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Original poster

To ask how do I respond to a job offer email?

32 replies

coolcoolcoolc · 27/04/2023 09:00

I had an interview and the internal HR has emailed me saying they would like to offer me the role and given a salary.

The salary is around what I wanted, but ideally I want to bump it up by a £1000 as it's currently £34,000 and I would prefer £35,000. I've spoken to several recruiters who have said with my experience I should look for £33-35, or 'mid £30s' or 'around £35'.

I've never negotiated on salary before. I also want to ask them to send the full details like the benefits package, etc. Is anyone able to help me craft an email response to them? I'd really appreciate it

OP posts:
BonnieGlasses · 27/04/2023 09:03

I've spoken to several recruiters who have said with my experience I should look for £33-35, or 'mid £30s' or 'around £35'.

So, £34k then? Confused

Jonniecomelately · 27/04/2023 09:05

Do you mean an internal role? I would just email back and say, you're excited about the role but you were hoping for a little more and had a figure of £36k in mind (always go up a bit). Also ask if you can see the benefits package. It's normal to go back and forth a bit before you agree everything.

My rule is never to take first offer as it bumps up your salary over time. And always ask for slightly more than you want to give room for negotiation.

Original poster
coolcoolcoolc · 27/04/2023 11:24

BonnieGlasses · 27/04/2023 09:03

I've spoken to several recruiters who have said with my experience I should look for £33-35, or 'mid £30s' or 'around £35'.

So, £34k then? Confused

Yes, £33-36 is kind of the range I've heard from. I'm just wondering if I can bump it up a bit before accepting it, or whether I just accept £34? I've always just accepted job offers straight away, but have heard it's better to negotiate?

OP posts:
Original poster
coolcoolcoolc · 27/04/2023 11:26

Jonniecomelately · 27/04/2023 09:05

Do you mean an internal role? I would just email back and say, you're excited about the role but you were hoping for a little more and had a figure of £36k in mind (always go up a bit). Also ask if you can see the benefits package. It's normal to go back and forth a bit before you agree everything.

My rule is never to take first offer as it bumps up your salary over time. And always ask for slightly more than you want to give room for negotiation.

No, it's an external role but I've been liasing with their HR/recruitment department (I used 'internal' in the OP as wanted to emphasise that it's not an external recruiter who I'm talking to but HR of the company I'll be working for).

Do you think it's worth asking for £36? I think bumping it up to £35 won't made much difference on my take-home pay so wondering if I should just accept £34?

OP posts:
cheeseandketchupsandwich · 27/04/2023 11:28

'Thank you for the job offer. Before I accept, can I ask if there is any wiggle room (use better word here, just got out of hosp, brain not working) on the salary? I've spoken with several recruiters who advise that someone with my experience can expect to earn £36-38k. Would you consider increasing the salary on offer closer to £36k?'

Gives them the opportunity to offer 35k which you then accept gracefully 😁

Letsnotargue · 27/04/2023 11:29

I negotiated my current salary by responding saying (in a more professional manner!) ‘thank you for your email, I’m really interested in the role but I was wondering if the salary is flexible as this is the same as my current salary plus I currently have more benefits. I am looking for £xx.’

They responded and said fine. I wish I’d gone higher for an opening offer!

123InTheSky · 27/04/2023 11:43

I also negotiated a job offer- I was offered verbally on the phone and asked for time to think about it.

Then arranged a call where I said given the role profile and my good fit, I’d been hoping for a slightly higher base particularly taking into account reduction of benefits (in my case pension contribution was the big one).

Nordicrain · 27/04/2023 11:45

coolcoolcoolc · 27/04/2023 11:26

No, it's an external role but I've been liasing with their HR/recruitment department (I used 'internal' in the OP as wanted to emphasise that it's not an external recruiter who I'm talking to but HR of the company I'll be working for).

Do you think it's worth asking for £36? I think bumping it up to £35 won't made much difference on my take-home pay so wondering if I should just accept £34?

Show quote history

If you want 35, ask for 36. The meet in the middle appraoch is the most common way to settle negotations. If you ask for 35, they might come back offering you 34.5.

lanthanum · 27/04/2023 11:47

Totally reasonable to ask to see the benefits package - differences in benefits could be more significant than differences in salary.

