To negotiate job offer salary

PattySlapper · 2021-06-02T10:59:00+00:00

Just being offered a new job! I am a pretty anxious person, suffer from imposter syndrome as discussed on here quite a bit recently. At interview they asked my salary expectations and they have offered me £2.5k less than this. This is the exact middle of the lowest advertised salary range and the amount I said. I don't know if to try to negotiate! I hate things like this and due to feeling anxious and not good enough I never feel like I'm in a strong place. I also start worrying they might withdraw the offer! The offer is by email, so if I do negotiate, can I just do it by email? I have had no phone contact with anyone at all and interview was on Teams. Any help and advice will be appreciated!

altiara · 02/06/2021 12:05

I’d email back saying your salary expectations were xxx.
Did you go in slightly higher than you wanted? So that you could negotiate.
What I learnt from a male colleague was he always asked for 5k more than he wanted.

NannyAndJohn · 02/06/2021 12:08

Hiring manager here - we expect everyone we offer a job to to negotiate regardless of the circumstances. It would be an oddity if one were to just accept the offer as it is.

MaMaD1990 · 02/06/2021 12:10

Congrats! Negotiating a salary is always a bit nerve wracking. I would start by writing down why you think you should have higher pay (experience, knowledge, higher living costs in the area etc) ready for when you do speak to them. I'd email them thanking them for the offer but you would like to negotiate the starting salary and please can they give you a time to discuss on the phone and follow everything up with an email. I've done this a few times and it's never been an issue. They are expecting negotiations if they're asking you what you'd like to be paid - they will always try to low ball you to save themselves some money so I'd go in with a bit more than you think is reasonable and work your way down to the middle. Good luck!

Original poster

PattySlapper · 02/06/2021 12:10

Thanks for the reply. I didn't go in higher than I wanted (stupidly) as it took me by surprise a bit that they asked, and in the moment I felt unjustified asking for what I did never mind more! Daft I know and kicking myself now!

So you think it would be okay just to email back and say something? Things is, I don't know if I'd turn it down on that basis. But it also doesn't mention a salary scale or anything so maybe I could pitch it on that basis? Say my salary expectations were xx and what is the expected progression up salary bands? But then then not really asking for more now is it!

OP posts:

skirk64 · 02/06/2021 12:10

Ask yourself which would piss you off more, getting the job at the lower rate or asking for more and having the offer withdrawn?

It's unlikely they'd withdraw the offer if you make a polite enquiry, but it may mark you out as a troublemaker.

Original poster

PattySlapper · 02/06/2021 12:13

Sorry more replies came in as was typing! So I've really shot myself in the foot going not in higher then as sounds like negotiate to the figure I named isn't that likely. I'm such an idiot! It's not really usual in my type of role to name salaries/negotiate.

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Hsjdb7483939 · 02/06/2021 12:13

It’s unlikely they’d withdraw the offer based on you negotiating; it’s quite normal to do that. I would say something along the lines of “thank you for the offer, you’re very interested in the role but based on your experience and skills you’d expect a salary of ....Look forward to hearing from them

loves2plan · 02/06/2021 12:13

Absolutely negotiate. If they want you for the role they will meet your expectations and if they don't it doesn't mean they won't offer you the job anymore. Raise your bar and know your worth, good luck!

Original poster

PattySlapper · 02/06/2021 12:15

Thanks so much everyone for the replies. Argh @skirk64 that's exactly the kind of thing that makes me really anxious, them thinking I'm a trouble maker!

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newnortherner111 · 02/06/2021 12:53

Men will negotiate, too many women do not. Then it is used as an excuse as to part of the gender pay gap.

Negotiate.

roastpotatoesss · 02/06/2021 13:42

They absolutely won't think you're a troublemaker, please don't let that stop you from asking!

Frankly if a company withdrew a job offer because they didn't like someone standing up for what they are worth then you don't want to work for them anyway.

altiara · 02/06/2021 20:09

I don’t think people are troublemakers if they negotiate, I think it just means they are confident that they are worth more and can negotiate to get what they want.
In my work, my team have to negotiate/convince others to complete necessary work so it’s good to show these skills.

If they don’t have the money, then they will just tell you a max offer.

LittleOwl153 · 02/06/2021 20:25

You say they advertised a salary range? How did your expecation come within that? How big a range was it?
Clearly if you didn't ask for the top then they have a budget to offer more even if their advert was slightly cheeky. I'd go back and restate your original expectation and then as for a progression path to the top point within a fixed period - especially if you end up accepting less than your expectation.
How does it compare to your current salary? Costs?

Original poster

PattySlapper · 02/06/2021 20:47

Thanks for the replies and the good luck wishes!

The top of the salary range was fairly substantially higher. With the courage from the comments here I did email back about negotiating but haven't heard back yet so trying not to go down the path of anxiety that it's a bad sign

@LittleOwl53 I have also asked about progression paths. It's quite a bit higher than my current salary but if I weren't to leave I am at a point I would be negotiating similar to what I asked for.

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GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 02/06/2021 20:49

My ex negotiated bluffing on a completely empty hand - he really needed the job and to start immediately- and he was successful. As pp have said, it’s men who negotiate and women need to do it more!

