Loyalty as New Hire

For the most part - companies have ZERO ZIP NADA loyalty to employees.
It's understood by all that everyone needs to do what's best for them.

Company A might have other applicants they previously over looked, but they haven't thrown those applications out yet.
In fact - it's common to have a 6 month trial period where either side can walk away - so the runners up are still on file and will be for awhile.

She should not feel that company A would be screwed at all.

No company shows loyalty to employees. She needs to do what is best for her, period.

She should call B back as soon as possible-- why hasn't she called them yet and expressed her interest? She needs to tell B that she has an offer on the table and is interested in B, and therefore needs to get in for an interview with B as soon as possible.

She has not even begun with company A yet, is that correct? Frankly, company A knows she is a job-seeker and believe me, company A assumes that any job-seeker is looking at more than one potential employer! A would not be thrilled if she threw them over for another offer but they (and she) will survive. She should not tell A that "I have another company pursuing me" -- that is not necessary. She should instead tell B that she has another firm offer and needs B to interview her ASAP because she's very interested in them.

So: No real loyalty to A if she truly is interested in B, but I also would not at this point tell A another company is interested in her. Believe me -- employers KNOW that job-seekers are looking elsewhere and have been through all this before. The only thing to watch is whether she might have to repay them for training if she gets that far with A and then leaves for job B. She should also take care if A has her sign an employment contract, which may somehow penalize her if she leaves early on.

Lilly:

She should NOT give ANY notice until an offer with a firm start date has been extended to her.

She will need to compare the offers and the jobs side-by-side. Which one suits her better, benefits, hours, location/commute, etc. No one can make that decision for her.

Does she "owe" the company loyalty? As a recruiter? I would love to say YES!!! But really? It's a dog-eat-dog world. Gone are the days of staying with companies for decades or even into retirement! Heck one of my candidates has been with a HUGE company for TWENTY-FIVE YEARS - yep 25 years - and he's been given 4 weeks notice. That's IT. He started with them as in intern in college - he's 45 years old....it's the ONLY company he's ever worked for. And he's scared. Nervous. And so many other things - as the company is "employee owned" and did not do the typical 401K plan...and they are treating him as if he hasn't spent 25 years with them.

She should NOT burn any bridges. She should continue to do the job she has to the best of her ability - she owes them that. She should try to interview with company B either before work or after work...maybe even during lunch....it would be a slap in the face to take a day off to interview if she's only been there a few weeks....it would suck if she called in sick and someone saw her somewhere....or she gave notice after taking the day off...that would be burning a bridge...

Company B is NOT a sure thing. So if company B has a job that is more along her career field - then she should pursue it. She won't have a "what if" in her life. She will know she tried. If she gets it - GREAT!! IF not? She Tried.

Good luck!

I agree with B below. Companies show no loyalty to employees. In a lot of states, especially here in TX, it's a work "at-will" state, meaning they can fire you for no reason at all, so why can't you quit for no reason at all? If Company B is what she really wants, nothing should stand in her way. She just needs to be sure because she will definitely burn the bridge with Company A, so if it doesn't work out at B, she's back to square one.

I would tell her to keep her job with A and interview with B. If she is offered a position with Company B then she can make the decision that is best for her

I've been in this position before and I always went with who offered the most money, best benefits, schedule and where I thought I would be happiest.
I agree that most companies don't really care about their employees and do what is best for the company.

She hasn't started yet, so there is no loyalty to be given. If she had been with the company for awhile all she would be obligated to do is give 2 weeks notice.

Keep the job with A until and unless she gets a job offer from B that fits what she's hoping to get. Loyalty only goes as far as the paycheck.

It's not her fault about the timing. She really couldn't have predicted that this would happen, and I don't believe it's dishonest for her to go on an interview with B while going through the training process with A. The reason is because B may very well not turn out well at all... she could refuse a job offer from them or they might not offer at all.

Why should she push back a start date and avoid getting a paycheck by extending the interviewing process?

She should not start training with A until she knows what will happen with B, even if that means calling A and moving her start date back. To me, taking A's time and money to train "just in case" B does not pan out is dishonest.

She does not owe Company A any "loyalty" at this point. She accepted the terms they offered to her, but that doesn't mean she's locked in (unless her contract specifies it) for a certain period of time.

If Company B is a better fit for her long term and if they offer her the position, then she gives her notice and leaves.

I like the idea of the mama who said to call Company A and push back the start date because some BIG project on her jbo still needs her input. This willlook like she is a BIG WIG and a valued employee.

Then she can have a mini vacation until she knows which job she has.

This is so typical. Its either NO job or SEVERAL job offers!

A contractor was at our company for 5 years. Was hired on in Sept as a regular employee. In November, she received a call from a company 10 mins from her home. She interviewed and was offered the job. She took it. You can't beat a 10 min commute!

Yes my company was disappointed, but they could see the benefits to her and wished her well.

If she hasn't started at Company A, she should push back her start date, and mention that she had a 2nd option that she was waiting on.

ideally she pushes back her start date with A, and lets B know that she has other offers and needs to consider all before making a decision, to make sure they don't drag their feet.
we have created an ugly atmosphere in this country vis a vis the workplace. loyalty used to be a factor on both labor and management's sides, but that's no longer the case. and until and unless we collectively decide to make honor a factor in the employment arena, we have to recognize the way the game is played. that doesn't mean behaving dishonorably, but it does mean looking out for oneself. the bottom line is that your sister needs to take the best job offered, period. but she can take reasonable steps to prevent any of the companies she is considering from actually getting screwed over.
khairete
S.

People do it all the time. It happens.