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Ask HN: Tell manager I'm planning to move on?

3 points by endemic ↗ HN
Background: was wooed into a new development position with the promise of a variety of greenfield projects. Reality was managing a dumpster fire of a project the previous dev left, then twiddling my thumbs for a few months. I literally have had nothing to do. I've decided that I'm going to seek employment elsewhere, but my question is, should I tell my manager? We were coworkers at a previous job, and that relationship (in part) helped me land my current role. I've already talked to him about my lack of tasks, so me leaving wouldn't be coming out of left field.

2 comments

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byoung2
Wait until you have a job offer and then give 2 weeks.
mindcrime
The thing is, most of us want to do "the right thing" and be considerate and helpful, etc. As such, it seems like giving your current manager an advance "heads up" would be the moral thing to do. But... the reality is, you never know how that is going to be received. It may be appreciated and you may continue to work normally until you find something new. But there is always the risk that your current employer will choose - either out of a sense of retaliation, for for some other reason - to terminate you immediately if you declare "I'm planning to move on."

So you have to weigh the risks, relative to your situation. Would you be fucked if you were let go immediately? Then definitely don't say anything. Do you have a year of living expenses saved up, and you live in your car with almost no bills at all? Then it probably doesn't matter. Reality is probably somewhere in between, so you'll have to evaluate your own circumstances.

Beyond that, remember that business is business, and (almost) everybody involved understands that. If you leave, their may be some bruised feelings, but your current employer should understand your need to do what's right for yourself. If they don't, well, that just illustrates even more so that leaving is the right decision. But as long as you give sufficient notice (two weeks is kinda considered "standard" but you might want to do more depending on the situation) and are respectful and professional in how you conduct things, there's no reason for any acrimony or bad blood as a result of your leaving.