I've jumped to a greener pasture a couple times. I always gave plenty of signals but I never made threats about leaving. He's right, by the time I've made the decision to look elsewhere and found another job, there isn't much that can be done to reverse that course of action.
Also, if you don't pay severance or have me on contract, you aren't likely to get much notice.
When I first started working in the industry nearly 20 years ago, severance and notice were frequently outlined in the contract. Generally it was the 2 weeks that is "professional".
When it is mentioned at all, the only thing I ever see mentioned now is notice. So much for professional.
Agreed. When I left my old job, even a 20% raise would have been significantly smaller than I moved onto. In order to even match it, it would have to have been about double that. As it is, even just a raise won't change things much, as there are almost always other reasons someone wants to leave too - it could be that the work was unfulfilling, there was no room to grow, the company had no direction, management was clueless, the internal politics were toxic, insufficient recognition for work, etc. Those issues don't go away with a raise, that just convinces people to tolerate them for a while longer.
Also, if you don't pay severance or have me on contract, you aren't likely to get much notice.