Should Employees Follow their Boss Out the Door?
Quitting a Good Job to Move with a Good Supervisor to a New Company
May 8, 2009
It is the ideal situation: terrific job at a great company working for the best boss in the world. Many employees search for this perfect combination and are lucky to find it once in a lifetime.
So what happens to that employee when this great boss unexpectedly gives notice? Does his world fall apart? And what if his supervisor asks him to join her at the new company? Experts warn employees that it is important to be sure they know what they are getting into before they agree and rush out the door.
Employees Should Consider Why their Boss is Leaving
Keep in mind that the decision to stay or leave is a very personal choice, and it should not depend entirely on someone else’s actions. That means understanding a supervisor’s reason for leaving the current position, as well as the reason for accepting the new job, is really important to being able to make an informed decision.
What she doesn’t like about her current position or company is likely to have nothing to do with the team and could very likely be something that her employees are not impacted by. Plus the new opportunity that she is being offered might be great for her, but not for anyone she brings along. The new company, after all, is hiring the boss, and not necessarily the staff.
Another consideration is that once a supervisor gets to the new company, the relationship may change. The supervisor may be placed in a higher-level position, so daily contact is limited. Or perhaps the new company is less than satisfied with the new hire’s performance and anyone who she brought along may be escorted out the door if she is asked to leave.
A New Boss, a New Career Opportunity
When the workforce changes, very often new and unexpected career opportunities come to light. So making an immediate decision to give up a good job with a good company isn’t always a wise move.
If an employee has time to think about his decision or wants to see how things work out for his ex-boss at the new company, then he might want to wait and see. Perhaps a change of guard will mean a new career path for the employee who remains behind. Taking over the ex-boss’s role?
Or maybe the new boss joins the team and over the course of the next few weeks or months proves to be a great leader and wonderful mentor. Problem is, the only way to know this is to stay behind.
Yes, it may mean giving up an immediate opportunity with the great ex-boss. But perhaps another one will come along. The good thing about staying in contact with an ex-boss is that somewhere down the road she may be a great resource. And in the end if things don’t work out with the new boss, there still may be a chance to work with the wonderful ex-boss again. Or at least use her as a professional reference.
Give Consideration to Personal and Career Goals
One of the first questions that employees should ask when they are considering moving to a new company with their old boss is: does it fit with their career goals?
Taking a position that doesn’t fit with long-term career goals is not wrong. In fact, maybe this opportunity will open up a whole new career path. But anyone who has worked long and hard to carve out a career might not want to chuck it all on a whim. And if the motivation is a huge salary increase, keep in mind that more money doesn’t always make a miserable work environment or lousy job more palatable. Then again, if it’s just a temporary stopover, before jumping back on the right career path, it might be worth the diversion.
The important thing to keep in mind is that choosing to leave a company and a job should never be a knee-jerk reaction. Whether it is to follow a great soon-to-be ex-boss or to get out while the getting is good, before an employee gives a two-week notice, the wisest course is always to think through the options as well as the consequences of his actions.
