A professional who spent nearly five years at their previous firm is sharing a “lesson learned” after their move to a new company was derailed. Following their resignation, they disclosed their next employer to their skip-level manager, who claimed a “no-poach” agreement existed between the two firms. Though the new company’s CEO denied it, the offer was allegedly rescinded shortly after, leaving the employee to start their job search from scratch and relocate to another city.
“Told my boss where I was going next. Offer got rescinded soon after,” the Redditor wrote, adding, “I worked at my previous company for 4.5+ years. Most of it was fine, but towards the end I felt the respect and recognition were missing, and my pay had fallen behind the market. So I started looking. I got an offer and resigned. During the discussion I made the mistake of telling my skip-level boss which company I was joining.”
The boss initially warned the employee not to join, citing a “no-poach agreement”. However, the individual confirmed it with the CEO of the new company, who assured them that no such clause applies to their role.
“A few days later the offer was rescinded. No explanation, but the timing was pretty clear. I didn’t take my resignation back and eventually found another job, but it’s in Mumbai. After almost a decade in Gurgaon, the move is tough,” the individual recalled.
The employee added, “I just wish I hadn’t told him where I was going. Lesson learned.”
How did social media react?
“Rookie mistake by an experienced individual. That’s new. But it happens. Also, all the best for Mumbai. You’re gonna need it, bud. Happy House Hunting,” an individual posted. Another added, “I’m a fresher looking to switch in a few months. After reading this post, I’m confused about what to say when resigning and what to say if they ask about the next company. Also, what should be my reply to colleagues forcing me to tell them the company name?”
A third expressed, “Management is never a friend. If I were you, I’d just cite personal reasons while resigning and, if prodded, say I’m taking a short break to recharge. Simple. No need to get into where you’re going next.”
A fourth wrote, “Fresher here, gave my first resignation a month back. I gave the most generic reason, and they kept pushing for more details, but I kept repeating the same thing. And never give the company name ever, no matter what. Even if it’s your boss or colleagues, just say you can check my LinkedIn after I join there, repeat this line like a robot. And another thing I learnt is that, even when you fill out the exit form (oral and/or written), give the most generic answers. Don’t ever say that my salary was low, that’s why I am switching, my manager/any colleague was a bi**h, this thing was the problem in this company, you can improve this and that, never. You’re leaving anyway, so saying all of this will have no impact on your life, but it could definitely backfire on you. And yes, take help from ChatGPT, it was quite helpful for me.”