I had an exit interview with a software company like this. The CEO was a marketing guy, and asked me why I was leaving after only a few months. I explained that the salary they paid was pretty low compared to what I could get elsewhere. He agreed and said they considered paying software developers the market rate was too expensive and that they would prefer to have a high turnover of devs rather than pay more. I pointed out that this was a short-sighted policy for a software company to have, and he asked why. I explained that the quality of their product would be lower than if they weren't continually training new staff, and he was surprised that I thought that developers had anything to do with the product. As far as he was concerned, the product was produced by marketing, and the code was unrelated to it.
By far the most bizarre exit interview I'd had, but very genial and good-natured for that.
Out of curiosity, I just checked out how they're going. And yes, they did have >90% of the market, now down to 60% ish and dropping.
It is not just money - it is respect, recognition etc too. And most engineers aren't good in socializing, being "known" etc whereas it is the exact opposite with sales and marketing (of course, there are exceptions - well known engineers with blogs, books, speaking engagements etc). I once worked for a megacorp - my manager was a terrific guy (this megacorp bought a smaller company and he came to megacorp via the acquisition), putting in 10-12 hours regularly, and if it weren't for him, the product wouldn't exist. But there were a couple of marketing guys who were getting paid a lot more than him, doing a lot less.
In every company wide meeting when they would do "recognition" the IT team would come at the end, if at all they remember. And this was a software company :(
Sometimes I think it takes a few months/years of being undervalued before it really sinks in that you're being undervalued. And then even more before you actually do something about it.
I don't know the situation; but it is easier to get a job when you have a job. People love the thrill of the chase and like the fact that you are choosing them over your option. It can also be a factor that, if you are jobless, people wonder why and that can work against you.
So, depending on the situation, a job with low pay may be better than no job at all.
Maybe, but then you need to make sure you're actually working on improving your situation: if you're in a crappy job, you should be quietly applying for other jobs.
By far the most bizarre exit interview I'd had, but very genial and good-natured for that.
Out of curiosity, I just checked out how they're going. And yes, they did have >90% of the market, now down to 60% ish and dropping.