Salary negotiations -pretty opaque process

[2fat2care2night]

I have been interviewing just under a year for a job in a global corporate company. I have met the English team, my managers, the Europe team and the people i’ll be working with every day. They all gave me salary expectations that were roughly in the same ballpark.

I’ve now received an employment contract over email from a “finance director” who I have never met who has written my salary in the contract as lower than what I been led to believe by other people in the company.

Having not worked at a corporate company before, I am unsure who to take this up with; or who I should negotiate this with.

Probably deliberately they have not made it clear who I can talk to on the money side or who is making the decisions. My managers in my team have given the impression they are my friends and supporters and have helped craft my role, but are not the “powers that be” so don’t make the final decisions.

The finance director is a faceless person who you never see in the office who seems to churn out contracts, and gives the impression at least not to engage with you or know you on a personal or professional level.

His email containing the contract was more black and white - that I either sign the contract or don’t sign it - rather than implying that any of it was up for negotiation.

So who do I approach to talk about the salary? Or even negotiate with? How do I find out who makes the decision about it?

It's OK. This is normal. Corporations all want to get the best people they can for the lowest price they can. It is normal that the first number to be put formally in writing will be low.

Just email back "Thanks very much for the contract. The salary figure written in the document is significantly lower than the ballpark figures which were suggested by (name) and (name) earlier on in the process. I was expecting something closer to £xxxxxx. (Name a figure at the top of the range previously discussed as they will meet you in the middle). It's not clear who the decision maker would be on this - would a further meeting be necessary to discuss this matter?"

They want you. They have spent a year on the recruitment process. It is totally OK to be assertive here.

I have worked for global corporates for 25 years and I have also been Finance Director.

I find it utterly bizarre that the recruitment has taken a year, that you have met so many people before you have even agreed terms and that the Finance Director of a corporate is dealing with employment contracts! This should be HR, it is not the role of Finance.

You also should have had an offer, stating your salary and other benefits well before the contract stage. So yes, I can confirm this is an unusual way of going about things. At this point I think all you can do is go back to the person that sent you a contract and state that the salary is not in line with your expectations and who could that be discussed with further.