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A recruiter is pressuring me on a job I interviewed for last week. Remembering the cast on How Do You Know You Have an Offer, I'm acting like I'm interested, but there a lot of uncertainties and I'm trying to figure out what to say .

1) As I posted on another thread (https://www.manager-tools.com/forums/relocate-or-be-terminated-ok-look), my company is letting me go in early April 2016 unless I relocate from Florida to Pennsylvania, using their very generous relocation package; I only receive the severance and my 2015 bonus if I stay until the end

2) This company is in Boston, they want me right now, but the recruiter is uncertain if they can offer me as good of a relocation package as my current job, uncertain they can offer me my severance as signing bonus that I'd lose, but they think they could offer me my year end bonus as a signing bonus that I'd lose by leaving early.

3) as far as the job, the position title is same as current, the position responsibilities are slightly less than my current job, but different environment where I could learn more, though I'd have to learn a new side of the business that I don't have to in my current job.

If my current job wasn't undergoing all these changes, my current job is better than this job. However, my current job is changing quite a bit, and even if I do take the relocation, there are changes in reporting structure, responsibilities, potentially hiring a good mentor, probability of success of my project etc, that I'm still uncertain about but may be certain by end of Nov 2015. In 2012, I messed this up by expressing my uncertainties before I had an offer. Today, in light of that podcast that has come out since then, I am communicating interest. The recruiter just asked if I talked to my family about moving to Boston. I think I'll just say we'll move if it's not a loss. You know, I don't need to say, "if it is not a loss," because I can always say no if the money isn't right. I do not want to burn bridges with the recruiter as he covers this industy well.

Note that since putting myself on the market, I'm getting a lot of hits, though everyone wants me right away.

TNoxtort's picture

Now recruiter just sent me a message saying he wants to know what my "wow" offer is. I haven't thought of that, and it all depends on relocation, benefits, benefit cost, etc, none of which I know about just yet. 

Smacquarrie's picture

If I remember correctly, and this may not be a big issue, but one of your biggest concerns was the relocation.
You were hoping to stay where you are but this position also requires a relocation.
I am not sure if you ever made up your mind about the relo package from your current company, but keep in mind all of the non-tangible items that go along with such a monumental decision.
Have written out the pro's and con's for staying and leaving?

As far as what to tell the recruiter, just tell her that you are considering all offers and would need to consider the comprehensive package - this includes benefits, salary, bonus, etc.

I tend to shy away from giving a $$ amount.
Would you be happy working 90+ hours for 7 figure salary?
Just let her know a ball park of what you are looking for and proceed from there.
She just wants to be able to present a drop dead figure to the hiring firm.

Mac

SuzanneB's picture

You don't yet have an offer? Then keep it light.  "I would still like an offer for this position." "I'm seriously considering all of my options and this one seems great."

Without an offer to discuss you and your family cannot make an educated decision. 

TNoxtort's picture

Thanks for your comments. Recruiter called me today to say they are making me an offer, but then kind of came back to what I'm looking for because he wants to set expectations. I told him I need to see the comprehensive package and am happy to dialogue. He said his firm doesn't like to dialogue. He then threw out a number just 3% over my salary and asked if that was acceptable and I said I'd have to look at the comprehensive package since I am very interested in the position. So he backed down. He knows, and that company knows that I start a long vacation in two days. I also used that as an excuse for why I don't have time to research it, because I don't. I did say I'd like to ask more questions to folks there too.

To Smacquarrie's point, yes, the big issue is that my current position is making me relocate. I am very much leaning towards taking the position to stay with my company, but am still exploring options. I really do like my projects and am well regarded in the organization, getting picked to go to all the major events and things like that. The location, while requiring a relocation, is just a 3 hour drive from my parents. My wife and I travelled up there a few weeks ago when I had business, met with a real estate agent, and did look around. I have asked my management for some leeway on the relocation policy, on the grounds of my wife's disability -- they are not major items (bigger rental cars, etc)  I am under the impression that this new opportunity via the recruiter will not be able to offer the same relocation policy, based on my title, as my current employer.

I will likely stop looking for jobs after this is over and just inform my employer I will accept the relocation offer. Of these three locations, where I live currently, where my employer wants to relocate me to, and where this recruiter has the opportunity, are all really, really great places to live people say.

TNoxtort's picture

Thanks for your comments. Recruiter called me today to say they are making me an offer, but then kind of came back to what I'm looking for because he wants to set expectations. I told him I need to see the comprehensive package and am happy to dialogue. He said his firm doesn't like to dialogue. He then threw out a number just 3% over my salary and asked if that was acceptable and I said I'd have to look at the comprehensive package since I am very interested in the position. So he backed down. He knows, and that company knows that I start a long vacation in two days. I also used that as an excuse for why I don't have time to research it, because I don't. I did say I'd like to ask more questions to folks there too.

