At my current job I earn let's say X euros per month. This is below average for someone of my degree (Master in Chemical Engineering). I would like to earn more like >10 % more than I earn now.
The solution I have come up with is to find a job else where and then use this as leverage to make my current company pay me more. Am I a terrible human being for doing this?
Am I a terrible human being for doing this?
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be paid what your worth. Have you tried asking for more money with data to support your claim? If not, I would try this first before going through the pain of interviewing and obtaining a job offer from another company.
The route of getting another job and then using that for leverage can backfire in that you are forcing your employer to give you a raise if the want to keep you. At that point, they may hire someone else to replace you on their terms as most employers will not respond well to the threat.
The counter offer approach is a dangerous game to play. Take a look at this article I read sometime back on the subject.
You're not a terrible human being, but you are not a wise one either. Once you let your employer know that you've been looking, they are going to start looking to find your replacement. You've told them that you are looking elsewhere so they are going to protect themselves against your eventual exit.
They may offer you the 10% more that you are looking for, but they will still be looking for someone else. It's only the rare exception that a company will offer a raise in response to an employee telling them they have an offer from another company and mean it sincerely.
Usually the response is "Uh oh, Sam is interviewing, let's plan for the worst". Then they start transferring responsibilities from you to other staff and eventually let you go once you've been made redundant.
No, it doesn't make you a bad person, but it's not the best way to go.
Instead, approach your employer and get let them know what the average salary is for your field and ask them for a raise. If you are at least an average employee, you have the right to ask for that much.
Don't play games though, that will only hurt you in the end.
