Wage Negotiation

RockerGuy

RockerGuy

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Hi folks,

So apparently I have a job offer and we were discussing wage. I was dumb enough not to thoroughly discuss wage because my present Manager were around me when I got the call.

I've had jobs where the wages were set and weren't much negotiable, so I have no experience in that.

So my question is any tips on how I should go about discussing wage without jeopardizing my opportunity for this new job?

Thanks
 
Put on a grey suit, shave your head, put your pinky up to the corner of your mouth and say "1 million dollars"
 
That's the toughest part of any job interview. Ask too much and you're a gold digger, to little and you're a sap. Also your biggest jump in pay is when they hire you. Companies generally can offer big bucks to get someone but not to keep them.
Do your research and then bump up for what you have that the "average person" doesn't bring with them. Kick around growth potential. Would you rather be working for RIM or Apple?
 
nobbie48 said:
That's the toughest part of any job interview. Ask too much and you're a gold digger, to little and you're a sap. Also your biggest jump in pay is when they hire you. Companies generally can offer big bucks to get someone but not to keep them.
Do your research and then bump up for what you have that the "average person" doesn't bring with them. Kick around growth potential. Would you rather be working for RIM or Apple?
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It's going to be a supervisory position and from my logic, it should be more than what they are offering.

I've tried calling back the Manager to negotiate, but he always seems to never return calls or email. I guess I'll have to let him call me back.

I'm a bit nervous for this
 
I find the best thing is always do your research and get a feel for what type of salary is appropriate for the position. Once you have a figure in your head, when the question comes up in the interview you say something like "well this is a new position for me and am unsure as to what is the appropriate salary. What is the typical salary for this type of position?" That way you direct an answer from them.

If they ask how much you are making, give them a higher amount (this amount depends on how much you think you can get away with). I have always found that this method works very well in my favor.
 
I got hired just after Free Agency in Hockey and when was asked how much I was looking for I told them "I just saw a guy the other day sign a 4 year/10 million dollar contract, I'm sure we could meet somewhere in the middle of whatever you were offering."
He thought it was funny but that could seriously backfire depending on the other person.
In the end I managed to get an extra $3.50/hour from what he started at.

Like above, Do your research of what the typical pay is and try to get them to thow out a number first.
 
I'll try those, thanks
 
This is delicate.

Have you already accepted the job offer?

Compensation is appropriately discussed when an offer is given prior to acceptance, discussion at other times is doable, but generally not great.

Here are the things you have to evaluate

Market Wage: do your research- determine what you should get paid
Size of Company: many companies have standard pay scales and its hard to break those, for example I personally started at x and so does everything else in my year of call, no negotiations.
Your bargining power: do you have unique skills that they want, how replaceable are you? are there other candidates - you need to know how much you can push.

You should also strongly consider what you want - in the end, you know what you are worth and what is gonna make you happy.

The idea that you should let them throw out a number is not very good - after all, they already did throw out a number... on your offer, asking them to offer again would not be my choice of tactic.
 
I would say not to do it. As an employer I get ****** off when people say "oh that's not enough" in the interview process and I generally don't hire them.

What worked for one of my employees was that at the time of starting he asked if he worked really hard and superseded all my expectations if we could look at increasing his wage in a few months based on the value he brings to me. I agreed and he has superseded all my exceptions. He's becoming a manager soon.

Nothing more will piss off an employer more than asking for more before they can see first hand what you can do. Consider the time and money they are putting in to train and groom you.

I suggest you don't do it.
 
OpenGambit said:
This is delicate.

Have you already accepted the job offer?

Compensation is appropriately discussed when an offer is given prior to acceptance, discussion at other times is doable, but generally not great.

Here are the things you have to evaluate

Market Wage: do your research- determine what you should get paid
Size of Company: many companies have standard pay scales and its hard to break those, for example I personally started at x and so does everything else in my year of call, no negotiations.
Your bargining power: do you have unique skills that they want, how replaceable are you? are there other candidates - you need to know how much you can push.

You should also strongly consider what you want - in the end, you know what you are worth and what is gonna make you happy.

The idea that you should let them throw out a number is not very good - after all, they already did throw out a number... on your offer, asking them to offer again would not be my choice of tactic.
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The weird thing was he offered me something on the phone, asking me when I can start.

I politely ask him to give me an official Job Offer Letter, something in writing. I don't want to quit my present job and something happens and I'm in a rut
 
If they know anything about you and what you're capabilities are, then pitch a wage increase 20-30%.

If they took the time to find you and offer you a position, then it's a high probability they wouldn't want to bother looking for another candidate.

Your best card, if you are looking for an increase, is the contract being provided to you for 24-48 hours. Look it over, then when you meet next, counter offer with a 20-30% increase. Most likely, if they're not *****.. they will meet you half way at 10-15%




What exactly is this field of work? If it was business, I'd go for a 40% increase, then work out the discussions from there.
 