To Smacquarrie's point, yes, the big issue is that my current position is making me relocate. I am very much leaning towards taking the position to stay with my company, but am still exploring options. I really do like my projects and am well regarded in the organization, getting picked to go to all the major events and things like that. The location, while requiring a relocation, is just a 3 hour drive from my parents. My wife and I travelled up there a few weeks ago when I had business, met with a real estate agent, and did look around. I have asked my management for some leeway on the relocation policy, on the grounds of my wife's disability -- they are not major items (bigger rental cars, etc)  I am under the impression that this new opportunity via the recruiter will not be able to offer the same relocation policy, based on my title, as my current employer.

I will likely stop looking for jobs after this is over and just inform my employer I will accept the relocation offer. Of these three locations, where I live currently, where my employer wants to relocate me to, and where this recruiter has the opportunity, are all really, really great places to live people say.

Ariashley's picture

Have you compared the cost of living in the different locations?  

Honestly, the major things to consider is whether it's more valuable to live near your parents or more valuable to move for your existing job.  Based on what you've said, it sounds like maybe you think the current job is better, but you aren't thrilled to live in PA.  And you think there's opportunity to learn something new in the Boston job, so then which is better to you?  Without details on the alternative, you won't know.  If you have an offer, then it might be a clear choice or a challenging one.

TNoxtort's picture

So I am back from vacation (which included a stop in Boston - cruise)

Pennsylvania is close to my parents and where my current employer's offices are, is a nice area. I prefer South Florida over Pennsylvania though (as anyone would).

Boston has not made an offer yet. The story is they really like me and will match my relocation plan from my current employer but they are concerned about my interest given options with my current employer. The recruiter said they are interviewing some other local candidates, but from the resumes, they like me a lot better. I told the recruiter the "wow" factor me is that they really, really like me. I told him that for each of the 3 jobs I had after my 1st job out of college, after the interview they increased the level and salary despite my not having the right experience, because they liked how I communicated, and saw my potential. He agreed that was something to look for. They would be concerned about when I could start -- they'd like Jan 4, but I need March 15 to likely get my severance and bonus, but that could all be negotiated the headhunter said.

I'm also having some rumblings in my current job. It's not just they are moving us they are also splitting the functions of our group and my functional management wants me to defer to them more, instead of the therapeutic area head who I support. My job is a certain function within a certain therapeutic area. In all the other therapeutic areas, our function is split into two sub-functions; you are assigned to one or the other. Our group does both sub-functions because our therapeutic area is very complex and it was like that when they were acquired from another company. I've been in this area (different jobs) for 13 years and what I like about this employer is this therapeutic area head is brilliant, has so many groups reporting to him, gets into the details, attends every project team, makes sure things get addressed and get done. He has been involved in many on-the-market products in this area that most of you would recognize. In the old days, before acquisitions, my now retired boss worked for him because all the functions reported to this therapeutic area head. Over the last five years (I've been with them 2) they've moved where we are functionally aligned, reporting to the function. However, this therapeutic area head still has a fair number of groups under him. He got really involved in the things I was doing because his good relationship with my now retired boss. He likes me a lot, he wants me to stay with the company, and he has hinted I could move into his organization (what I did in my old job) if I did not want to move since he has a large number of staff at my site.

My new management (sub-function boss and kind of the boss of the other sub-function, remember, we are being split now) don't understand this therapeutic area, don't have time to attend project teams, and don't like how this therapeutic area head has so much control. My VP (boss's boss) had said we would still support this therapeutic head even though we disagree at times with him. However, my new boss of my sub-function, and the boss of the other sub-function really disagree with him (but not to his face) even though in meetings just with my boss (not the other sub-function boss), our VP said we would still support the therapeutic head despite our disagreement -end of story,- murder the unchosen alternative. This week, that put me between a rock and a hard place. My boss and the other sub function boss wanted a sentence removed from a letter, even though we had agreed to this sentence before, and project teams had agreed. Therapeutic area head wanted it in and I do agree with him . My management doesn't think its any of this business. No one available to talk and had to be sent out yesterday. I finally do what my management wants but did advise the therapeutic area head that I was in a tough position, which he understood. This is what I hated in my old job, and finally, two years in, it's happened in my job.

Because of what happened is why I decided to call the Boston headhunter and see what was up. Boston is a new therapeutic area, so I'd have to learn it anew.

My management is trying to recruit someone with knowledge in our therapeutic area, someone I know. But I've gotten the feeling it may not be going as well as they hoped. From having been in this therapeutic area so long, I know it is very hard to recruit. Our therapeutic head knows that and why he was so upset with my VP for closing our group down. But my management doesn't realize that, so maybe they'll learn the hard way.