[JohnFen]

> You admit to intentionallu underpaying your employees

Not at all. I've never intentionally underpaid anyone.

> then insinuate moral failing on their part for proving their worth

Also not at all. Presenting an offer letter from someone is not "proving their worth". My objection is the manipulation they're engaging in rather than just asking for what they think they should be getting.

> and left you poorer for it.

Only one of them left, and I was not left poorer for it at all.

I'm not sure why you seem so hostile here. I never dealt with anyone in bad faith, even a little.

[anthony_d]

I think I see your point but it definitely feels shady to me.

First, personally I’ve never asked my employer to match an offer. I just leave.

I do think the thought process makes some sense though.

If I feel I’m underpaid I’m going to look around to confirm before talking to anyone.

If I get confirmation I’m being underpaid then I’m going to wonder why. Here’s where I have a choice… I either assume it’s because you’re intentionally underpaying because you think you can, or it’s because you don’t understand what you’re doing.

I know companies understand compensation because I’ve worked in management and on compensation planning software, that’s why I don’t talk about it.

More naive people might give you the benefit of the doubt, i.e. think you just don’t know what’s fair. Those people give you a chance to fix it, and only then learn that you’re intentionally underpaying them.

It does speak badly of the person but only in the sense that they’re naive and think you “mean well” in some sense.

[JohnFen]

> I either assume it’s because you’re intentionally underpaying because you think you can, or it’s because you don’t understand what you’re doing.

There are other explanations as well: for instance, just because an employee is worth a given rate to one company in no way means that the same employee is worth the same amount in another company.