LardyandMardy · 27/04/2023 12:37

I’m a hiring manager. You are expected to negotiate and not accept the first offer they make you. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

OneAndDon3 · 27/04/2023 12:40

Yes you're absolutely expected to negotiate.

Email back, thank them for the offer tell them that you are interested but that you had been thinking more in region of £36k for this role.

That way you can easily meet in the middle at £35k or if they really want you they'll offer you £36k and you're quids in.

Original poster
coolcoolcoolc · 27/04/2023 12:40

LardyandMardy · 27/04/2023 12:37

I’m a hiring manager. You are expected to negotiate and not accept the first offer they make you. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

Thank you, it's really helpful to hear from a hiring manager's perspective! What would you advise I ask for in this situation? £34 is already a £5k increase for me in my current role (my current company is known to have salaries lower than the industry standard). I am happy with £34, so anything else is a bonus. I don't want to sound cheeky, but equally don't want to miss my opportunity (as I feel like when you are actually in the role it's harder to get salary increases/more awkward as you have to ask your line manager)

OP posts:
Nordicrain · 27/04/2023 12:40

LardyandMardy · 27/04/2023 12:37

I’m a hiring manager. You are expected to negotiate and not accept the first offer they make you. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

While I agree that it's expected to some extent, I don't think you can take this as a blanket rule. I am hiring currently, we got a good candidate and offered her the very top of the hiring budget. She has, expectedly, asked for more but there is no more to give. We will have a conversation with her about this, but not everythng is a negotiation opening.

MathiasBroucek · 27/04/2023 12:42

As others have said - indicate interest but say "I was looking for X" or even "If you offer X I can accept today".

Havanananana · 27/04/2023 13:25

OP, hold on!

You need to see the whole benefits package before you commit to anything and before you start to negotiate the salary.

As an example, if your current job pays £34k plus, say, £3k of benefits (healthcare, company car, gym membership or onsite, employer's pension contributions at x%, regular training courses ... etc) then your current salary is actually worth £37k to you. Even if the new job pays £35k, if you lose these benefits then you're actually £2k worse off.

Add in commuting time and costs (e.g. if your commute is 30 mins longer each way and costs £20 a week more then you've also lost time and £1k of money), and then look at the intangibles (e.g. option to work from home occasionally, flexitime, 35-hour week as opposed to 40 hours, flexibility around holidays and number of holiday days, and issues such as promotion opportunities ... etc.) before deciding the value of your current job and what you would need to receive (as a package) in order to be tempted to change jobs.

As for negotiating - of course you should do this. They have already told you that you're the person for them, so you're in a very strong position. It will cost them time and money (often thousands of pounds, dependent on the role) if they have to start the process all over again, so once you've weighed everything up, rehearse your response, take a deep breath, tell them what you want and then wait for them to blink.

Original poster
coolcoolcoolc · 27/04/2023 14:11

Thank you all! I've sent a reply and also asked to see the benefits package. Wish me luck! I'll update you once I have a response

OP posts:
recoveringa · 27/04/2023 14:17

I started a new job recently that required a relocation. I was also losing out on certain benefits like insurance and a pension scheme - so I just mentioned nicely to them that my wages would need to reflect some of these losses for me to accept the role - and in fairness, they were very good about it.

Havanananana · 27/04/2023 14:56

" I am hiring currently, we got a good candidate and offered her the very top of the hiring budget. She has, expectedly, asked for more but there is no more to give. We will have a conversation with her about this, but not everything is a negotiation opening."

Everything should be open to negotiation right up until the contract is agreed and signed.

