-
Protip: Profile posts are public! Use Conversations to message other members privately. Everyone can see the content of a profile post.
Negotiating a salary when offered job
- Thread starter robr
- Start date
I've been working full time since January, this is a just a job change.
Yup
Thats standard operating procedure for HR, they want a number.
I highball them EVERYTIME (and be very obvious about it) since I haven't talked to the actual decision-maker, cuz I really don't give a shit about the HR person or their need for information, its simply irrelevant at the start of the conversation and they are the enemy. It is their goal to get your time for as cheap as possible with as little negotiation as possible. It is your goal to put as much money in your bank account as possible.
If you doubt that... go start a business.
I've hung up on so many recruiters over the past 20 years that I've lost count. The ones that are actually doing any real work, will call back.
I beat as rapid path as possible to the decision maker and ensure that they REALLY want my services and I REALLY want to do work for them. If that decision maker has the budget, and ONLY then, do I discuss compensation directly with the decision maker.
HR does paper work only... I NEVER negotiate with HR, EVER.
The negotiation rule is simple: no ask, no get... and you only get one chance to negotiate a starting salary, perks, benefits. Ask for anything you want.
"I want a pony"... and if the company wants you bad enough, you get a pony
-congrats on the gig-
I like that attitude 
. Though I found that if you do give HR a number and it's too high, you don't make it past them. It's best to avoid giving a number if possible, but trying the usual "it's not about the money, it's about ....." didn't work for me. They wanted a number in round 1 before deciding if there would be a round 2.
. Though I found that if you do give HR a number and it's too high, you don't make it past them. It's best to avoid giving a number if possible, but trying the usual "it's not about the money, it's about ....." didn't work for me. They wanted a number in round 1 before deciding if there would be a round 2.
- Joined
- 28 May 2008
- Messages
- 2,500
I like that attitude
I'm a decision maker and I will confirm that not one resume will make it to me without going through a pre-screen from one of the recruiters. I'm not going to waste my time looking at a resume and talking to someone who is 20K+ over the budget for the position. Likewise, if the position is $120-130k and you're asking for $160k, but then turn around and say you're willing to take $130k, that makes me uncomfortable as I know you're probably not going to stay long and will continue to casually look for another position that is more financially fit for you.
I've looked for a job to, plenty of times and I know how hard it is to say the amount you're looking for. Reference the early posts that I said in this same thread on tips on how to handle this and know what to ask for, and you will be better prepared. Unfortunately, you won't reach a decision-maker without us atleast knowing if we're even in the same ballpark. Atleast, not in my industry. (Government Contracting)
I'm also a decision maker on direct hires.
Resumes are reviewed by an initial screener and then I see the vetted list and select the one's that are relevant to the open position, then next steps.
We have a working agreement with HR to present the true salary range and benefits package up front to the candidate first and then ask the candidate if they want to proceed in the interview process. Sure, we get some dreamers with puffed up resumes, they simply don't survive the first-round interview.
My point about high-balling a recruiter when they flat out ask for your rate/salary range is to get them to reveal the undisclosed salary range without revealing your position. Its really quite simple. Show me the money and get out of my way so that I can meet with the key decision maker and confirm that salary range.
This is why I think it's important to know a ballpark of what the position typically pays in your area. You can start with the high end of that spectrum and then negotiate options if you're asking price is higher than they are willing to pay.
For me, I'll work for peanuts if I get a nice benefits package including paid vacations, medical/dental for my family, and overtime compensation. Those are my bare minimums, but I'm willing to trade a lot of monetary compensation in order to have the peace of mind when it comes to non-work related issues.
I completely agree. I spent too many years working practically 24/7 when I was involved with a start up and missed too much of my kids' life. Even vacations were often spent in the hotel room while the rest of the family was at the pool or beach. This time around I negotiated working early hours 2 days a week so my son and I can get to the BJJ classes we just started taking together and working Fridays from home. Plus a few more bucks. I make a LOT less than I did 3 years ago, but I see a lot more of my family. However I won't work for peanuts, nor should you
.
YES! And America should switch to compressed work schedules, too! 4/10s or 3/12s. It's good all the way around: you still get 40 hours of productivity per week per employee; less expensive weekly commutes; longer weekends etc.
