A professional working as a product marketing manager recently shared an unusual experience of being offered a substantial salary increase only a few days before his scheduled departure from the company. Posting on the Indian Workplace subreddit, he explained that he had submitted his resignation 49 days earlier and had just 11 days remaining before his final day when his reporting manager approached him with a retention proposal.Providing background about his career progression, he said he had started as an intern before steadily climbing the ranks to become a Growth Marketing Executive and later a Product Marketing Specialist. During his tenure in the current role, he claimed to have played a key role in accelerating the company's recurring annual revenue from approximately ₹1 crore to ₹4.5 crore within a single year, a result he believed reflected the impact of his work.Discussing his compensation, he revealed that his monthly take-home salary stood at around ₹3.85 lakh, while his overall annual cost-to-company package was ₹5 lakh. According to him, his manager had recently indicated that the organisation was prepared to offer a 60 percent salary increase in an effort to retain him. However, he felt that such an increment still fell short of what he deserved. Given the scale of his contribution to revenue growth, he believed his performance justified a pay raise closer to 100 percent.He further mentioned that the company intended to significantly broaden the responsibilities attached to his position. In his opinion, whoever eventually stepped into the role after his departure would likely be expected to manage a much larger scope of work than he had originally handled.Reacting to his post, one Reddit user advised him against changing his decision, suggesting that once an employee has formally resigned, it is generally wiser to move forward rather than stay back.Responding to the advice, the product manager admitted that his resignation had been driven largely by emotion. He explained that he had quit in frustration after a disagreement with a colleague and had done so without first informing his manager. The incident occurred roughly three weeks before the company's annual appraisal cycle, when employee performance ratings were being finalised.He added that his manager later informed him that discussions had already taken place with the human resources department regarding a salary revision because it was widely acknowledged that he was being paid far below what his performance warranted. He also admitted that he had repeatedly voiced his dissatisfaction over his compensation, consistently arguing that the remuneration he received was nowhere near proportional to the value he was generating for the business. As a result, he found himself torn between accepting the improved financial offer or proceeding with his decision to leave the organisation.Another Reddit participant strongly discouraged him from accepting the counteroffer, arguing that companies often make last-minute retention offers only because they have not yet secured a suitable replacement. The commenter cautioned that once the employee agreed to remain, the organisation could gradually transfer responsibilities, eliminate operational dependencies, and eventually terminate his employment after finding someone else to fill the position.
Man receives 60% salary hike days before he exits the company, is not happy: 'In my mind...'
A product marketing manager's resignation took an unexpected turn when his company offered a significant salary hike just days before his departure. Despite a 60% increase, he felt it didn't reflect his substantial revenue contributions. The offer came after he'd resigned in frustration, but discussions about his underpayment were already underway. Online advice cautioned against accepting, citing potential future job insecurity.
A product marketing manager received a 60% raise offer 11 days before exit, after scaling recurring revenue 4.5x (₹1 crore → ₹4.5 crore). Last-minute counteroffers signal late talent valuation; compensation gaps remain a primary exit driver for senior tech professionals.






