Low ball offers- Been looking for work since I was laid off and turned down 3 job offers because of the pay.

19 Comments

1. AnonymousApril 5,2023 at 2:10PM UTC

   It depends on how long you can wait for another offer and how many you have had. I would counter with something more in the middle of the range, as they may just be taking advantage of you being out of work. If the position they offer you is a senior-level position and the offer is in line with the title at similar companies in your area, I would take it, as it gives you room to grow. If it is significantly below what your budget will allow and you can't see yourself surviving on it, the pass. Especially if you have savings and unemployment to last you until the next offer comes, the advantage of being in the lower part of the salary range is that it moves you down in priority if the new company is faced with laying people off. They start with those that are at the top of the salary ranges.

2. Diane Frances Lesley-NeumanApril 5,2023 at 2:36PM UTC

   Be careful. Judiciously and carefully try to bring it up

3. AnonymousApril 5,2023 at 2:47PM UTC

   IMO I think wages will be leveling out as we get farther away from the pandemic and The Great Resignation. You may need to realign expectations. The desperate hire is not common now and being able to be fair and consistent to provide an offer that lines up with current team and experience is on the comeback. Companies continue to reassess hierarchies and adjust responding to the current business needs and trends. In saying that, when you're not working there's no paycheck already. You know your value. Hold out or start a new, that's something you will need to decide what will work for you and yours. Good luck.

4. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 6,2023 at 2:07AM UTC

   For the most part, offers never come in at the top of the salary range. That salary range is for the position - it's not a STARTING salary range. If they make an offer at the top of the range, what are they going to do when it comes time to give a raise?

   Typically, offers are targeted toward the mid-point of the range for experienced candidates.

   I always bring up comp on my first call with candidates. If they don't bring it up, I highly recommend candidates bring it up. Unless you're ok with companies wasting your time.

5. AnonymousApril 6,2023 at 1:42PM UTC

   First question I would ask myself - do I need the income? I am in the same boat - it's been 8 months of looking after lay-off. I have to tweak, retune, change strategies, etc to get (FINALLY) some interest and I'm an EA to CEO with a CAPM and an MBA. Unemployment ran out about 4 months ago, severance is burned through, savings was being impacted. As long as you keep on looking for that role you really want, what is the harm in taking a lower paid position to keep the rent/mtg paid. There is no shame in working to pay bills. I've take a role as a contractor in a large org, answering to a manager right now. I have income, I'm not stressed about my savings being drained, I can - little by little - recover my credit rating (used some plastic to stay afloat too). All the while, I'm looking for that role that I am fully qualified and challenged by. If you need the income now, and it's going to pay bills for awhile - then do you best negotiation and take the paycheck. It's going to relieve some stress on your end and i think we are all better candidates at interviews when we are employed.

6. AnonymousApril 7,2023 at 12:37PM UTC

   i agree - this all depends on her money situation . if one needs money asap to live and pay bills - nothing wrong with accepting lower pay. You will atleast have some money coming in and that is sure in the heck better than having no money. This will also allow you to continue applying and continue your job search without so much pressure. You may also find you like this lower paying job and be able to work your way up and get a raise. it can go both ways . best of lucj

7. Jenniffer E.April 7,2023 at 1:42PM UTC

   Clear and sound advice!

8. Terrie McWhorterApril 6,2023 at 2:29PM UTC

   Know your worth!!! Never lower your standards.

9. AnonymousApril 6,2023 at 5:03PM UTC

   Do you bear some responsibility for not asking what the salary range was before getting to the end? I would also suggest that until pay transparency is nationwide (assuming you are in the US) it is not likely to be offered up unless they choose to share or you do ask. Generally when a company adds a new role, or replaces an employee that left or creates a new position they look at a few things. Where does it fit in their hierarchy and what are the upper and lower resources that touch it. Then if the company is big enough it gets sent to finance to look at where and how and when it hits the budget. If the role is revenue producing it will also require an upside - bonus, commission etc. If it is a cost center role- you drain off their savings vs bringing in cash- they come up with a fair market estimate against other similar funded and sized companies as well. Often they are dealing with things like internal compression which means that the level above needs some $ space to be able to grow or they make more than that level you are being considered for but not by much. All of these factors in a well run company are how they set total compensation. In this market of layoffs my suggestion would be to decide what your personal minimum threshold is and be able to live within a 10% variance of that. You are in a very competitive market right now and to be lucky enough to have had 3 offers is big. If you can afford to wait until the right exact money that you want the time spent out of work may make the difference moot. Good luck in your search and I don't suggest lowering your standard but reel in your expectations against what the company can and is willing to offer. If the role you describe is below your skill level prove to them why you should be at the top in yout interviews and then at the very least if they cannot meet you somewhere - perhaps in the middle- think about asking for an interim review- definitely find out when those happen so that you can be well informed.