When I was young, I worked three 12's for three weeks followed by four 12's for one week when I worked in the data center at a bank. Granted I usually spent day 4 sleeping much of it away catching up on lost sleep, but for the most part it was great... unless you got stuck with the Fri - Sun shift. Cause they only rotated shifts every 6 months. Whoever ended up with the crap shift in the summer usually didn't stick around long.
There's a big problem with it. In a lot of places people work 10's or 12s anyway, except they do 5 of them. If you said 4 10s, then people would probably work 4 10s(and stop at hour 10 because they're tired) and then take off the 5th day. Can't have that. No enough free labor for our owners.
IMO, America shouldn't be in last places for work/life balance. We should be the most efficient. We shouldn't be the country using the most dumb raw time at the sacrifice of our lives.
My vote is for 35 hour weeks like Germany. Surely Americans are as efficient as Germans? Maybe German owners aren't as greedy?
Plus it's standard in Germany to get 6 weeks of vacation and they have 14 public holidays as well! Works for me
Plus it's standard in Germany to get 6 weeks of vacation and they have 14 public holidays as well! Works for me
Plus if everyone only worked 35 hours, unemployment would HAVE to come down.
Less money for the rich, but more jobs for the people...
Not so sure it would equate to less money for the rich, since more people would have money to spend (since more people would be employed).
This all assumes, of course, that you get paid the same for 35 hours as you do for the 40 currently being worked.
Someone high up should propose this idea. We want to fix unemployment, lets lower the national work hours and get some more people hired....
Dude. I'm stomping in to HR in the morning and demanding a pony.
Since Rob landed the job,congrats btw, this thread can now resume it's typical course of dismay.
If one of my employees asked for a Pony I'd give them a Donkey just for asking.
I have a situation here, a good one. My boss is asking to offer me a raise and provide a company car/gas which I can pick as long as it is a Ford,lol Nice!
I don't know if I should ask this here but my background is Civil Engineer working for a small contractor. I don't know how much to ask? May I ask some Engineers who here are in the construction industry? My dilemma is that I only have 3 years of exp, I am 25 but I am/will be doing what a Project Engineer do which usually has 7-8 exp. Should I ask for a project Engineer salary or ask for according to my experience? I just don't want to ask too much nor ask too little for what I will be doing. Thanks
I don't know if I should ask this here but my background is Civil Engineer working for a small contractor. I don't know how much to ask? May I ask some Engineers who here are in the construction industry? My dilemma is that I only have 3 years of exp, I am 25 but I am/will be doing what a Project Engineer do which usually has 7-8 exp. Should I ask for a project Engineer salary or ask for according to my experience? I just don't want to ask too much nor ask too little for what I will be doing. Thanks
Not a bad place to be, but in my experience, once you walk in the door, raises in the future are only dependent on your current salary, ie you'll never see a giant jump even if you are way underpaid for your industry, so you have to negotiate the best you can that first time. Sometimes at a big company there may be an automatic raise if you get your MBA or a certification that's relevant to your job as well.
Only time I've seen a big jump is if someone leaves the company and is then rehired (sometimes as a contractor the following week!!)
Only time I've seen a big jump is if someone leaves the company and is then rehired (sometimes as a contractor the following week!!)
as noted, doc, congrats to rob on the new gig!If one of my employees asked for a Pony I'd give them a Donkey just for asking.
i never asked for a pony but i did ask for brown m&m's (a la rider terms for a band i was interested in playing at our home party.) i got the m&m's and when the sold the company via m&a exit a year later, i got a bit more.
sometimes things work out
Hey man congrats! I know you've been through some tough times and I'm glad to see you land on your feet.
The only criticism I can possibly give is that if you got everything you asked for, then you didn't ask for nearly enough! :biggrin::smile:
The only criticism I can possibly give is that if you got everything you asked for, then you didn't ask for nearly enough! :biggrin::smile:
I had the same thought, but I didn't want to ask for a pony
Who doesn't want a little bit more horsepower ? :wink:
End of year bonuses are a big thing to think about when shopping for a new job too. Where I work, it's about a paycheck give or take. I know a few people who's xmas bonus for the average manager at their work is usually around $18-25k. That changes things....
never heard of a bonus like that in tech. only in sales and exec positions. biggest bonus i think ive ever seen in tech was $1-2k, usually i'm lucky to see a few hundred bucks.
