I received an offer on a position with a company I had been looking at now for a couple of years. It is a privately held company, that has had exceptional growth, and fosters a family first enviroment.
Unfortunately the offer was not as I had hoped. It is a 5% increase in salary from where I currently stand and the benefits are lacking. (Basically a wash) The job does offer a bonus every year equal to 15 - 20% of my income. (Currently no bonus) And they offer overtime, which is something that I am looking for to help supplement my income, which my last job didn't. Financially I can't afford to pass up on this opportunity, with a child on the way.
My question is if I try to negotiate a small increase, do I put myself at risk in losing this opportunity? How long does it typically take for HR to get back with you? Do I speak with them over the phone, or email, or letter? One of the interviewers told me that there were 80 people who applied, and they interviewed 7 people.
2007-09-01 17:54:39 · 5 answers · asked by DRSOGR 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Other - Business & Finance
Some more info. I have not accepted any offer, I told them I wanted to think it over and would let them know Tuesday. I did disclose my past salary after being told, "We will not use it against you, we just want to know if we are in the ballpark." I should have lied through my teeth! Unfortunately I am a very honest person.
2007-09-01 18:19:28 · update #1
The benefits are comparable, but not as good.
2007-09-01 18:36:39 · update #2
If you disclosed your current salary level to them, you will have to negotiate carefully. If you have a reason other than "I want more money," then you have grounds to negotiate. The best things you can use to negotiate is showing that you are far more qualified than the minimum they were looking for. A letter outlining why you think you are worth more and putting an exact number and other specifics on what you want is the best way to go.
Here is the tough part though. You have to be prepared to walk away from the offer. If you try to negotiate and they refuse to increase their offer, and you cave in, then you have told them that you aren't willing to stand up for what you think you are worth. If they still hire you, they will know they can lowball you forever.
2007-09-01 18:06:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You won't get a better chance to negotiate your salary than now. Remember, all your future raises will be based on the salary you accept, so even if it seems like a 'small' difference, it has a big impact over time.
You know that they are trying to get you at the lowest price possible. They made the first offer, knowing it is a low one. You can counter it at this point by saying that it is not as much as you had hoped for, and name your price - as you say, a small increase over their offer.
Now, they have already made an investment of time in interviewing you, and they do want you for the position. it will be time consuming and costly for them to restart the process, and they would prefer to get someone - you - in the job as soon as possible. If your offer is reasonable, then they can, and just might, accept it. Or they can counter with a second offer, lower than yours, buy higher than their first. Or, they can say that they really can not budge from their initial offer. You can still accept the initial offer - most companies understand negotiating salary, and will appreciate that you consider yourself worth fighting for, and will not hold it against you.
You will never know what you could have gotten if you do not ask for it now.
2007-09-02 01:37:33 · answer #2 · answered by Piggiepants 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Be very careful - yes, you could lose the offer. Remember that with the bonus, you are actually getting a 20-25% increase, which is pretty good! Benefits enter into the calculation though, and you need to figure out what they are really worth. Are you saying NO benefits in the new offer, or just that they are less than your current job.
2007-09-02 01:32:45 · answer #3 · answered by Judy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First off have you formally accepted their offer? If you have, it would be seen as rude if you went in and said that you want more money, etc. Now, if you haven't formally accepted their offer of employment, then yes you should negotiate. In my opinion, you best bet would be to negotiate benefits instead of salary. I say this because you'll be getting 5% more than you last position, with an annual bonus and the ability to work overtime which all equal higher tax brackets......with benefits, some of them you can write off on your taxes! If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.
2007-09-02 01:09:16 · answer #4 · answered by phiber101 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This might be cheating... but the easiest way to negotiate a higher salary is to hire a professional to help you. As a professional salary negotiator myself, I have negotiated higher salaries for over 700 people. My trick is to handle the entire salary negotiation over email. Negotiating by email improves the odds for an amateur negotiator. That’s because it takes away your employer’s ability to "read you" in person and bluff you into taking less. Over email you can carefully choose every word. And a professional like me can squeeze HR to get every penny you deserve. The only rule is that you can never tell ANYONE that you had outside help. To learn more about check out NegotiatingSalary com
2013-11-01 15:23:59 · answer #5 · answered by Dave Larson 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