Immediately Working for a Competitor?

[Ynox]

Moved from one company to their competitor, then got made redundant from there. st happens and the grass is definitely not always greener!

I'd want to leave on good terms really. Offer a month's notice rather than legging it tomorrow. Yes they might have pissed you off, but equally it's worth being professional and not chucking your toys out of the pram.

When I left for the competitor it wasn't a problem, but I'm not in sales and I was only moving to relocate. Also was 100% honest that I was interviewing at this company with my employer (and told the new company that my current company was aware). Meant I left on very good terms and was able to negotiate to a 2 month notice rather than 3 months.

Also I'm 100% sure whether anti competitor clauses can really be implemented in the EU. I know in India both companies had anti competitor clauses explicitly naming each other. Nothing like that in the UK contracts though.

Edited by Ynox on Thursday 5th February 20:27

[C.A.R.]

Pit Pony said:

Imagine if the place you are wanted to get rid of you, and the boss happened to be drinking buddies / members at the masons / golf partners / brothers in all but name, and they colluded to get you to resign, and once into the new job, fire you for it "not working out"

I'm a master with conspiracy theories. Anyway, just be cautious, as nobody gets to be the boss without being a little bit of a tt.

You are assuming far too much of my MD! He's really not that professional and doesn't have any mates in the trade (which probably goes to show what kind of bloke he is too).

The 'competitor' low-balled me anyway, made me an offer for basic salary which was so far below what I'm currently on (-£5k) that I would literally not pass the affordability test on my current rented accommodation! The 'teaser' was that there was an opportunity to earn potential commission of a healthy 5% on new business. Unfortunately, it's not enough to warrant the extra travel time (over half an hour a day more ~ 20 miles further) for less money with less job security.

The interviewer also seemed more interested in talking about what he does and how long he has been in the trade rather than what my responsibilities / expectations would be. Instantly this turned me off the idea.

I'm not sure that's how 'headhunting' works, making someone an offer to move where they will (at least to start with) be earning considerably less money at a greater cost to them!

I let them know I wasn't interested at the end of the interview and they turned around and said that the highest they would go would be to match my salary - but the caveat being that I would lose out on the first £xxxx of any commission earned to make up the difference. I left the job spec there and didn't even take away any paperwork - hopefully making it blindingly obvious that I was not interested.

I'm still looking to move, but I think I will need to look to a newer industry if I'm to work any closer to home.

[C.A.R.]

Things have moved on a bit since my last post.

I'm now looking at an external sales role for another competitor - much bigger company. The role includes the supply of a company car as well as a pretty substantial increase in pay (think 25%) with an uncapped bonus on top of that. I'm attending a second-stage interview this week and whilst I'm trying not to get my hopes up I am quietly confident.

Which leads me on to my current employer.

I have established that the sh*t will truly hit the fan if I hand in my notice (I have done a good job of making myself indespensable). However, I still have no written contract with this company.

The new company will want a fast-starter, so were very keen to hear that I could start in as little as 2 weeks. This is me being 'generous' as legally I am only obliged to give the company 1 week (30 days continuous employment minimum). Because no contract is in place for what would typically be 1 months' notice, I am going to offer them 2 weeks. If they grumble I can always put it back to 1 week.

I plan to time this with a payday - so my last day lands on the day which money is usually in my account. This is purely because of a conversation I had with another ex-employee who told a sorry tale of how he was messed about with pay.

Fingers crossed I will now have a second interview as successful as the first.

[C.A.R.]

Well, finally gone and done it - got the official offer of employment through today. At last, I can jump this sinking ship.

I'm going to offer to work until the end of the month and see how that sits. Likely to be an awkward discussion, but it's important my employer understands why I'm leaving so hopefully they can ensure that other people don't feel the same in the future.

Nepotism ruins business and it is the primary reason I am moving on. I've considered writing my reasons in my resignation letter, but I'm more interested to find out if the director will have the backbone to actually ask me...

[AOK]

C.A.R. said:

Well, finally gone and done it - got the official offer of employment through today. At last, I can jump this sinking ship.

I'm going to offer to work until the end of the month and see how that sits. Likely to be an awkward discussion, but it's important my employer understands why I'm leaving so hopefully they can ensure that other people don't feel the same in the future.

Nepotism ruins business and it is the primary reason I am moving on. I've considered writing my reasons in my resignation letter, but I'm more interested to find out if the director will have the backbone to actually ask me...

Just read this start to finish - congrats, well done!

