Ask the expert: Valued member of staff has resigned

By MARIE WILSON

Q. One of my senior staff has told me that they are resigning to take a post with a lot more money, with our competitor. Should I match the offer to see if I can get them to stay?

A. Generally speaking, no. While money is often mentioned when someone quits, it is often not the real reason for their move.

Claiming a higher salary is one way of communicating that they think they are valued more elsewhere, or it may just be a socially acceptable way of telling you that they are leaving rather than criticising anything about their current workplace - they still might need a letter of reference at some point.

Research suggests that most employees have already made a decision to leave when they give notice, and trying to get them to re-commit to their existing employer doesn't last for very long, not to mention potentially playing havoc with your pay systems - and teaching other employees that the way to get a pay raise is to get an offer from elsewhere. If they are a mission-critical employee and their leaving really could dramatically affect the organisation, you may want to offer a fixed-term bonus to finish existing work before leaving.

Otherwise, agree a notice period that allows you to get another person in, with time for transition and training, and give them an appropriate farewell.

If they have been a good employee, offer a letter of reference and provide an open door for them to return. Exiting employees often find that the competitors' offer is not as good as they think, and an easy re-entry can result in a very committed employee the second time around.

* * *

Q. I am a well qualified and experienced accountant but unable to find a good position in New Zealand. Most of the recruitment consultants advertise that they need a candidate with New Zealand accounting experience. Some of them openly and clearly state that New Zealand accounting experience is non-negotiable.

Would you explain what is the difference between New Zealand accounting and accounting in the rest of the world? The Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand cannot provide an answer to this question.

Are employers using this as an excuse not to employ immigrants? What is stated in the employment legislation regarding this kind of discrimination. What can I do to get employment in New Zealand?

A. The biggest differences between accounting in different countries arise in company law and taxation. While New Zealand is similar to other Commonwealth countries in general practices, there are still legal differences in each jurisdiction.

Accountants who are new to New Zealand would generally apply for provisional status with ICANZ who would advise them on the training required to gain provisional membership. There are some unique differences in accounting practice between New Zealand and other countries, including Australia.

It would seem appropriate to require recognition of your education and experience before employing you, but it's a bit of a catch-22 to require experience if you can't get employed in the first place.

It may require a bit of a "breaking in" period at a lower level to gain an insight into New Zealand practice.

*

Email us a question for Dr Marie Wilson to answer