BLUF: Do I tell my manager that I recently turned down a request to interview at a job that was for a lot more money than I am on now (50% salary increase)?
I was recently contacted by a recruitment agency whom I have recruited staff through in the past, and they asked to interview at a competitor for a company I used to work for and have 15 years experience. I have since switched industries, though am doing a similar core role now with more responsibility. The job was for a senior management role, where I am currently in a management role. I had an excellent fit to the role and could very well have been offered the job.
I decided not to go to the interview because of several reasons:
1) I did some research and the interviewing company has been doing poorly financially for the last 2 years and has lost several major suppliers.
2) They had a reputation for being unethical when I was at my previous company 3 years ago.
3) I currently have a very considerate boss who appreciates work-life balance and allows me to drop my daughter off at school some mornings and pick her up from after-school club some evenings, leaving at 5pm. I was told there would be no flexible working arrangement in the new role and the hours are 9-6pm with more expected.
4) Lastly and most importantly, I love the company that I work for. They are very generous in their overall package (pension, holiday etc) and they value their employees. I haven’t felt in a long time that I belonged somewhere and that my opinions were appreciated so much!
I am due a pay review at my current company at the end of April, where I will be told my pay increase. The average for all staff is likely to be a 2% increase. Staff are awarded more or less depending on their performance review (I did well) and their current salary compared to the market.
I am hoping that my Manager remembers that I took a slight pay decrease to start here last January. I have also taken on more responsibility this year and have been told that I will be taking on the additional responsibility of managing another team of 7 people later this year. I do appreciate that often you have to take on the responsibility before you get the pay-rise to accompany it!
When I have my pay review discussion, I was considering mentioning to my manager that I had had this opportunity and had turned it down, and to say how happy and committed I am to this company.
I am wary that somehow I may end up conveying the opposite and that she may take it as a threat that I am looking to leave (although I was approached by the agency not the other way around).
Please can you let me know your thoughts on this and whether I should say something or just keep quiet?
Advice on what to say and how to say it would also be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jane

Your motive?
Why mention it? You give a clue: "When I have my pay review discussion, I was considering mentioning to my manager that I had had this opportunity and had turned it down, and to say how happy and committed I am to this company."
Why mention it during pay review? Are you hoping to not-so-subtly suggest that he risks losing you if your salary remains below market?
Understand your motive first. What outcome do you seek? Then you can decide the best course of action to achieve that goal.
Is it about the money? Or is it a statement of loyalty? Or something else...
PS: Generally, no good comes from telling your manager about any job seeking activities.
John Hack
Personally I wound never,
Personally I wound never, with the possible exception of a job that my boss recommended me for or put me in contact with.
Kind Regards
Mads Sorensen
Disc 4536
Thanks
Thanks for the advice and questions.
It was ultimately about money, but I decided that it was the wrong way to raise the issue, as I did not want my loyalty to be questioned.
Instead I accepted the pay award I was given at the review (it is not a negotation pay review meeting, merely one to tell you what you've been given).
Then when I had a separate review meeting with my boss a month or so later, I spoke to her about money then. I mentioned to her some of the major improvements I've made so far and the salary decrease I'd taken when I started. I asked how we could go about addressing that. She's agreed to ensure I get a bigger pay review next year, based on all the improvements I have made last year and this year.
Thanks again,
Jane
I agree with Mads
I would not tell them. Not much good can come of it and there is a decent chance of there being a significant negative backlash.
In reference to pay...
Unless you take on a new title (career band) it is possible that you will not receive anything significantly beyond the "Market" level raise of 2%. Often, organizations have "Career Bands" within which the pay is based. If they give you more responsibility without a bump on the career band scale, it is very hard to get a decent raise. While most would agree that this is flawed practice, it tends to be the standard.
The only time you really have leverage for pay is when you join the company. This is because each and every career/pay move you make forward in the same company will likely be based on your current salary level.
Hopefully, you are the exception and end up being paid what you believe to be fair. Good luck!