DANIEL Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 So I had another equipment supplier we work with offer me a job here a couple days ago and it got me thinking. This isn't the first time and I suspect it won't be the last. There have been several customers, contractors and equipment suppliers that have offered me jobs in the middle of what ever project we're working on. I know most of it is the fact that they see my work, know I can help them out immediately and obviously like working with me but it always leaves me feeling a bit uncomfortable. I usually defuse it with an excuse about being tied to the area or my daughters insurance, which in most cases ain't a lie lol, but I always feel bad about declining and it always makes me worry about my own job should my employer find out about these offers. I know in most cases they shouldnt be offering and could probably suffer legal ramifications as a result but I've never made a deal of it. I guess I'm making this post to get some feed back, advise and general thoughts from ya'll on this and even see if any of ya'll have experienced this and hear what you have to say about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I worked for a consulting environmental engineering firm that had as one of its clients the company that I work for today. The VP drove up to see our new offices and ask about how they could go about setting up a CAD system. In the middle of the conversation, which took place in a conference room called the "fishbowl" (four-sided glass walled), he offered me a job and as he did the President of our company was walking by the door which happened to be open! Flattery is nice but unless you truly want to make a change take the offers with a grain of salt and a "Thank you for asking but I'm happy where I am at the moment" response. BTW....I took the guy up on his offer and within three months I left the company I had been with for almost 12 years. Never regretted having done so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mammajamma Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I don't know why you think it's a legal issue. Possibly in an ethical grey area, but I doubt it's illegal. All you need to say is, "No, thanks." You owe them no explanation. If you feel you should say more, simply say that you're happy where you are. That would please your employers, should it get back to them. And they should be thrilled that they have an employee who is in such demand, but wants to stay put. We have quite a few people working for us who used to work for our clients or contractors, and have lost a couple to the same. It's a fact of life in such a specialized community (engineering for food processing facilities). It is good manners to finish up a current project before jumping ship, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANIEL Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 none of the offers I've had have been that brazen! and I too have taken most of them with a grain of salt as you said but some times I can't help but wonder if I'm burning bridges so to speak, ya know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANIEL Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 I don't know why you think it's a legal issue. Possibly in an ethical grey area, but I doubt it's illegal.All you need to say is, "No, thanks." You owe them no explanation. If you feel you should say more, simply say that you're happy where you are. That would please your employers, should it get back to them. And they should be thrilled that they have an employee who is in such demand, but wants to stay put. We have quite a few people working for us who used to work for our clients or contractors, and have lost a couple to the same. It's a fact of life in such a specialized community (engineering for food processing facilities). It is good manners to finish up a current project before jumping ship, though. I've never been clear on where confidentiality and intellecual property agreements end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 You're not burning any bridges unless your response to an offer is "How dare you! Get out of my office immediately!" I doubt you would do that. I did not have to worry about intellectual property because I took a job with a chemical company which was a far cry from what I had been doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mammajamma Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I've never been clear on where confidentiality and intellecual property agreements end. Heck, we probably wouldn't still be in business if it weren't for clients jumping from one company to another (and bringing us with them for new projects) We have no sales staff (never have) but we do have happy repeat clients and new clients via word of mouth. Yes, we sign confidentiality agreements and abide by them. Some of our clients are in direct competition with each other, and they know it. How else would we have the experience we need to help them make the type of product they make? (Dairy, booze, candy, salad, pizza, etc. etc). But, of course, it would be bad form to ask someone to jump ship in the middle of a project in order to eliminate the middle man, as it were. That could be asking for trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 For me to breach the confidentiality statement I signed I would have to either give the competition formulations for our products or hand them a set of prints for a wiped film evaporator we had custom designed along with all the design parameters. Short of that, I could go work for another chemical company tomorrow doing exactly what I do now which is mainly piping schematics and process piping and instrumentation diagrams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANIEL Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 I struggle with that mainly because I have everything we do aside from the plc work memorized, I don't need the prints or the process formulas for what we do any more, if they lost files I could recreate them from memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Is that why they lock you in the vault at the end of the day? I added the emoticon because some people (who shall remain nameless) don't get my dry sense of humor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANIEL Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Is that why they lock you in the vault at the end of the day? I believe so lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 If I were your boss I'd make sure you weren't thinking of leaving anytime soon by giving you an immediate pay raise, an extra week off, and send someone out to vacuum, wash, then wax your car (after filling up the tank). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScribbleJ Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Is that why they lock you in the vault at the end of the day? I added the emoticon because some people (who shall remain nameless) don't get my dry sense of humor. Oh you really were joking. Good thing for that emoticon otherwise I wouldn't have known. And all this time I thought you were just an old curmudgeon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khama Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I get job offers all the time and it does get uncomfortable. I have even been in a situation where I was negotiating with a particular company and another 2 companies got wind of it and made me bigger offers. I had already accepted the offer from the first company and the other 2 offers were significant. I declined the first offer and told them my boss has raised the limit and took one of the 2 second offers instead. Do I feel bad about it? NO. Is there a legal ramification? NO. I am still working there today on 6 figures and it is still happening to me now behind the scenes. I just rejected another offer last week! Be Flattered that you are in high demand and play them against one another. The only winner is YOU!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f700es Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Take it as a testament of your skills. It's always good to know when other see your work and are impressed with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirltech Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Take it as a testament of your skills. It's always good to know when other see your work and are impressed with it. +1 (This is what I wanted to say but mine was much word-ier) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANIEL Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 If I were your boss I'd make sure you weren't thinking of leaving anytime soon by giving you an immediate pay raise, an extra week off, and send someone out to vacuum, wash, then wax your car (after filling up the tank). your hired! oh wait, I can't hire my boss ...... I get job offers all the time and it does get uncomfortable. I have even been in a situation where I was negotiating with a particular company and another 2 companies got wind of it and made me bigger offers. I had already accepted the offer from the first company and the other 2 offers were significant. I declined the first offer and told them my boss has raised the limit and took one of the 2 second offers instead. Do I feel bad about it? NO. Is there a legal ramification? NO. I am still working there today on 6 figures and it is still happening to me now behind the scenes. I just rejected another offer last week! Be Flattered that you are in high demand and play them against one another. The only winner is YOU!! I am a bit old fashioned some times when it comes to loyalty but I'm positive thats not a 2 way street, alot of times I'm more concerned about the long term implications, such as joining a larger company that down sizes 6 months later lol Take it as a testament of your skills. It's always good to know when other see your work and are impressed with it. it's hard to see it that way in the heat of the monet sometimes but your right, maybe the stress of my job is taking a toll on me lol. +1 (This is what I wanted to say but mine was much word-ier) you can be as wordy as you want when it comes to praising my awsomeness! lol, sorry, I couldn't resist. I guess its comforting to know that it happens to others as often as myself, it will help knowing that its a more common accurance than I had origibnally thought it was, I guess what I see in the interview room isn't isolated to around here, I guess quality CAD user can be hard to find any where ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirltech Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 you can be as wordy as you want when it comes to praising my awsomeness! Uh....Yeah....Um....Oh nevermind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 I always respond with "I'm happy where I'm at, but thanks for the offer." If they continue to push I simply state "I don't want the job. Thanks again." Easy as pie. But that is a good thing that people see your value and talent. It never hurts to give it thought, ever. Your time is a personal investment, day in and day out, at your job. No matter what you're doing it should be going forward and not backward and obviously you're an asset if you get offers like that. And you never know, one day someone will come a'knockin' and you'll crack the door just enough to open it all the way, and change companies. I've done it a few times, and a few times it's bitten me in the arse but the last one was great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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