HR: We lost another senior employee today. CEO: What happened? HR: He resigned after receiving an external offer. CEO: That makes no sense. We could have matched it. HR: That is the issue. We were willing to pay a stranger 70% more for the same role, but would not give our existing employee even a 20% raise. CEO: External hiring is different. That is market pricing. HR: He noticed that too. CEO: We appreciated his loyalty. He had been here for years. HR: Yes. And during those years, he consistently exceeded expectations while being told to “wait for the next review cycle.” CEO: But budgets are complicated for internal employees. HR: Apparently not for external candidates. The new hire budget was approved in three days. His raise request sat for eight months. CEO: We had to stay competitive in the hiring market. HR: He was part of that same market. The only difference is that another company valued him before we did. CEO: So he left over salary? HR: Not just salary. He left because he realized loyalty was being rewarded less than leaving. CEO: That is unfortunate. HR: Yes. Companies will sometimes trust a candidate after a 45-minute interview more than an employee who already proved themselves for five years. CEO: So what are you saying? HR: If companies only recognize employee value after a resignation letter appears, then eventually employees will stop waiting to be appreciated internally. Sometimes the fastest way for an employee to get market value is to stop being your employee.