I have been at my company for just over a year as an important member of the supply chain team. I interviewed and was actually offered the job just as covid hit and the company implemented a hiring freeze so my offer got put on hold. Nearly a year later they came back with an offer that was non-negotiable (their exact words) but it was still better pay than where I was and more along the lines of where I wanted my career to go so I accepted.
The atmosphere when I started was just flat out strange. Nobody talked to each other about anything non-work related. And I mean nothing. I worked in a room with one person and 6 months in I still knew zero about them. Every attempt at conversation ended awkwardly and I finally gave up. I'm not an extrovert by any means but it was just weird. Work environment isn't everything but it's nice to at least have a conversation occasionally. I chalked it up partially to covid and decided to give it a shot but kept my eyes out for other opportunities.
I have 10+ years in my field and am damn good at my job but methods have clashed with my immediate bosses many times in the last year. I have been frustrated multiple times by him asking me to do something only to find out that he went behind my back and did it himself without saying anything which makes me look like an idiot to vendors and customers. There's also a lot of telling me to work on a project only for him to change his mind and tell me to undo everything. He's not a bad guy but he has a smug, old school mentality that I'm not fond of. As in, my job could easily be done remotely but my ass needs to be in this office chair and he is the man therefore his opinion is more important. Also, his way of dealing with vendors is to make up stories to try and trick info out of them where I prefer to build a mutual relationship and be honest. I've dealt with it and called him on it when needed but it's not what I want to deal with long term.
Recently, my field has opened up in the job market and I've had a few interviews that led nowhere and a few that led to offers that weren't worth changing for. But last week I got an offer that was outstanding. I was incredibly impressed with the company and the culture. I actually applied for one position and was immediately considered for several open positions on a more advanced level. That made me think twice but the open positions are from growth and not turnover. They offered 15% above what I'm making now with a guaranteed minimum 7% yearly increase, plus a yearly bonus and a sign on bonus, plus more time off and the flexibility to work from home. There's a ton of room for growth and I can gain some serious knowledge in my field which is always a plus in my book.
I went to my boss and his boss and let them know I was accepting this offer and would take the next two weeks to wrap things up and make the turnover as smooth as possible and they panicked. Understandably, since I'm the only one here that does what I do. Suddenly I am irreplaceable. They claim to have been discussing additional training and certifications for me, paid for by the company, as well as a promotion that had never been so much as hinted at to me. They asked me to hold off and see what they can do to counter offer.
Today I'm pulled aside and told that they're finalizing an offer that will include that promotion and a 20% pay increase. According to them, I already do more than my current job discription and have more than earned it.
Here's my problem with this. First off, their offer still falls short of the new offer. Second, yes, I do WAY more than my job discription but why am I all the sudden worth more money? If I'm so irreplaceable, why was my yearly increase a measly 3%? If there is room in the budget for a 20% increase why wasn't it offered before? It irritates the shit out of me. I'm here to do my job and get paid. I'm not here to play games. I've already accepted the new offer but I'm leaving the bosses hanging to see what else they pull out of their asses. If I had any doubts, their sudden willingness to accommodate has made up my mind.