10. AnonymousApril 6,2023 at 5:26PM UTC

    I’d probably take the salary offered but try to negotiate a hiring bonus (tax deductible for them ?) or extra vacation.

11. Vivian LeeApril 7,2023 at 4:56PM UTC

    Yes. Also inquire about a salary review at the end of probation.

    Sometimes companies did not properly budget for the position yet will compensate in other ways (ie. profit sharing, full benefits, matching investment contributions, generous year end gifts).

12. AnonymousApril 6,2023 at 10:37PM UTC

    You must ask for the range upfront if they haven't stated it.

13. AnonymousApril 7,2023 at 2:29PM UTC

    I totally agree, I have asked this question in several interviews, when they ask what is your salary expectation? My response, “can I ask what the salary range is for this position” and 9 out of 10 times they have given me the range.

14. KellyW43April 7,2023 at 2:05PM UTC

    Have you tried to negotiate the pay? We as women have to ask for what we want.

15. AnonymousApril 8,2023 at 11:57AM UTC

    Agreed!

16. Jennifer AndersonApril 7,2023 at 3:14PM UTC

    I work at the high end of my range and one of the ways I have addressed this is to us some variation of this towards the end of the first serious conversation I have with the organization:

    As someone who is extremely experienced in this field, I would like to ensure you are not wasting your time speaking to me because I won't move jobs unless the salary and benefits are at least 3 percent higher than I make right now. Can you advise the salary range?

    They usually answer or ask what that means to me. If they answer then I reply with an appropriate answer. I can work with that, that's unfortunately not something I would be interested in, or I can work with that as long as any offers are at the high end of that range.

    If they ask me what I would take then I explain that benefits are important to me but the overall compensation package must be at least $ and that number is always 6-10% greater than what I make now in a good market and 3% in a bad market.

    I use total compensation because my current employer pays a lot more than average in retirement matching and most don't do that so I include that amount. If a new company paid more in salary but less in matching, I need to make that money up by investing now.

17. ANNA SENApril 7,2023 at 4:36PM UTC

    I recently accepted a job even though the salary was WAY lower than it should have been (about 1/3 of the going rate), and then thought again about it, and tried to renegotiate. They initially said they would try to get it approved but then went quiet and eventually emailed me to say that as I wasn’t happy with the salary they were withdrawing their offer. I felt snubbed, but equally felt proud of myself for standing my ground. I’m now working in healthcare which is very badly paid for the responsibility, but at least it was transparent from the start and not trying to hire for way below the going rate for the role and for myself ( very experienced)

18. AnonymousApril 7,2023 at 5:10PM UTC

    I don't know if this is strange, but these times all seem so familiar. I remember some time, long ago, I was looking for a job and the market, not the pay, was hot. As you, I was determined not to take lower pay. I finally just said screw it, I might like the company, so let me take a job while still looking. I did so. I landed the job so easily with a well known company and they offered more pay than others. I must say, I really liked the job and had a lot of freedom starting out. They had unlimited overtime, I took advantage of that. They had great benefits, took advantage. 3 months in, all of a sudden higher salaried people that had been there for years starting getting fired left and right. More new people came in. Only a few people talked about pay. I had gotten lucky enough to get in at higher pay. 5 months, more people getting fired, new people kept coming. Rules got tighter and bosses were maniacs now. Bonuses, which I forgot to mention, were harder to obtain. 7 months in, more new people, even lower pay, overtime cut to 10 hours with permission. Everybody was under a microscope and easily fired. 2 months later, I ended up getting fired. 2 months after that, the whole department got sold off and everybody who survived the craziness, had to move to another location further out. Their top pay was $15/hr. with everybody either taking a severance, pay cut, or leaving. Guess who stayed, all the new hires. Guess who took that severance, all the employees who has been there 10+ years. Employees of 5 years or less, some opted for a pay cut. By that time, everybody was looking for a job and the market was bad with pay even lower. Then the economy crashed.

    I said that to say, do what you can for the moment because, to me, it feels how it felt back then, because of how it's moving, almost as if we are tipping the edge of a crash. Try not to get caught up in that above, because it seems to be changing back to employers being on top, after employees severely abused the demand for higher pay. At the same time though, employers abused employees for so long, giving them mediocre pay. So....?

    I'd say, take the lower pay, but keep looking, because what if you like the job, the people, the environment, the benefits, etc.? You'll probably survive the crash that's coming and others with higher pay will be scrambling for anything to come in once they lose that high demanded pay or else job. You don't want that! And it's crazy, but a job is not about pay and I wish people would stop thinking and moving like that. That's not the purpose of working. Aren't we supposed to love the work we do to feel mentally better? I guess mental health really not a top priority...?! That's another story. Good luck though....

19. AnonymousApril 10,2023 at 3:46AM UTC

    Wow, thank you for this perspective.