NH&F but I need advice!

[katyintx]

I'm hoping to get a job offer this week (seriously, cross your fingers for me!) and I'm wondering about negotiating.  I've never had to negotiate salary before, and I'm a little nervous I'll have to this time.  How do I do that?  What do I say, and how does the process work?  Any input is appreciated!  Gosh, I feel so young and inexperienced...

[emuni04]

Honestly, I am bad at giving advice for this but I would reccommend that you cross post this onto the Money Matters board. I am always impressed with the advice the ladies on that board give re: negotiating.

[boston340]

What an exciting time for you!

Be very firm when negotiating salary and don't be afraid of silence when talking about it. If they say something like "we are prepared to offer you $X" then you can take a few seconds to really think about it and respond with something like "thank you for that offer. I was really looking for something in the range of $x+10K. Is there anything you can do?" They will likely come back with something in the middle and then you will have to decide if that will work for you.

Don't forget you can negotiate for alternative things like extra vacation time, higher 401K match, company phone, or even something on the flexibility end like negotiating to work from home on Fridays from Memorial Day through Labor Day (as an example).

[katyintx]

May 14, 2014 10:40:04 GMT -5 boston340 said:

What an exciting time for you!

Be very firm when negotiating salary and don't be afraid of silence when talking about it. If they say something like "we are prepared to offer you $X" then you can take a few seconds to really think about it and respond with something like "thank you for that offer. I was really looking for something in the range of $x+10K. Is there anything you can do?" They will likely come back with something in the middle and then you will have to decide if that will work for you.

Don't forget you can negotiate for alternative things like extra vacation time, higher 401K match, company phone, or even something on the flexibility end like negotiating to work from home on Fridays from Memorial Day through Labor Day (as an example).

In your experience, do you have to wait some time before they'll counter-offer, or is it usually done right there in one conversation?

I wouldn't have even thought of this!  That's awesome advice (and how much would it rock to get to work from home every Friday in the summer?).  Thank you!

[gt7301b]

I think you should always ask for more money, even if you are happy with the offer.

[boston340]

May 14, 2014 11:45:02 GMT -5 katyintx said:

May 14, 2014 10:40:04 GMT -5 boston340 said:

What an exciting time for you!

Be very firm when negotiating salary and don't be afraid of silence when talking about it. If they say something like "we are prepared to offer you $X" then you can take a few seconds to really think about it and respond with something like "thank you for that offer. I was really looking for something in the range of $x+10K. Is there anything you can do?" They will likely come back with something in the middle and then you will have to decide if that will work for you.

Don't forget you can negotiate for alternative things like extra vacation time, higher 401K match, company phone, or even something on the flexibility end like negotiating to work from home on Fridays from Memorial Day through Labor Day (as an example).

In your experience, do you have to wait some time before they'll counter-offer, or is it usually done right there in one conversation?

I wouldn't have even thought of this!  That's awesome advice (and how much would it rock to get to work from home every Friday in the summer?).  Thank you!

I've seen it go both ways, so definitely be prepared for that.  In the last negotiation I did at my annual review with my company I asked for a raise with a specific salary range and the HR department said, "We will need to get back to you" and then they emailed the next day to say they accepted it.  That's probably not really the norm though.

I would use the "alternative things" only after they've come back with the initial offer - don't start out with those.  Does that make sense?  

Employer: We are prepared to offer you $50K.

You: I really had in mind something in the $60-65K range.  Is there anything you can do?

Employer: What did you have in mind?  Do you want to meet half way?  

You: How about $58K now with a guarantee that we'll re-evaluate salary at the 6-month mark and and then add in a company phone and an extra 1% match on my 401K?

Employer: We can't do that, we're a non-profit agency!  We don't have money like that!

You: The NFL is also a non-profit agency (okay, don't really say that line)

You (alternate answer): I understand that.  However, my skillset is worth at least $60K in this market.  Not only are you getting me as a (insert role here), but I also bring 10 years of experience with developing strategic plans and rolling out new programs.  

You: (sit and wait)

Employer: OK

[clseale]

I've only had to negotiate salary once, and it was for my current job. They came in a bit lower than my desired range, but said they would write a 6 month salary evaluation into my contract. I would have said yes to less, but THEY didn't know that. I said I wanted to take the night to think about it and talk to DH. I called back the next day and basically said, "I'm not comfortable being below X. Since you are offering A and I'm requesting B, is there room to meet in the middle at X, plus have the 6 month review?" My boss had to discuss it with her boss, and then they called back to next day, and emailed my contract.

I wasn't expecting much from the 6 month review, but to my surprise, since my boss rocks, they actually gave me an additional 10%!

Good Luck!

[hannahb]

No advice. I haven't even gotten a raise in 2 years . Good luck. What everyone else is saying sounds good

[mollyrunner]

In my last job, I was happy with the salary offer but was hoping for more vacation. Although the couldn't meet the vacation time I wanted I got a small bump in vacation and a bump in salary. I think it is always good to ask.

[labbie]

I did this for my current job and was scared to death but it worked out. I was extended an offer and thanked them and asked for 24hrs to consider it, discuss with my family, etc.
When I called back to counter I started out by restating how I felt I was a good fit for the job because of x, y, and z. I then requested my comp of x amount, based on (whatever you are basing it on). For me I was losing 12 days of PTO between sick and vacation time, and some other factors.

I think the main points are to make sure to emphasize why you are the right person for the job, that you are excited about the opportunity, and the reason (s) you feel the higher salary is justified. It shows you put thought into it versus just throwing a number out.

Good luck!

Sent from my XT1080 using proboards

[katyintx]

You all are super helpful! You let me know exactly what I was looking for, and the links definitely helped. Thank you! Now fingers crossed I actually get the offer to begin with....