Salary Negotiation
Salary Negotiation
(OP)
Received an offer from a company of about 8% below what I'm making now along with a 5% cut in 401k matching, higher medical and dental expenses and 10 less days a year in vacation.
Is there any hope to negotiating this? I would need to increase their initial salary offer by about 39% to justify switching jobs because I'm anticipating a promotion next year.
Is there any hope to negotiating this? I would need to increase their initial salary offer by about 39% to justify switching jobs because I'm anticipating a promotion next year.





RE: Salary Negotiation
Once
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Salary Negotiation
TTFN
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RE: Salary Negotiation
RE: Salary Negotiation
I don't think that you can negotiate increase of 40% from their initial offer, unless they are really desperate for you and. If that's the case, they might even give you this increase but you will paying it for the coming years, with lower salary increases and such.
In my salary negotiations I managed to have increases of 8% from employers'initial offer, but they already started from a close number of my idea.
RE: Salary Negotiation
Never disclose your salary. Just leave it blank on the application.
Negotiation is all about information. The guy with the most information is likely to end up the winner. You've already given most of yours away. At this point I'd just tell them the salary number and vacation that you want and that it's not negotiable. You probably won't get it, but then you probably weren't going to get it anyway.
-b
RE: Salary Negotiation
RE: Salary Negotiation
Try writing a transcript of the interview(s). Reading it may help you figure out what happened.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Salary Negotiation
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
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RE: Salary Negotiation
If you must put something down then inflate your current salary so that the new company will at least match your 'salary' and hence you'll get a raise. If the company you've applied to are offering you less then I wouldn't even bother replying. If they do eventually match your current salary then odds on they'll claw the money back in the future if you join them.
corus
RE: Salary Negotiation
RE: Salary Negotiation
You mentioned that you put your salary on the application but you are then making the assumption that someone actually read your application. Most of the time applications are just a formality. Ask them to increase their offer to something that is acceptable to you and let us know what they say.
Good luck
RE: Salary Negotiation
Regardless of whether you put your salary on the application, if you provided a social security or tax ID number, the prospective employer can readily determine your current salary. They will obtain that information as part of their "due diligence" into your background and employment history.
Regards,
RE: Salary Negotiation
I do wonder about some people’s morals on here, how would they feel if the company lied about how much they were going to pay them?
RE: Salary Negotiation
"Where a man's treasure is, there lies his heart."
RE: Salary Negotiation
Had a similiar situation to yours, interviewed with a company. Talking with who would have been my boss. He likes me and makes me an offer right there. It is 40% less than I was making at the time before overtime. I tell him my salary, he calls BS and says he isn't even making that much.
Happened to have my last pay stub in my briefcase, showed it to him, and politely told him to have a nice day and showed myself out.
Found a little while later he had applied over at my existing company.
Moral of the story. Some people throw a budget number out there for a position when they really have no idea of what market rates are.
Zuccus
RE: Salary Negotiation
Did you get a chance to interview/meet the rank and file engineers? This would give you a good idea of group dynamics. I would think if they just low-balled you as standard HR tactics you will have a good chance to come back with a counter offer but have a firm number that would make the job change worth while. Good luck and keep us posted.
A
Heckler![[americanflag] americanflag](https://www.tipmaster.com/images/americanflag.gif)
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SWx 2007 SP 4.0 & Pro/E 2001
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This post contains no political overtones or undertones for that matter and in no way represents the poster's political agenda.
RE: Salary Negotiation
When negotiating for a new salary, rate, etc, what is important is what you want, and what they are willing to pay. The reasons, justifications, etc really doesn't matter either.
I don't usually explain why I want a certain salary - what is important is that I do. What is also important is what I am willing to forgo in a tradeoff - maybe $10,000 less for 1 more week vacation, or parking spot.
If you concentrate on what you want, and not on why you want it, I find the negotiations go smoother. Of course, sometimes you just have to walk away if the two sides are too far apart.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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RE: Salary Negotiation
Look at it this way, pertaining to asking for 40% more, if you don't shoot, you don't score.
RE: Salary Negotiation
I was in the same almost exact experiance, It didnt happen to be a job in Buffalo NY?
You might as well shot for what you want, or close to it, if you’re asking for a package that is realistic for the job market.
This is what happened for me...
I thought I aced two brutal interviews with 7 people at once and two guys were really hitting on my gpa, when my experience and other facts showed me to be very qualified at the position.
Then they offered an INSALTINGLY LOW salary and benefits, of course I started negotiating for even a 10% raise because they normally shot low... they didnt budge...
Me feeling really instated... maybe a tant to my pride... I told them that I felt over qualified for the position and after acing the toughest interview I have ever had, I was extremely insulted by their offer and I decided to decline the position. I also told them that they did a very poor job at selling their company to me. Setting up an interview in which I did not get to really meet with my direct supervisor(s) first so to actually get a little comfortable with them (and see if there a Jerk) was a big turn off. This way we did not have to waist everyone’s time on a second interview.
Oddly, I got another job with an 11% raise buy asking for a lower salary then the one they offered to get an extra week of vacation! The interviewer said they could not negotiate vacation but we can give me 11% more.
Good Luck!
RE: Salary Negotiation
At my first job and my current job I had done some research and worked out what I thought I needed/could get.
Both times they offered my significantly more than I asked for!
In your case, assuming staying put is a real option, I'd turn down the offer making it clear that you can't accept a pay cut/reduction in benefits in comparison with your current position, especially as it's likely that if you stay in your current position you'd get a promotion & raise in the next year.
I doubt they'd go 39%, they may match your current positiona and say something like "with a performance review & probable raise after 6 months based on results of the review". Trouble is you can't be sure they'll follow through, and to get to that point you've given up your existing position.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Salary Negotiation
RE: Salary Negotiation
Once both parties have set out their stalls and both parties have some idea of the worth and value of the other, talking terms makes sense and an ask of 20% seems like a bargain rather than pie in the sky.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Salary Negotiation
RE: Salary Negotiation
RE: Salary Negotiation
In a job case your best alternative is any other job offers out there or your current position. For the hiring company their best alternative is the second candidate.
How tight is the labour market in your industry segment? Is there a lot of competition for positions or a lot of competition for people?
The answer to these questions will give you some idea how much chance of success you will have.
PS I always leave salary blank in an application. First get them to know that they want you and that you want to work for them. Then discuss the total package pay, leave and other benefits.
Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng
Construction Project Management
From conception to completion
www.kitsonengineering.com