Hi Reader,
This week, Microsoft made headlines by sending Voluntary Exit Offers to 60,000 employees, roughly 27% of the company across the US, Canada, UK, and India.
We’ve occasionally seen employers offer these packages in recent years, from large companies to even public sector organizations (who remembers when DOGE sent deferred resignation offers to several million federal employees??).
If you do happen to receive one of these, below is a really useful decision-making framework you can use to help you think through your options.
And by the way, this framework can be applied towards essentially any decision you’re facing in your life, no matter how big or small. We (Gerta and Alex) use this all the time, and it’s given us confidence, conviction, and peace of mind in many of our life decisions.
But first: If you got a voluntary exit offer or were impacted by layoffs recently…
We’re hosting a Q&A this Thursday, November 5 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET!
Bring all your questions about negotiating your voluntary exit offer, severance package, job offers, or anything else you’re facing during this period of transition.
Register for the session here: https://luma.com/rdiyq5f8
Run the 10-10-10 test
For the Microsoft employees, the hardest part of this decision is weighing a sure exit now versus a possible layoff later, which includes much more ambiguity over the timing and potentially a weaker package. One powerful tool you can try here is the 10-10-10 decision-making framework created by the author and Harvard Business Review editor, Suzy Welch. This will help you cut through emotional urgency and make choices aligned with your values and long-term life trajectory.
How to use it: simply ask yourself how you'll feel about a choice 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years from now. Try it on three scenarios: 1) you take the offer and leave voluntarily, 2) you decline the offer and keep your job, or 3) you decline the offer and get laid off later.
10 minutes from now (the immediate horizon)
How will you feel about this decision 10 minutes from now?
This question can tell you a lot just from the raw and stress-driven reactions you have. It could show you whether you have any “present biases” by looking at your immediate relief or panic in the moment. Imagine if you accepted the offer - do you feel a huge sense of relief? That may point to the fact that you’re not happy at your job, and staying in the role could just be prolonging dissatisfaction at this stage in your career.
10 months from now (the mid-term horizon)
How will you feel about this decision 10 months from now?
Think through how the reality of your choice will settle into your daily life for the foreseeable future. Let’s say you decline the offer and end up getting laid off anyway next year - do you have the ability to weather any disruptions and uncertainty that will come with transitioning to a new job? Or what if you accept the offer - will you be happy you took the money 10 months from now, even if it meant you had to spend a lot of time and effort getting back into the job search?
There’s a lot more complexity to think about here. For example, do you believe the job market will be better now or whenever you might get laid off or you decide to leave? This is why this is a very personal decision - it incorporates your values, your views about the future, and your current and future personal finance.
10 years from now (the long-term horizon)
How will you feel about this decision 10 years from now?
Imagine you’re looking back on this moment a decade from now after accepting the offer. Will you be glad that you left the company on your own terms? Perhaps this was the moment you reevaluated your career and finally pursued the thing you’ve been dreaming about but never had a catalyst to kickstart you in that direction, whether starting your own business, transitioning to a new industry, or just starting fresh with a new challenge at a new company.
When thinking through this framework, find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed for at least 30 minutes, close your eyes, and actually imagine yourself 10 min/months/years from now from each decision point.
What does your life look like at each of those points? Are you happy? Are you carrying regret, relief, something else? If you feel regret, did your backup options make up for it enough that the choice still feels net positive?
If you didn't get the Voluntary Exit Offer, you should still stay prepared for anything to happen
Microsoft has already had several rounds of cuts this year and hasn't explicitly ruled out more. You want to “dig the well before you’re thirsty”, so make sure you’re documenting your accomplishments so that updating your resume is easy, and perhaps even take that exploratory call from that recruiter who slid into your DMs on LinkedIn.
We always recommend keeping a pulse on what opportunities are available in the current market and understanding your market value. That knowledge will come in handy when you’re up for promotion, want to ask for a raise, or finally do jump back into the job market for your next role!
Warmly,
Gerta & Alex
Founders, YourNegotiations.com
P.S. Are you job searching or have upcoming negotiations?
If you have an offer coming or are mid-process, we’re always happy to help you think through how to approach it. Book a free call here: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call
P.P.S. Know someone interested in negotiations?
Send them our way and we’ll thank you with $250 for each person who becomes a client. No cap.
A quick intro or an email to alex@yournegotiations.com works.