Considering taking a step back...

[mae0111]

I had an interview with HR today at a fantastic company.  The role sounds really interesting, and right up my alley. It sounds like the work/life balance is fantastic, no travel, work from home whenever you don't HAVE to be in the office (so HR indicated that 2-4 days a week of WFH is the standard), and about a 10% pay bump.

But it's a step back.  I'd go from managing a team of 20+ to 5.  I would no longer be reporting to the CMO of a Fortune 100 company, but would be layered.  My bonus would be capped at 20%, whereas I've received  65-70% bonuses over the last several years.  But the bonus is all cash at the new firm, and 90% deferred cash/stock at my current (which means I'm leaving a lot on the table by leaving).  Not sure about other benefits like health, dental, 401K, but it's a huge multinational company, so I imagine they're decent.

The HR recruiter indicated that she would absolutely be bringing me back for the next round.  I'm a little torn.  Would you consider a backwards move?

Also, if the offer comes through, would you use it as leverage at your current job?  I haven't had a raise in 2 years, but the last one was a 30% raise...

[litzo27]

Do you love managing a large group? I know plenty of people who hate it and would take a pay cut only to be able to do less people wrangling and more of the actual work they love. What will the future prospects be like if you stay vs. you go? If you like the job itself and given the pay bump and flexibility I would probably take - not often that sweet deals like that come around. And depending on your vesting schedule your foregone compensation may take a long time to mature so I'd think of that as a sunk cost.

[k3am]

Are you excited about where you work now? Do you love managing that many people? Are you the type of person that needs the prestige of reporting to the CMO, or is the layering acceptable?

Absolutely, take the next step. If you find something you dislike along the way, you can always walk away.

As far as leveraging an offer, I'm against it. I'm firmly of the belief that if I put out the time and energy to get a great offer, I'm going to take it. If I were happy in the first place, I wouldn't have been looking. When people leave a job, more often than not, they're not leaving the job or the salary, they're leaving their manager or company politics. As an aside, I have leveraged an offer to get a promotion (some other company gave me an offer letter after I'd had coffee with a guy. I hadn't realized he considered it an interview). I've always wondered if I was getting the promotion because it was merited, or because I forced them into it.

[sassypantzz]

Personally, I would want the new company, but that doesn't mean you would. What matters to you? What would fulfill you the most?

To answer your question, yes I would consider a backward move and would really like one now actually to spend more time with my family but not give up my career. (plus mortgage...)

When it comes to leveraging I would say no. I 100% echo what k3am said, and am a believer (in my industry) that once your employer knows you were looking and made them comete with another company you lose a lot of intangible things like an edge that you can't get back. Just that is just my opinion.

[mae0111]

k3am,I hear what you're saying, and I wouldn't waste time just to get an offer that I wouldn't seriously consider. If I pursue it, it will be because I really want the job. She indicated that salary and options are negotiable, but I'm leaving 6 figures on the table if I leave my current position. If, at the end of negotiations, we can't come to an agreement, that's when I was thinking about using the offer for leverage. If my boss simply said no, I would walk away and take the new job. If he came back with something (would have to be budget to hire more people, and salary - no more bonus - done with stock I can't touch), then I would consider it.

[frozenpeas]

It's review season here, so having fewer direct reports sounds like a huge plus to me right now!

With regard to leveraging an offer, I agree with PPs that it will not benefit you in the long term. Your current company will know you are looking and will question your commitment. I understand that a good percentage of people who do this leave within a year anyway, so your boss may see you as having one foot out the door.

Also consider whether you'll ever want to work for the new company in the future. If they find you were using them to get a raise at your current company, they could very well blacklist you for any positions in the future. I had a woman do this to me last year. She reneged on an offer after showing it to her boss and securing a raise. My opinion of her plummeted and I spread it around to my colleagues. You can bet she doesn't have a chance anywhere in my company anymore.

[k3am]

I'm in a similar situation right now.. I've got about $80k (sounds like yours is significantly more though) of stock grants that vest over the next 5 years. The company I'm talking to is trying to figure out how they can entice me to leave knowing about that. Even if we didn't come to an agreement, I don't know that I'd present that offer letter to my current company.

We have a few folks here who have been known to do that - and management is very quick to badmouth them for it. (Even though they're the ones who matched or beat the offer to retain them!) The practice just overall leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

[mommyatty]

I took a strategic step back to come to my current company. I went from a fairly high level government job where I was over offices in 4 states to a job in the private sector where I was the low attorney in our practice group. But I knew that in the long term, the step back would allow me to make a lot more money and I knew I would work my way back up but this time in the private sector. It has paid off beyond my wildest hopes and dreams.

So I'm not per se against taking steps back. But I won't lie. Going down the ladder, even in support of bigger goals, SUCKS. I remember a general I worked for at Army. I was listening him complain about the pressures of being in command and I was trying to be supportive. I said something like, "I'm sure being the commander is a rough job." He smiled and said, "Being the commander sucks. You know what sucks more? Not being the commander." He was wise. It is hard to give up status and rank.

[lynn0514]

I think mommyatty makes really good points. Putting financial considerations aside, I think I would be willing to take a step back if I knew it would allow for more money/advancement in the future, particularly given the work/life balance you're describing for the new job. (Having done really ridiculous work hours in the past, work/life balance is VERY important to me, and I probably put more weight on that issue than most.) But if the element of future advancement were missing, I'm not sure I could take the plunge.

[twinmomma]

I've been actively looking at "lower" jobs because I'm kind of tired of having no time to actually do the work I like, like a PP mentioned. To me, it's more about getting to do the kind of day to day work I like vs. what the title/position technically is, especially if salary and benefits are comparable.

[Deleted]

I would first ask myself "why did I take this interview?". Did you actively seek out the opportunity, did a headhunter contact you?

It's a very personal decision. Lots of variables to be sure. Depending on how much money is sitting on the table at your current job that might make the swing vote.

Personally, at this point in my life, I am more interested in work/life balance and satisfaction with the work I am doing. But that is me and your priorities will be your own.

I will say, you seem to be in an enviable position, and that is nice.  Best of luck!

[librarychica]

Personally, I would not take a step back but I manage ...wait for it .. 2 people so I can't really relate to having a more demanding/prestigious job. I will say that you seem rather stressed and unhappy with your work in your posts lately. Are you happy? I do not think that taking a step back would be a terrible thing if it would make you happier, especially if there are other areas at the new company you could excel in and if, financially, you could swing it.

I know this isn't helpful at all, but I mostly wanted to say good luck.