I formerly worked for a website. The job was fun and the perks were nice, but the pay was abysmal (max starting salary of 30k for staff). My department was me, one other person on my level, and a producer shared between our sites, all reporting to our manager.
About 4 years in I’ve had it. Our producer left about 6 months prior for more money elsewhere. With no pay raises during COVID and a deferred review, I finally ask for a raise to compensate for cost of living. It would be enough to put me over the federal minimum salary to no longer qualify for overtime pay, which would mean I could actually work more hours for free. I lay out for them how this will save them money and pay for itself immediately. They respond by giving me the worst review of my life, faulting me for leaving early and taking leave on short notice (I had COVID), and telling me I can’t get credit this year for all of last year’s accomplishments (that went un-reviewed). But they gave me $48/week more. Queue overdrive mode on the job search.
I land a new job doing substantially less work and only the parts that I love, with significantly less stress at more than twice the salary. I put in my two weeks and I have nothing but praise for my coworkers in my exit interview, while eviscerating upper management’s wasteful spending. I gave HR specific notes and receipts, which was great since HR had actually quit a few weeks earlier (after less than 6 mo) and my exit interview was done with our comptroller. I collect my last check and punch out for a nice week off between jobs.
Then our new producer (fresh grad, on the job about 6mo) texts me if “two weeks’ notice” means 14 days or 10 business days, because they took an offer too.
Ironically, they hire a new producer before filling my role. A week later my counterpart also quits. They finally replace me, but low and behold, that person quits in less than 4 weeks for a better offer. I’ve recently learned that for 1-2 weeks, our old boss was the only person running 4 websites for about a half-dozen publications and at least as many social media channels, while simultaneously trying to fill said roles.
To add icing to the cake, they are STILL trying to replace me because, after less than 3 months on the job, they just fired the most recent hire for underperforming. I know this because LinkedIn asked me to help my old boss by resharing the open job listing TWO DAYS BEFORE THEY FIRED THE GUY. I knew he was out of a job before he did.
FWIW, I told them on my way out that my final salary needed to be the new starting salary or they’d never find anyone remotely qualified. After two failed attempts in less than 6 months and I don’t know how many tens of thousands wasted in hiring, training, and such, at least the new post has that salary listed.
TLDR: It’s always cheaper to invest in retaining your trained staff than having to replace all of them.