Potential new job advice

[MOMACC]

I may have an opportunity to move companies but have some doubts about a move.

Current employer -
One of the largest in the world in my sector
Been in my current role 2 years
Promoted 2023 to manage a small team of 2, soon to be 3.
Salary - £51.5k / £5k car allowance, lots of extra benefits & expect a £5k payrise by the end of Q3.
140 mile round trip in the car 2-3 days per week

New employer
Much smaller but still a global player
Job is leading a team of 6
Salary - £75k / £5k car allowance, similar benefits
Commute mainly a 45 min train & a 10 min drive to station

My dilema is the current employer has lots of scope for promotion, would expect to be pushing on the £100k mark within 5 years.
New employer has less red tape and is a very good growing business.

What would you do?
Move for a good pay rise and a better commute or stick it out and work away at building something in the big corporate?

[simons123]

I'd take the £24k payrise personally. Fact your considering it means you can't be 100% happy in your current job.

[chukwe]

You need to seriously think about it. Smaller company + higher salary may mean too much pressure on you physical and mentally. It happened to me earlier in my career and regretted moving although my rise was much lesser than yours.

Because of the mental strain, I was let go after my 6 months probation period

[trashbat]

In general it's smart to make decisions based on what's actually on the table, not theories of what you might get next quarter or where you expect to be in 5 years.

[bompey]

I’d go for the smaller growing company, which should still give lots of opportunities. And more cash today.

[vaud]

Faster growing, more ambitious companies tend to be more fun, and more career options as they grow though it also comes with the need for a more flexible mindset.

[sociopath]

I always followed the mantra, better to regret something I've tried than something I didn't.

And as others have said, jam on the table today is better than jam hinted at in the future.

During the dtocom boom lots of colleagues took jobs for future equity promises over cash.

I went for cash. Most if not all of them, never got the promised fortunes

[parabolica]

I would take the move; worst case and it doesn't work out for whatever reason, you'll be in a stronger position to command a similar salary for your next role.

[vaud]

sociopath said:

I always followed the mantra, better to regret something I've tried than something I didn't.

I think you tend to learn a lot more in a fast growing company as you get the opportunity to do more roles, fill gaps while you hire to grow, etc

[fat80b]

MOMACC said:

My dilema

Isn’t the actual question - why did you go looking for a different job in the first place?

If you went and applied, there should be a reason(s) for this. Presumably because you weren’t happy for reasons (maybe including but probably more than just salary) at your current place.

You could use the new offer to go and negotiate a bump for the current role. They might even match the offer if you play your cards right.

But 9 times out of 10 a counter offer / staying in a role only actually delays the inevitable and the general advice is to never accept a counter offer / stay.

Based on what you’ve said, I’d leave, but first….. why did you go looking in the first place?

[C5_Steve]

Take the new job.

If you were looking for a new job I assume there was a reason? Yes, the smaller company will be faster paced, more demanding and potentially more work, but you'll be able to get things done quicker, easier, have more input, see your work make a difference to the company etc.

Working for a large company offers no more security than a smaller one anymore so don't let that put you off.

[Tim_D]

Thinking career growth / development and unlocking future opportunities ... assuming important to you.

Would the bigger or smaller organisation give you exposure to the latest and greatest in the industry? e.g. big projects, technology, talent, leadership etc.

[AyBee]

Take the move, don't burn any bridges. If you're any good, they'll either try to match the salary or hire you at some point in the future. Smaller company usually means more exposure to more things and therefore steeper learning curve which can only be good in terms of experience.

[Tom8]

I went from a large PLC to a small private firm with similar salary increase however the benefits were considerably less. They tend to have poor pension offering and almost no other benefits. It isn't just about cash on the table! The PLC had gold plated private healthcare, share options purchasing cards etc etc.

I am sure you are good at what you do but in a big plc you can "hide" within the size of the business. In the small businesses it is down to you so you will feel exposed and more at risk if things don't go well, all challenges with a small business which is why I admire small business owners so much.

If you move you have to have the confidence in your ability to deliver what you offered at interview. You also need confidence in the security of the company you're going to and their ability to grow.

For the benefits you lose such as pension you may need to factor in buying those out of the salary increase then look again at the cost comparison.

[WY86]

Personally i prefer smaller companies, i have worked for a few huge multi national companies in the past but they are usually grown through acquisitions which never get integrated properly as they move on to the next acquisition which leaves a disjointed feel and confusion as to what people actually do. though at a smaller company you are much more exposed if you miss quotas or slack off. for me i would choose the smaller company.

[Countdown]

chukwe said:

You need to seriously think about it. Smaller company + higher salary may mean too much pressure on you physical and mentally. It happened to me earlier in my career and regretted moving although my rise was much lesser than yours.

Because of the mental strain, I was let go after my 6 months probation period

I think that's a good point.

I went from a large company (where I managed the Finance & Estates teams and had a huge amount of autonomy) to a smaller company where every single decision i made was micro-managed by the CEO. It was frustrating at first, then became stressful (to the point where even my 6 year old daughter was saying sorry to me, because she thought she'd upset me).

[MOMACC]

Thanks for your input folks, plenty to consider. Glad I asked as this is a much better sounding board than the mrs.

1 - considering it means you can't be 100% happy in your current job.

2 - Isn’t the actual question - why did you go looking for a different job in the first place?

I was headhunted.

I like to interview every couple of years just to hone in on my interview style / technique for the day that I really need to be the number 1 candidate.
Also, it's good to see what competitors are offering and what options there are out there to negotiate with my current employer or facilitate a move.

Am I 100% happy?
Probably not but being team members down and struggling like hell to recruit is beginning to take it's toll.
My team are good
My clients, although demanding, are fantastic to work with.

3 - Thinking career growth / development and unlocking future opportunities ... assuming important to you.

Would the bigger or smaller organisation give you exposure to the latest and greatest in the industry? e.g. big projects, technology, talent, leadership etc.

Absolutely.
Current role - scope to be the MD of the location in a few years, lots of leadership courses to join, experienced wider team to learn from.
Global opportunities if I really wanted to go down that route

New role
Some very good clients
Exciting growth plans
Not as much investment in marketing
Very much a challenger to the larger corporates in the sector.

[LeftField500]

Let me get this straight….

Your new gig provides you with a larger team for you to delegate to and has a significant pay rise and you’re wondering if you should or shouldn’t go for it???

[mikef]

Go for the new opportunity but stay on the best possible terms with your current company and colleagues. You may well be able to move back there on your new terms if you play it right

[vaud]

MOMACC said:

Thanks for your input folks, plenty to consider. Glad I asked as this is a much better sounding board than the mrs.

I suspect your wife may have a greater fear of change than you, but I am an anonymous bod on a forum, so take that as a guess.