Quitting like a winner. How to say good bye cleanly and fairly.
Looking to leave your current position for some new digs? Who can blame you? IT opportunities abound for the savvy techie. And while you may think securing a job offer with the right company is the big hurdle, the toughest part in moving on is telling your current boss you're leaving and dealing with the inevitable counteroffer.
According to 1999 GIGA Group research, 30 percent of today's 3 million IT workers are actively seeking new jobs. And it's not just the unemployed looking for jobs these days. Industry experts report that the average length of a techie's employment at a company is 14 months and the IT turnover rate averages 20 percent, as indicated by F. Hayes research reported in 1998. The same study found turnover even higher among Fortune 500 companies – from 25 percent to 35 percent.
Should I stay or should I go?
Recruiters know that the cost of replacing an IT worker can be as high as 2.5 times the salary offered, as reflected by GIGA Group data. So, if you're worth your salt, your employer will want to keep you around for a while longer. He may make a counteroffer, trying to convince you that to leave the company would be a mistake.
And the counter offer may be flattering enough to cloud your original decision to leave. You may feel a pinch of buyer's remorse-the fear of changes already made. Specialists at Search West, a recruiting group in Los Angeles, offer some advice on resigning with class. So keep the following in mind when your employer offers a raise to entice you to stay:
The decision is final
And keep in mind that turning down a counteroffer may further alienate you from your former employer, according Graphic Resources & Associates, a US recruiting firm. It's best to sign in a way that discourages a counteroffer from being made in the first place, say the experts. Don't say you're thinking of changing jobs, which may have the unintended effect of sounding like a threat. State in no uncertain terms that you have made a firm decision to move on an opportunity you can't pass up.
Make your decision objectively with a heavy reliance on your own judgment, suggest Search West recruiters. Consider the advice of your friends and associates, but don't let emotional pressures cloud the issue at hand: Either you are unhappy where you are now, or there's something better in reach. No one understands your work situation better than you. Remember, it's a business decision, not a personal decision.
Be professional
Experts recommend ending the relationship as professionally as possible. One week's notice is often adequate, but two weeks is just about standard. Jean Anne Cantore, a writer for High Technology Careers Magazine, recommends a resignation letter. Putting the decision into a brief letter, and hand-delivering it or emailing it to your boss, is the best way to reveal your plans, she says
Graphic Resources recruiters outline some of the finer points of a letter of resignation:
In the time between quitting and leaving, stay focused on the work at hand. You still have a couple of weeks to uphold your reputation as a good employee. Your quitting is bad enough: You don't need to be accused of blowing off your tasks or leaving projects uncompleted or unaccounted for.
Remember that you may have to train a replacement. It's a good gesture to offer to train a colleague so someone can take your place until a new hire can be found.
Consider the future
The main thing is don't burn your bridges with the company you're leaving and make an effort to get along with coworkers through the end, suggests Sylvia Ho, a career strategist and a human resources software developer.
Stay in touch with your business contacts and mentors, Ho recommends, not just the people you had lunch with every day. You might just need them for references, or you might want to come back to the company. Ho also suggests starting a black book of contacts who might be fond of you and willing to help you in a career move down the road.
Cantore also advises employees to be kind about the job they're leaving. Whether you are pleased with the company or not, you should have learned a thing or two from your experiences. You may have learned what you hate in a manager, or why a business plan failed, but at least you have that knowledge to take with you. Focus on the fact that you're moving on to a better opportunity, not that you're leaving because you're unhappy where you are, says Cantore.
In the exit interview, for example, Cantore suggests sticking to constructive criticism. While tempting, making personal comments about your manager or the higher-ups will only reflect poorly on you. Leaving a boss who wants you to stay may seem difficult now, but consider your bright future. And you can leverage that good will to make it even brighter.
