Should I tell my boss that I'm planning to move on?

July 14, 2009 7:10 AM

I'm looking for specific guidance (based on experience or intuition) about whether or not to tell my boss that I am planning a career transition--and whether/how to approach the boss about helping me find a job that will better suit my talents, interest and ambitions.

I've known for quite a while that the culture at my firm and my role specifically were not an ideal fit, but now (after 2 years here) I'm ready to do something about it.

I'm actively seeking a new career (ideally consulting non-profit and public sector organizations on policy, management or communications). I'm applying to only the most relevant positions and starting to network to identify firms, positions and people with similar interests.

So the question that just struck me this morning: "What if I networked through my current employer?"

My managing director has made clear that he wants to talk to people who are thinking about leaving in order to help them identify ways to make them happier--here or at another job. And then there's the mere fact of the firm's wide and deep contacts in government, politics and other elite DC circles--which could be valuable resources for making a more efficient transition.

So does anyone have experience with telling a boss that they're planning to leave and/or soliciting a boss's help in networking or identifying a new role outside of the company?

posted by anonymous to work & money (8 comments total)

I would err on the side of caution and don't discuss moving on with your boss until you're giving your notice.
posted by heather-b at 7:19 AM on July 14

I'm not sure this is what your managing director had in mind when he said that. If you approach him about contacts, it needs to be after you've already gone.

Be honest with him about why you're leaving, and make sure to part on the best possible terms -- who knows, maybe he'll offer to help you in the way you want, and all of this will be moot. Or you can let him know that you'll keep him in mind as a portal to others when you get up and running, and see how he reacts to that. But actively soliciting a hook-up as you're leaving could easily be seen as gauche, and I don't think you should risk it.
posted by hermitosis at 7:22 AM on July 14

What is in it for your boss, to make your transition to another firm more efficient? I don't recommend talking to him about your transition until you are giving notice.

But, if anyone in your firm reads Metafilter, it's possible that they now already know. (I'd change this question to anonymous, if it were me.)
posted by Houstonian at 8:04 AM on July 14

Are you aware of any cases where your MD has made people happier and helped them find a new role after they spoke to him? It sounds like management BS to me, but he could be genuine.
posted by IanMorr at 8:15 AM on July 14

I think it's a bad idea to tell your boss that you are thinking of leaving. Don't give them something to hold over you. It's possible that they will stop seeing you as part of the "team" and may start making decisions without you in mind. For instance, I had a friend who let his company know six months in advance that he was planning to leave. With this knowledge, his company restructured the entire department without him in mind. Six month later and things didn't work out as he planned. He wanted to stay, but the department had been restructured and he was out of luck.

Find someone you know well and trust in the company and ask for help. Call me cynical, but I would not tell the managing director you might be leaving. I think the managing director wants to make sure he "knows" what's going on in the office. He/she will often put on a false front just to keep tabs on employees and it's easy to catch flies with "honey" than "vinegar."
posted by parakeetdog at 8:43 AM on July 14

Such cynicism in this discussion. I have helped employees find work with other companies, so it is quite possible that he is serious. What is in it for me is that people trust me and value my advice. Some of my ex-employees come back and others send their friends to work for me. There is such a thing as karma. If an employee is unhappy, they are going to leave whether I help them or not and I get no value for failing to help them either. Furthermore, I may be able to find them a more suitable position within our organization and that would be a win/win.

On the other hand, if I can't find anything for them it could be damaging to them. Obviously, I would be likely to avoid giving them critical assignments in the future if I know that they are actively attempting to find other employment. Of course, as others have pointed out, the whole thing could be false, but presumably you have some basis to determine if your boss can be believed or not.
posted by Lame_username at 10:02 AM on July 14

Call me naive, but I say go for honesty. Do you believe your MD's assertions about wanting to help employees be happy? Your own intutition is probably right--if you believe he's sincere, he probably is. He says he wants honesty, so approach him honestly. Tell him your plans, your timeline, and maybe share how your experience at the organization has (positively) helped you understand what you really want to be doing. I wouldn't necessarily ask for contacts, maybe just for advice if he seems open to that. If he really appreciates your honesty, he will probably offer to help you in some way.

Of course there's a chance that he'll let you go or push you out based on your plans to leave. But that can be a good thing:

I've known for quite a while that the culture at my firm and my role specifically were not an ideal fit, but now (after 2 years here) I'm ready to do something about it.

It took you a couple of years to be ready to take action on this. Telling your boss your plans means you're making a commitment to act. You're wanting to do something exciting and new; you should embrace that, not hide it out of fear.
posted by aka burlap at 1:45 PM on July 14

Feel your MD out by talking to him in broad terms about your ambitions. You don't have to open by saying "I've decided to find a new job", but you can talk about desires like influencing public policy, helping people, etc. His response will tell you a lot about how open you should be with him down the road. If he's eager to help you network inside and outside the company, he could be a valuable resource.

I once went through the same soul-searching you're doing and kept my ambitions and job search very quiet. Ultimately I gave only the standard two-week notice and it was somewhat shocking to the GM of that close-knit team. In retrospect I regret not being a little more open about what I was thinking. I think it would have benefited both me and my manager - but of course, that's predicated on having an understanding manager.
posted by rhiannon at 8:26 PM on July 14