Always a raging debate on the social media – Problem of non-joiners in our industry. There are a lot of theories and thought processes that are moving in circles on this front. Some claim the root cause to be a 90 days notice period, others have on some other elements.
Well, having a 90 days or 30 days has got nothing to do with a candidate looking out for more offers …. Is there any scientific proof that in 30 days, one cannot search for different offers in spite of having one, well there is no such relevance, lot of us say when there is a 90 days period available, candidates would be bound to search for more …
Even in 30 days, one can find more offers, appear for multiple interviews … there is no co-relation of notice period to searching for more offer letters.
We have suffered for candidates not joining as they have got better offer (and majority of times, the better offer is equal to more salary).
Candidates tell me that they are looking better offer (which in real terms is SALARY and ONLY SALARY) … I really wish the better offer could be for:
- Onsite Opportunities
- Different Role
- Different Projects
- More Responsibilities
- Travel Time is getting reduced (from Home to Office)
- Relocation is not required
- Better Technology exposure
This leads me to a thought, if the new salary of the earlier offer was not good, why did one accept, nobody forced any person to accept, was it at the GUN POINT your acceptance?
Retaining Vs. New Offers
Over a period of many months (and more in recent times) – I have realized that searching for new offers and getting retained in one’s own organization are 2 different elements. May be some of reasons due to which one would be leave the current organization are getting resolved such as:
- Salaries could be matched
- Role definition could be better
- Projects could be different
- At times reporting manager is a challenge (that could be changed).
I would not equate new offers with retaining in the same organization.
But the basic question for candidates searching for more offers – Is that ethical or not …. Nobody can judge that and each of us would have our own views on the system.
I would like to take an analogy on this front. Some may find this analogy quite ridiculous and other may find some solace in the same.
Let’s consider a person – finds a spouse, they have engagement / ring ceremony done with each other for the life (consider this to be the offer letter acceptance) …. Now consider that the marriage is about 90 days away (for whatever reasons it may be). Does this mean that either of the spouse has now got to search for better (or a new person to be engaged)? Will this be acceptable that I found a better person … so now I break the engagement and then get engaged with the new person and again one more and again ….
If this is fine … then I believe the approach of candidate searching for more offers is also valid and if we believe this is not right then we have a bigger question on the hypocrisy of ourselves that we have dual standards (we believe in convenience based approach)
For me it is all about being professional and ethical.
I have also heard and read the statements that HR of an organization does not respond, or they do not give feedback and so on … many such elements … but if they (meaning the HR) behave in a particular fashion / manner, that is not right for us (as candidates) to reciprocate in the similar manner (of accepting the offer and then not joining).
For me it is a story of ethics and moral … Each of us has one that guides us in a particular manner, ethics is not universal today. Ethics depends on your current situation, opportunity at hand and how one see’s the world and due to this factor – Ethics as a concept has no universal definition.
I am sure in my life time – this issue of Offer shopping (looks more like Diwali shopping) will not go away. Industry is not ready to take a universal and a united stand … As we all are fighting on the scarcity of the talent available in the market.
As they say in economics – demand and supply problem. Good Once agreed to be SOLD (and advance payment taken (read as offer accepted) are subject to be RESOLD at a higher price) – this is the new economics of our sweet little IT Industry
All I can hope and pray is for better sense to prevail in this industry for all stakeholders
agilescrumworld 