Rosit · 02/06/2021 21:01

Negotiate! It doesn’t make you a trouble maker, and is expected. Remember too that even if they can’t get up to the salary you want, you could instead ask for things like extra leave entitlement, a home working schedule, flexitime, etc.

Original poster

PattySlapper · 02/06/2021 21:16

You are all making me feel so much better thank you! That's a good idea @Rosit, somd home working or flexible time would be good as it is a bit of a commute.

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FastFood · 02/06/2021 21:18

In my company we have a policy to not negotiate salaries. They're fixed, based on the function, the market + the level we believe they are.
We do that in order to be fair and to avoid any gender or confidence pay gap.

Anyway, when I make an offer, I explain that to candidates, and I don't mind them trying to negotiate, it's fair, I just explain the rationale behind that.

KingdomScrolls · 03/06/2021 06:55

I work in the public sector so pay isn't negotiable, it's part of national pay scales but that's very clear to all applicants. When I worked in the private sector negotiation was expected and Beverly as the hiring manager I'd expect someone to go a little higher than they'd accept.. Good luck

Stompythedinosaur · 03/06/2021 11:02

Be brave! You are doing the right thing.

JeepersCreeping · 03/06/2021 11:07

Hiring manager here - we expect everyone we offer a job to to negotiate regardless of the circumstances. It would be an oddity if one were to just accept the offer as it is.

This.

As a manager, I've noticed male candidates (which admittedly we hire more of, in a male dominated sector) never EVER accept a job offer without negotiating... while the last few women, hardly any of them has negotiated at all. I can only think of about 3 off the top of my head in the last year, and we've hired about 8 women during lockdown... so that's less than half.

This is a business negotation, OP - at my global org, as the hiring manager (not the HR contact overseeing the hire) i don't have any real power to negotiate salaries, it's all led by HR, and if someone wants to negotiate i have levers I can pull. If a candidate just accepts, it's a done deal - no levers for me to pull (even if i think we've hired you on the cheap, it's not my role to push you to ask for more money!).

JeepersCreeping · 03/06/2021 11:08

(sorry to clarify: i'm in private sector; i realise, having worked in public sector as well - public sector is led by pay bands and isn't typically open to negotiation. while private sector most definitely has a norm of negotiation. i should have made that clearer!)

RosieGuacamosie · 03/06/2021 11:26

@JeepersCreeping

Hiring manager here - we expect everyone we offer a job to to negotiate regardless of the circumstances. It would be an oddity if one were to just accept the offer as it is.

This.

As a manager, I've noticed male candidates (which admittedly we hire more of, in a male dominated sector) never EVER accept a job offer without negotiating... while the last few women, hardly any of them has negotiated at all. I can only think of about 3 off the top of my head in the last year, and we've hired about 8 women during lockdown... so that's less than half.

This is a business negotation, OP - at my global org, as the hiring manager (not the HR contact overseeing the hire) i don't have any real power to negotiate salaries, it's all led by HR, and if someone wants to negotiate i have levers I can pull. If a candidate just accepts, it's a done deal - no levers for me to pull (even if i think we've hired you on the cheap, it's not my role to push you to ask for more money!).

Hmmm.

I’m a senior manager and I have a policy whereby we ask candidates for their expected salary up front, and make a decision at that point whether we’d be willing to interview based on their salary expectations compared to the level of experience on their CV. If we decide to make an offer, then we offer the candidate the salary they asked for (unless there are exceptional circumstances).

That being said I’d be quite surprised if a candidate then turned round and upped their required salary - that wouldn’t look good to me.

We also undertake regular pay reviews and I’ve increased people’s pay several times without them asking. I strongly disagree with “it’s not my role to push you to ask for more money” - surely any manager worth their salt realises that an appropriately paid workforce is going to bring far more value than having people sat there underpaid and pissed off? Plenty of people won’t speak up and then end up leaving and you lose a valuable team member over the sake of a few £k and we all know it takes ££££ to replace someone than it does just to pay them fairly in the first place!

JeepersCreeping · 03/06/2021 14:38

Plenty of people won’t speak up and then end up leaving and you lose a valuable team member over the sake of a few £k and we all know it takes ££££ to replace someone than it does just to pay them fairly in the first place!

I know.

My workplace (a global org) is utterly dysfunctional in many people-related ways, and my lack of autonomy around this type of talent retention issue is only the tip of the iceberg.

I’ve increased people’s pay several times without them asking - this simply wouldn't happen where i work. The first thing my op unit's assigned "talent managers" ask is what's prompted my request for salary review - it's funny how saying someone's a flight risk is suddenly an issue whereas if i flagged for e.g. 2 years that i think someone's underpaid wouldn't get very far.

Maybe that's the difference between being a lower manager with a centralised, outsourced HR function in a male-dominated sector that has a history of dealing with people poorly (me) vs being a senior manager (you). The autonomy.

I'm not saying i like it, but that's (my) reality. and then my employer is constantly attending women in STEM conferences bemoaning about the lack of "talent" at the higher levels....

ICECream821 · 03/06/2021 14:41

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.