Should you threaten to quit just for a pay rise?

Q Can threatening resignation help you secure a pay rise, or will it backfire?

- Timothy Goh

A It can help, but only if your employer genuinely believes you are prepared to leave.

If replacing an employee would cost the business more than retaining him or her, employers are likely to find ways to keep the staff, said Ryan Ng, founder and chief executive of career branding consultancy YouDigital.

Still, managers have seen plenty of empty resignation threats, and they can usually tell the difference between someone who is frustrated and someone who is genuinely ready to move on.

“One mistake I see people make is treating resignation as a negotiation tactic instead of a last resort,” said Ng.