STAY OR MOVE?
Q: I've been a marketing supervisor in an FMCG company in Hong Kong, holding this title for over 8 years. No matter how hard I work and how good an achievement I have made, I have not been promoted and have received only a small pay rise. Now I have a chance to work in Singapore, get a senior title as a regional marketing manager. However, at the same time, I have to suffer a pay cut due to different living standards between the two countries. Honestly, if my company promotes and offers me a justified salary, I would rather stay here. Can you tell me in what ways I can achieve that? Or do you think I should take the Singapore offer? Thanks very much for your advice.
A: Guy Day, Managing Director of Ambition (Hong Kong) suggested, "I think it is time that you sit down with your boss and have a good open chat about your career and your salary. Although money is not (and should not be) the overriding factor in choosing your employer, it is important you are valued and fairly remunerated. I would recommend that you research the market and establish your exact worth versus peers. You can do this from most recruitment companies' salary guides that they will publish on their websites.
"I would not use the Singapore job offer as a bargaining tool, in fact there's no need to mention it at this stage, but you have that up your sleeve in the event that you do not reach a satisfactory outcome on your own package. At present there is, again, upward pressure on salaries after several years of stagnation so you are in a stronger position than you would have been 6-12 months ago. Good luck!"
Christine Gan, Managing Partner, Eximius Consulting Int'l Pte Ltd.(MRI Worldwide Singapore) also advised, "As a Career Consultant, the first thing I would like to point out is, you have out to take the first step of asking yourself exactly what you want in your career. Some of the starter questions you might want to ask are:
1.) What are your objectives of staying in Hong Kong? Do bear in mind that if the company tries to retain you with a promotion only when you resign, the likelihood of the organization valuing you is barely there. It is worse if you decide to stay because of a promise given by your superior - it may never materialize. You will ultimately end up more disappointed, with yourself and about the opportunity you had given up. In addition, taking a counter offer will only jeopardize your career thereafter because your loyalty is already questionable in your superior's eyes.
2.) What do you hope to achieve in Singapore, or any other country should the opportunity arise? It appears as if you are still very at home in Hong Kong and the proposal to move is somewhat daunting to you. You might like to be a tad cautious here because if you are unable to reconcile that, you might not enjoy the relocation regardless of the role or package.
If this is precisely the case, you might want to search for a new job in Hong Kong that answers to your career objectives, versus merely hoping for the best within your current organization. I am taking for granted that you have visited Singapore and know what to expect. Otherwise, it would be a good idea for you to visit, so that you have a better perspective of realities and possibilities.
3.) What does career progression mean to you? E.g. is it a move in title, scope or simply monetary terms? You might recognize that you have to answer this question in a holistic approach, or looking at it from different angles.
"It is also important to list your criteria and rank them. This will give you a better perspective of what you must have and what you could forego to achieve the holistic goal. If the money aspect ranks number one, then you would have to justify moving to Singapore on a "pay-cut." The reason why I have denoted pay-cut in quotation marks is because that is relative to environment and standard of living. You need to do your research on what your Singapore package stands in Singapore itself, comparing it to Singapore's cost of living, as well as your specific role and title."
(next issue: Singapore).