“How am i supposed to say this to my boss?”
Right before winter holidays 2020 I gave my 2 months notice that I’m leaving Notino. Why would somebody leave a company where one is happy?
In Notino I have (had? 😢) creative freedom, independence to do the things I consider right, unlimited budgets and space to experiment how I see fit. Top this with a team that doesn’t make you hate mondays and you’d get the happiest place ever to work.
In the past 3 years that I work there, I have probably annoyed everyone I know by bragging how happy I am here. This might not be relevant to some other departments, but in my immediate team I was as happy as an employee possibly gets. That’s why I was also very delighted to bring a friend into our PPC team. Referring friends to work in your company IMHO is more relevant satisfaction metric than surveys happiness %.
Hell, in the first two years whenever a hiring person approached me I always replied “Sorry, I’m happy where I work and don’t plan on switching” and I wasn't lying. However, I was wondering if my skills are still on par with the market.
Now. HR people who might be reading this... I’m sorry but you probably already know this anyway... All the interviews and test tasks I took on were not with a purpose to transition to your company but rather.. to self test and get to know you. I'm lucky that literary every hiring specialist I met in a past year was a lovely human being - a pleasant surprise and a good bonus to consider a company in future.
Is this weird? I don’t know. I know some people who do the same and I perceive it healthy.
Anyway, I did it until the offer went from “well we’re actually looking for someone for another position that you might fit into”. A potential challenge I couldn’t refuse.
How am I supposed to say to my boss and my team that I'm leaving???
I was very uncomfortable with this idea. The two people I discussed this with told me that my coworkers feelings are not my responsibility - it’s my career to think about and the other adequate logical arguments that I already knew that we're all replaceable, that it's just a company and all that, but something was off.
It didn’t hit me for a while that it’s because I’m actually so happy in my current job. Even though I might have outgrown it, I’m enjoying doing it and enjoying my team. It didn’t hit me that it feels uncomfortable because I care so much about the people I’ve worked with. Isn’t this the goal in a way?
Despite what I feel I was sure the team wouldn’t care though.
Not that they are dicks, more the opposite. But my social skills aren't something I'm proud off: I’m never sure if I’m too rude, if my sarcastic joke land etc. Plus I’m don’t really talk too much, don’t participate in outside of work activities and overall would not be described as a people-pleaser.
My way of showing affection is being helpful. You got a problem? I’ll help you solve it. Need advice? Need to find a fuck up? Need to make a script? Need to brainstorm? Etc. I’m your gal!
Sharing interesting information, some know-how, workaround, workshop, lengthy email about solving something - that’s my team-communication love language. But I don’t humor myself with thinking that this is how other people perceive it.
I was delighted to find out this might be enough.
Because of the whole pandemic thing, announcing that I’m leaving happened through online communication. Now I can be happy for it because it directed discussion into chats and I have written words to remind me of people’s reaction.
The day it was communicated to everyone almost every team member wrote me. I’m not gonna lie I was in shock. I expected about two WTF messages and that’s it.
Whenever I’m gonna feel bad about myself and my work I’m gonna read those messages printed out as some people read motivational quotes to jump start Mondays.
The timing was also cute since it was before Catholic Christmas and I felt like a Grinch with his heart growing in sizes.
Will I be as happy in my new job - I have honestly no fucking idea. I hope.
I also hope I can communicated with my new boss by sending memes, cuz weirdly this is a must-have in 2020/21.
However, I’m sure I’ll be happy to take on a new challenge. 🏋️♂️🤘