I received a job offer with a salary of $80k.
The company has been very up front with salary, they let me know the job would pay in the "high 70s" when they first contacted me. So the $80k offer was nice to hear. However, where I live and work, this salary is still on the low side.
From the beginning, I knew I would probably need to negotiate if I received an offer, but because they have been so up-front, I am feeling hesitant. But I know I should be paid at least 8k more.
I have read that companies always offer lower than they can actually pay, and expect candidates to negotiate. In general, is this true? And since 8k is 10%, I dont feel like it is too much to ask for- but maybe I am wrong? Anyone have negotiating tips/perspectives to share with me? Any help will be much appreciated! TIA
From my perspective, be glad you were offered something. I'm in the position that due to the only job offers I had, it ruined my health to the point now, even small jobs are exhausting, and, I can either not work (in which case I'll eventually be homeless) or try to take a job that still won't pay my bills (and still end up eventually homeless) and hope that I can at least have SOME income.
I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. I am praying that you can find relief soon. Is it possible for you to apply for disability due to your health issues?
You said high $70s. They came with lower$80s. You stated you were pleasantly surprised.
Be done. Prove your woth THEN negotiate
OP here, thanks everyone for your insights! You have all been very helpful. My follow up: I negotiated for the higher pay, they agreed to bump it up- half when I start, half when I get my first performance review in January.
Awesome news! Thanks for the update. I'm so happy for you.
I agree always negotiate! I've rewd countless articles about women feeling guilty or being scared of negotiating on their salaries. If you feel a bit intimated ask a friend to help you word your email to the organisation. I have been in your position and I regretted not negotiating yet i helped a friend negotiate a 35% increase on his salary. Persevere and push through the doubt you owe it to yourself and the organisation to negotiate the best package for yourself which will help you feel adequately rewarded and increase your commitment and motivation towards being a productive and engaged employee and when the going gets tough and you have to put in a little more hours and more work you wont feel resentful about your salary. Also many hiring managers report being disapponted when new hires dont negotiate a better package. Believe in yourself and back yourself you dont have to earn the market avg you could earn even more.
Always negotiate!! Something that has worked super well for my clients is along the lines of "Sally, I am excited about this role and think we are going to be a great fit for each other. If you can get my salary to be $88K, then I will accept immediately." Then you stop talking. Seriously. If you have to have a drink of water in front of you to take a sip, do it. Wait for Sally to reply. They might have to go back to HR or they might be able to say yes immediately. My experience tells me that when a hiring manager sees a person in the role as a good fit, they can find a bit more money. Also, I would probably ask for $92K or $94, that way they could come back with half of that. Either way, do not feel bad or guilty for negotiating!! The research tells us as women that we must do it!! Keep us posted!
Since they were upfront about the base, it might be difficult to negotiate much on that (although I'm not suggesting you don't try). However, there are lots of other things you may want to negotiate, and you can use market data to support the request (assuming you have some data to support that you should be paid 10% more). Extra vacation time, stock options, enhanced bonus structure, signing bonus, etc. Good luck!
I would begin with some research in your area for similar positions. Collect market data for salaries and form a range. Go back to the company with a range that you have put together and let them know based on your experience, education and skillset you would consider $92K and this will allow them some wiggle room and you knowing you will settle for $88K.
Stay clear about what you bring to the table and what your research tells you the market range proves out.
When you were told the salary was in the high 70s - if that was not an agreeable salary for you, why did you move ahead?
Personally, I have a conversation about comp up front - which it sounds like you had with your recruiter. I try to get my candidates as much as I possibly can but if my comp is high 70s, low 80s and a candidate came back after knowing that and wanted 88k, I would not be a happy camper. My first question would be why would you have moved forward in the process?
And no, not all companies low ball their candidate offers.
Again, this is just me personally - I like when the best offer is presented up front - and I tell candidates that that is the best offer I can get them. Some companies do low ball, many don't.
While Joan I see that you are seeing it from your perspective which truly is all any of us do. In reading the responses from the original poster, it sounds like the job description and responsibilities were vague, and if they are ten percent below the average, not the top, the average in that area, then yes I think it is safe to infer that this company was attempting to low ball both with their initial salary range to reduce expectations, as well as, with the offer when they found the candidate that fit their needs. While I’m sure you would be an unhappy camper as it would make you look bad to your client, the applicant is not beholden to you as you don’t work for them. You work for the company and I think most savvy professionals are fully aware of that dynamic just as the sellers realtor may indeed help the buyer but they are beholden to do what’s best for the seller.
Moved ahead because I had not yet interviewed for the position, so not able to determine if the salary was very far off. Needed to see the whole package, which I did not receive until I got the offer. I'm not stuck on the $88k number, just looking to move the salary up based on all the other information I now have.
With the companies I work for, you interviewing has nothing to do with the salary bands I have to work with.
If I could have $88k as a target salary, I would have told you that from the start.
Thanks for your insight. It's not clear to me that the HR people I am talking with have given me their best offer
My sister actually just went through this type of negotiation . They offered $80k but she was able to negotiate $5k additional PLUS a $5k sign on bonus (the sign on bonus was the suggestion of the Head of HR who was her mentor at a prior company ) . So you do have room to continue your negotiations based on competitors , industry ,education ,etc. Just know what your bottom line is . Good luck
Yes but did she do that after having already previously agreed to a specific target salary?
Taking the interview and exploring the potential for the job is not a tacit agreement to stay within a specific target salary. When a company gives a target salary, they are putting forward what they want from their perspective. Gone are the days when employees and perspective employees have to just take what’s offered regardless of what the company said up front. I have seen job postings and discussed job openings with people that were 20-30 thousand a year below what they finally ended up offering. The beginning of interviews is the beginning of a long negotiation. Agreeing to interview is not, and has never been, an agreement to a specific target salary. Again, appreciate that makes your side of the process more difficult but that’s where it’s at right now. The power balance has shifted or to put it in corporate parlance “right-sized”.
YOU SAID:
"Taking the interview and exploring the potential for the job is not a tacit agreement to stay within a specific target salary. "
The potential employee is under no obligation to stay within a specific target salary but I am.
I have very narrow salary bands that I need to work with and no wiggle room. My salary band is what it is. If I could give the candidate more, I would say so from the get-go. There would be no need to negotiate.
I moved that candidate forward in the process specifically because they met the minimum requirements and that they say they were ok with the target salary. If they were not ok with the target salary, I would not have moved them forward because I cannot pay them more. If they lie to me, and say they're ok with the target salary when they're not, they will waste their time, my time, the hiring managers time and will be sorely disappointed when they realize they will never, ever be getting an offer that I told them up front was not possible.
No she had not signed any paperwork as yet . It was just a suggestion but thank you for your expert response .
User deleted comment on 09/01/21 at 12:40PM UTC