Today was my last official day with the company I have been working at the last several years. Within the past 6 months there was a bit of mass exodus starting with others in my department leaving. A couple months ago I had a “manager check in meeting” with my manager and discussed the possibility for a raise as more responsibilities were coming my way as more people left. His response to a raise was “we feel you are compensated fairly”, ok so apparently 95% travel, zero support and increased micromanaging and impossible KPI’s mean I deserve to get paid 40% below market average. I told him that was unacceptable and that I would be looking elsewhere. Two weeks ago I submitted my resignation and he thought I was bluffing, I returned all the company assets (phone, laptop, tools, company car) yesterday and today I got the news they are calling an emergency meeting to discuss employee retention issues and giving 9% raises to all of us in my former department and that I should reconsider. I just laughed because the job I left for gave me a ridiculous sign on bonus and massive pay increase. This is just proof that big companies are willing to make changes but they have to lose enough good talent to wake up unfortunately.