In my experience, don't waste your time or energy trying to "teach them a lesson" about why you're leaving, unless they offer you an exit interview in which case they probably have an inkling that things could be better and might actually listen. Otherwise, just bite your tongue and end on good terms.

From what I gather they will be a competitor - last thing you want is them turning things around based on your advice and hiring a hot-shot replacement who will cause you unnecessary competition! Deep down you want them to rot, but on the face of it just look forward to your new chapter and don't burn any bridges.

[wellzee]

Also just read this for the first time, congrats on taking the plunge OP - hope it all works out for you. Key point for anyone else who has a similar issue, look how many people have mentioned not burning bridges (bar one or two earlier on). I never get the people who want to go out in a blaze of bad-feeling. You've found a new job and you're on your way out - who knows when you might bump into or need or have to deal with these people again. Maybe a future employer will demand a reference. Maybe one of the directors will branch out on there own but have that as their residing memory of you, thus making you unemployable. The rant probably won't provide the satisfaction you think it will and could cause a lot more damage than you'd expect down the line.

Keep us posted how you get on C.A.R.

[C.A.R.]

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

Fortunately the new company is in a different area of the market - so not a direct competitor anyway. They are 10 times the size of the company I am leaving.

I'm leaving on good terms - I never made it a big secret that I was unhappy and looking to move on. Sadly, it doesn't look like they will be interested in holding an exit meeting or asking me why I want to leave - so they will carry on blind to their ways. Oh well.

The other thing which p*ssed me off is that as soon as I announced my resignation the MD made a smart remark about me needing a 'smarter car than what I've got' (which is admittedly a shed) - like it was any of his business?! He soon shut up when I pointed out that I would be getting a company car, all expenses paid. So ner-ner-ner-ner-ner!

[boyse7en]

wellzee said:

Also just read this for the first time, congrats on taking the plunge OP - hope it all works out for you. Key point for anyone else who has a similar issue, look how many people have mentioned not burning bridges (bar one or two earlier on). I never get the people who want to go out in a blaze of bad-feeling. You've found a new job and you're on your way out - who knows when you might bump into or need or have to deal with these people again. Maybe a future employer will demand a reference. Maybe one of the directors will branch out on there own but have that as their residing memory of you, thus making you unemployable. The rant probably won't provide the satisfaction you think it will and could cause a lot more damage than you'd expect down the line.

Just to add to the general don't burn your bridges advice, where I used to work we had a young lad working in the warehouse (nothing to do with me, I worked in the offices). He got fed up with his manager and decided the best way of leaving was to tip a box of packing material over the manager's head, call him some ripe names and to tyre-squeal his M3 out of the car park.
Funnily enough, 10 years later he applied for a job at my current company, where I was interviewing. Recognised him when he walked in, and it made for a somewhat awkward interview to say the least. For all I know he may have matured/improved attitude/been fully justified in his anger but it wasn't a risk I was prepared to take so we employed someone else.

[Asterix]

Well done OP - onwards and upwards.

You'll forget about the old employer the second you walk out the door (as they will you), so focus on the new challenges and get on with doing good stuff.

Best of luck

[C.A.R.]

Just 2 days left now, Monday and Tuesday and then I'm done!

I have been sent an email with an attachment that the Managing Director has sent to me - it's a generic questionaire about leaving a company.

My initial thought was; how impersonal! I've been here 4 years and I'm on first-name terms with everyone here, my desk is even directly next to the MD's.

I have no intention of filling out the form, but I feel like I need to word a letter to my MD to explain why I left, something along the grounds of "I have not completed your questionaire but I felt you should know that..."

I don't intend to burn any bridges, or cause offence, so I will have to word it carefully. I don't want any confrontation in the office, juet because I don't want my last days here to be awkward.

Would you do the same, or would you just move on and not correspond at all?

[bucksmanuk]

"It’s a generic questionnaire about leaving a company."
Give generic answers then.
The tw@tt-ish MD guy doesn’t really care, and wouldn’t act on any of the answers anyway.
His son is going to take it over in matter of time and run it into the ground.
Revenge is a dish best eaten cold - let someone else work do it for you, in my experience, someone always does.
Pick your battles carefully, and this one isn’t even worth turning up for - IMHO

[HQ2]

C.A.R. said:

I have no intention of filling out the form, but I feel like I need to word a letter to my MD to explain why I left, something along the grounds of "I have not completed your questionaire but I felt you should know that..."

Don't bother - they haven't.

Good luck in the new job!

[Jasandjules]

C.A.R. said:

Would you do the same, or would you just move on and not correspond at all?

The MD knows full well why you are leaving. No point saying because of nepotism. Just get on with your life.