Dear Jido,
Before the pandemic, I applied for a promotion at my workplace. I was told that the job was mine, and I just had to wait for the paperwork to go through.
Then the pandemic hit. My employer instituted a hiring freeze, and the position vanished. I’ve asked a few times since then for an update, and was told that there was no news.
Because I don’t know if or when the position will reappear, I have been applying for other jobs. I expect to be getting an offer soon from a company that I interviewed with. The job is better than my current position, but not as good as the promotion that I was supposed to get. I’m worried that if I accept this job, the other position might materialize.
Is there a minimum length of time one should stay in a position before moving on to a better offer?
Signed, Unsure
Dear Unsure,
Many years ago when I was a young(er) man, I found myself in the same situation. I was part of senior management of a company that was going nowhere. I interviewed at another company and got a great offer. When I approached the owners of my company, they countered with a better offer with more money.
Three months later, they hired someone at a much cheaper price and I was out of a job.
If you’re working for a “community” company, be aware that the owners want to know that you are committed to them. Once they know that you are looking elsewhere, they begin to question your loyalty and you have fallen out of favor.
If you like what you’re doing and trust that management is looking out for your best interests, then wait it out and move up the ladder where you are. If, however, you think that they’re just stalling and have no intention of taking care of you, then move on.
In general, it’s never good to jump around from company to company. Less than two years at an employer is usually a sign of something lacking in the employee, not the employer.
You are fortunate that right now it is an employee’s market – lots of jobs available, not that many people who actually want to go back to work.
Consider your options carefully and make a wise decision.
All the best,
Jido