course now they have t…
Sorry to be nosy, but did you end up staying? I feel like being screwed over like that would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Every single topic involving pay from then on would just be awkward in my opinion. I may be a bad example because I have a hard time letting stuff like that go, it was very similar to a reason I left my first job in college.
It isn't exactly "screwed over" IMO but it is really poor management.