Even if the salary offered is at the top of the budget, there are other parts of a package that can be negotiated. Over the years I have successfully negotiated:

  • every Thursday afternoon off (4 hours) for 3 years to go on an Masters course
  • additional holiday days (at the time I would rather have 5 additional days off each year than more salary)
  • flexibility to occasionally work from home (long before this became common)
In every case, the key was framing the "benefit" in terms of being a benefit to the company - e.g. my Masters dissertation was based on an internal project; extra holiday days did not financially "cost" the company anything as I was paid to manage and deliver, not paid by the hour.
Nordicrain · 27/04/2023 14:59

Havanananana · 27/04/2023 14:56

" I am hiring currently, we got a good candidate and offered her the very top of the hiring budget. She has, expectedly, asked for more but there is no more to give. We will have a conversation with her about this, but not everything is a negotiation opening."

Everything should be open to negotiation right up until the contract is agreed and signed.

Even if the salary offered is at the top of the budget, there are other parts of a package that can be negotiated. Over the years I have successfully negotiated:

  • every Thursday afternoon off (4 hours) for 3 years to go on an Masters course
  • additional holiday days (at the time I would rather have 5 additional days off each year than more salary)
  • flexibility to occasionally work from home (long before this became common)
In every case, the key was framing the "benefit" in terms of being a benefit to the company - e.g. my Masters dissertation was based on an internal project; extra holiday days did not financially "cost" the company anything as I was paid to manage and deliver, not paid by the hour.

Should it? We offered her as much as we could to retain her. We don't have any more. It came with a very healthy benefits package and flexible working culture too. We can move by 1-2k but it's at a salary range where that's insignificant, and it was the salary she was negotiating.

JobChangeSoonPlease · 27/04/2023 15:04

Ooh, I've done exactly this 2 days ago so happy to share my experience. Obviously not staying actual numbers. First when the Talent person called to make the first offer, I expressed that I was happy to be selected but I was expecting the package to be around 4000 more than what they had offered. They said the hiring manager won't go up any further. To which I said, given my current package and other offers in hand I would need more to make the move. However I accepted that their benefits were generous and hence I'd be willing to meet in the middle. After 10 minutes of this chat the Talent person could see that I wouldn't back down, so he asked me what's the final number I'd be happy to accept at. The REAL number was 1500 more than what they had offered, but I asked for 2500 at the minimum to say an immediate yes. They went away and came back after a day with an offer of 1500 more. Which I was delighted to accept.
I hope this helps you negotiate your situation. Good luck!!

lovemelongtime · 27/04/2023 15:12

cheeseandketchupsandwich · 27/04/2023 11:28

'Thank you for the job offer. Before I accept, can I ask if there is any wiggle room (use better word here, just got out of hosp, brain not working) on the salary? I've spoken with several recruiters who advise that someone with my experience can expect to earn £36-38k. Would you consider increasing the salary on offer closer to £36k?'

Gives them the opportunity to offer 35k which you then accept gracefully 😁

Please do not say this.
Need straight and ask first what you want.
Really pleased with the offer but I was ideally looking for xxx salary, commensurate with my background and experience etc

Havanananana · 27/04/2023 15:20

@Nordicrain "Should it? We offered her as much as we could to retain her. We don't have any more."

Of course your offer should be open to negotiation. The entire process is two-way, and the negotiation is to establish a deal that is acceptable to both parties.

While you're obviously limited by a budget, the candidate is also entitled to ask for what she considers to be an acceptable package. If you can't match that or can't agree, then so be it.

If your ideal candidate walks away, how much time, money and energy have you already wasted and how much will you spend trying to find another candidate?

Nordicrain · 27/04/2023 15:25

Havanananana · 27/04/2023 15:20

@Nordicrain "Should it? We offered her as much as we could to retain her. We don't have any more."

Of course your offer should be open to negotiation. The entire process is two-way, and the negotiation is to establish a deal that is acceptable to both parties.

While you're obviously limited by a budget, the candidate is also entitled to ask for what she considers to be an acceptable package. If you can't match that or can't agree, then so be it.

If your ideal candidate walks away, how much time, money and energy have you already wasted and how much will you spend trying to find another candidate?

Of course. We have a limit, so does she. If the two are not aligned, then that's it, there is no match there.

Littleelffriend · 27/04/2023 15:44

Isn’t the difference between 34 and 35 going to be minuscule?

Doggymummar · 27/04/2023 15:52

It's about £20 a week before tax so pretty small but every little helps as they say.