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I had a manager say later "oh you fell for that one, ha ha".

There are wage surveys done every year in the GTA and they show up on the internet and make the rounds through the workplaces. Check some out and see if the offer is within the ballpark.
 
You could try negotiating from a health & safety position, whereas you could mention that you are fully aware of your responsibilities as a supervisor, in that you will ensure that all your reports will be advised of all the potential H&S hazards in the workplace and that you will also ensure that they perform their work safely (which will ultimately save the company $$) using all the necessary means (machine guards, personal protective equipment, etc., as required). By doing so, you (and the company) can avoid fines and potential imprisonment for accidents that WON'T occur under your watch.

Yeah, I'm working on my occupational health & safety certificate... :lol:
 
couple things, and yes I hire people. Unless you know these people and have been recruited, until they put an offer in front of you, you dont have an offer, you have a fishing expedition.
They are thinking what gets him in the boat, your thinking what makes me want to bite.
Not to be mean but you may not be the only fish they are trolling.

If this is a large company with multiple branches they may have set limits and thier hands are tied to some extent. If its a stand alone company they often have more flexability. If this is a managerial position where you are "the guy" , not one of a bunch of same level managers you have a lot more room to bargain. They know what they paid the last guy so they have a figure in mind.

You only get one chance do this, once you sign its done. Don't forget how many weeks off you'd like, my vacation is as important as my salary to me. And are there perks? memberships/gym/golf/parking, creative compensation?
 
How happy are you with your current job? Rather, how disappointed would you be if you had to stick with your present job for another year? This can help determine how ballsy you want to be with asking for what you want. You have nothing to lose so go for it. As long as your counter offer is within reason they will likely just negotiate you down at worst case. On the other hand they could give you exactly what you ask for (it's happened). Point is you don't know unless you try and it's easier to try if you're currently employed.
 
The offer had better be for more than what you're earning now, preferably by a lot, unless you have some other reason to get out of where you are now.

The only time I haven't had an increase of at least 25% by changing jobs was when I made a conscious decision to get out of a line of work that was leading nowhere, and I figured I'd be better off learning something in a different field. That one involved a pay cut. Every other time has involved an increase of 25 - 50% ...
 
I dunno if i'm the exception but at my 3 month review i asked for a 15% increase. This was on top of a very nice bump in salary from previous employer. but then again, i have met all my expectations and then some, going from learning to running the dept in less than a month. My request did raise some eyebrows and we had a pretty long discussion as to why and how i will "earn" the raise. In the end they came back with an even higher amount but spread over the next 9 months....plenty fine for me.

Remember, its just like dating....They can smell your desperation. I wanted to leave the previous company but not for a few thousand a year diff....and i made that clear.
 
Oh, another strategy that sometimes works is to tell them you'd be giving up your bonus if you left your current company to join them now. This discussion can take place when discussing start dates but the situation has to be timed right and is harder to pull off if you're actively applying around. Depending on your industry, job level, experience and how badly they want you, it's possible they may even offer a signing bonus to get you to jump ship immediately.
 
I would always negotiate pay at the end of the interview. I spend the whole interview giving them a reason to hire me, and usually by the time we get to the end/bit about pay, they'll want me enough to not mind discussing it. I'm a bit lucky 'cause I've always interviewed well, but I'd suggest the same strategy for you. I'm not sure what you come off across in person, but I ALWAYS go in to discuss wages - I never do it over the phone 'cause you can't read social cues for what to say/how to say things to the employer.

I usually soften the blow by asking if I can ask a question without hurting my interview and I purposefully say it shyly even though I know what my budging point is/what I want.

Imo, if they don't give you what you think is reasonable...I'd keep looking. If you're good at what you do and you employer can't see you as that asset from the start, then find someone who will. Seeming desperate lowers your value to the company & I would never take a pay cut unless that's what it took to get my foot in the door and I could reasonably expect to move up.

Good luck
 
Red_Liner740 said:
I dunno if i'm the exception but at my 3 month review i asked for a 15% increase. This was on top of a very nice bump in salary from previous employer. but then again, i have met all my expectations and then some, going from learning to running the dept in less than a month. My request did raise some eyebrows and we had a pretty long discussion as to why and how i will "earn" the raise. In the end they came back with an even higher amount but spread over the next 9 months....plenty fine for me.

Remember, its just like dating....They can smell your desperation. I wanted to leave the previous company but not for a few thousand a year diff....and i made that clear.
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He's got it. Once they learn your value as an employee they will go that extra mile to keep you even if it is an increase. I've had to do the same with employees that are worth it. Be sure they know that you can easily get another job easily.
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