[Woolfie]

Hi there folks, I am in a bit of a prickly situation. Had all the job interviews and relevant job offers and accepted the one that suited the best. The package seemed to be good after reading all info on this site. Then low and behold went to the EXPO and met another reputable company who have eventually come back last week, and offered more in salary and also relocation expenses. ie another 10,000 NZD more for the relocation.( which greatly helps)

Both companies are accredited employers and help progress the visa issues.

Having accepted and chatted to the original company i would feel mean about giving backword. Also i don't wont to burn any bridges. Would it be cheeky to indicate to them that i want more, please sir, with cap in hand. As this is our dream, we don't want to come across as greedy(Already upped their offer once).

Having read on this forum about expats being ripped off, wondering if my original offer was a tad on the low side????( At 72500, in ack)

Basically not used to giving backword once all is in motion ie visa application etc....

Your worldly wise advice is always welcome, especially from you guys who have experienced working in NZ.

Kind regards

Woolfie

[Kim39]

Know how you feel Woofie, as i had an offer which brought me into the country but never got to start. As we soon found out that as much as the offer was not only in Auckland, but also Napier, and Palmerston North the actual locations weren't for us in one way or another. I made my excuses, which i'm not really going to go into. but least to say they were family issues and moved on. We were in country at least and went looking for another company....ok we were here on WV unlike a WTR, or PR, but situation is similar.
What i would say is simple, just make your excuses and bull a little. If the situ doesn't work with the one offering the better deal, then you can always pop to the one you refused, and at least you are here. At least they are both accredited so no need to look for that needle in a haystack. Am sure you can get round it quite easily by covering your back without them being any the wiser.

Good luck with your decision.


Kim

[bobbyj]

Hi Woolfie, and congratulations on getting a job.

I'm a recruitment consultant in the UK (soon to be ChCh) and I have come across this type of situation all the time. You mention the visa is being processed at the moment, and I'm not too hot on the requirements of a work visa as I'm going through partnership, but in terms of feeling bad towards the company you may be letting down - just try to think of No.1.

In the market I currently work in, counter-offers (where candidates accept a job and then opt for another, more lucrative option before commencing employment) are very common because of a severe skill shortage. When it does happen it can be quite frustrating for the employer who has spent time interviewing and selecting the right candidate only for them to turn around and say they have taken something else for any number of reasons. But you need to look after yourself. In my experience if it is a case of extra money I will always approach the company to see if there is any scope for negotiation. You mentioned you have already asked them for a salary increase so it may be that this is not an option for you...but if you don't try, you will never know.

The most important thing to do is sit down and objectively weigh up both offers. Which company would you prefer to work for? Did you get a better feeling in one company than another? How did the location suit you? What were the career prospects in each one? Only after you answer these, or any other questions, should you then consider the salary. It has happened so many times when my candidates have opted for a different job because of the cash, only to call me one or two months later to see if the other job is still available. It is a lot of money you are talking about and I know what you are saying about the salary inequality because of being an expat (it happened to me when I was looking for a job in NZ), so its a really tough decision to make. But in terms of burning bridges, if you take one job and are unhappy and leave after a short period of time, its going to pee the company off more than if you are straight up from the start and say "thanks for the offer but I have been offered another role which I have decided to accept".

But...I'm not sure how this works with your visa application. You would need to check if, by accepting an offer from another company who would then be sponsoring you, it would mess up your application. Might want to check that out first.

Hope this helps.

[Familyofmonkeys]

Absolutely....ask for more. Be upfront and say you have had another offer, and see what they come back with! If they can't up your offer, you still have a better one...if they match it, so are not then messing them about! At the end of the day, it is just a job and you still have to afford to live.

[albion54]

I've just done what you are thinking about - turned down a job I would have absolutely hated and found that I was being ripped off on the job and definitely on the payscale.

taking the P was basically what I found out so I turned them down and not at all upset about it. There is always going to be another job if you work in a skills shortage field