Should I push back on pay offer for new job?

[MondayAlready1]

I'd appreciate any thoughts about salary negotiation when accepting this job, I worked for the same company for years and so have never really had to do this.

I've been offered a job at a company as 'X and Y Manager'. I'm experienced in X but have limited knowledge and experience of Y and will require training. In the future I'd like to work more in Y so this is an ideal move for me and I don't want to mess this up.

The ad offered £30K - £32K depending on experience. I've earned more than this in the past in another industry (I've taken a career break) and when I applied I suppose I was hopeful that my general experience would put me at the higher end of that, though I get that that's not necessarily a reasonable assumption.

After a positive interview I've received an email stating that the role is offered at a starting salary of £30k due to my lack of experience in Y but that there is scope for this to increase.

Should I push back on this to start higher or should I just agree a timeframe for review? The £30k does feel low for the role.

If the top of the scale is £32K there's not much difference so it's not going to get much better. Why don't you negotiate that in 6 months you will go up to £31K>

”The ad offered £30K - £32K depending on experience.” The assumption being that individuals lacking in experience some areas would be at the bottom, presumably?

”I've earned more than this in the past in another industry” Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is relevant.

”I've received an email stating that the role is offered at a starting salary of £30k due to my lack of experience in Y”

If you want to negotiate up then you need to be able to evidence that you have over-and-above experience in other areas that is sufficient to overcome the lack in experience in Y. Put together an argument on that basis and see how you get on.

I don't think its worth the hassle for an extra £1k, what would you do if they came back and said no?

You have said you lack experience in half of the job role, so the £30k is reasonable on such a small pay scale imo.

If you have limited knowledge and experience in 50% of the job then I think the salary is reasonable.

I'm not sure it's worth the hassle, the salary sounds reasonable.

You don’t have all the experience they ideally wanted and have had a break since earning more: on what basis would you be asking for more?

Where i work external applicants always get lower end, upper end is used to calculate internal promotion pay.

For £2,000 i wouldn't query it, but as i said, i'd always presume you go in at lower end of advertised

In my industry I'd always push back and target the higher end. My industry struggles to recruit though, at least in the city I work in. Last time I got offered top of the band after pushing back by saying "thanks but no thanks" to initial offer, that was a £7k difference.

They've offered you the job so they can't retract that offer now so go ahead and ask about if they're willing to move up the salary slightly.. Worst that can happen is they say no.

I think their offer is fair given that you need more experience in 'Y'. I would wait a year and ask in your review if you think you're doing well.

No I wouldn't, it's not worth the hassle for such a small amount and you don't have extensive experience for 50% of the role.

I'm actually in an almost identical position to how you've described it, I am going to gain experience and qualifications out of it that could see my salary double in a few years, long term game.

That said I admit I'm reserved in these kinds of negotiations and I know men don't tend to be!

They've offered you the job so they can't retract that offer now so go ahead and ask about if they're willing to move up the salary slightly.. Worst that can happen is they say no.

Of course they can retract the offer now. Plenty of employers do. They can also dismiss - in the first month of employment, which the OP isn't yet even in, the notice period is NIL. The worst that can happen is that they decide the OP is a CF for asking for money based on experience they don't have, and a job they once held in the past, and decide they don't want to employ them. That doesn't mean they will decide that - but they can and might.

90% of the men I've offered new jobs to have pushed back on salary. Almost none of the women have.

You dont have to be a dick about it or burn bridges but if you don't ask, you don't get.

I always push on salary and have, but once, much earlier in my career, always received more.

The fact is that regardless of your lack of experience in Y they have decided that you are their preferred candidate.

Recruiting is time consuming and challenging and frankly the fact that they've not found a suitable candidate experienced in both X and Y speaks to that, so you do hold some cards.

Call/email and say something along the lines of: I'm very excited about the possibility of the role, but had been hoping for an offer nearer £32k to reflect the significant experience I have in X and the value that represents.

If you're polite they won't think any the worse of you and it's always easier to negotiate before you're in the role.

Whilst the offer may not be unreasonable, I can’t believe how many people are blithely advising ‘it’s not worth the hassle’ for an extra 1k etc. For a start 1k can matter and secondly once you’re in job it seems more difficult to get a pay rise I comparison to when you start. It also sets the scene going forwards in how willing a person is to fight for anymore. I would say it’s worth trying even if you don’t get it (and surely there’s a way to do his sensitively rather than risking the job offer and piss the people off).

I don’t want to turn everything into battle of the sexes but its we’ll known some of the ‘pay gap’ sometimes comes to men being more demanding.

The advice isn’t bad per se about if you have little relevant experience take the lower range but that shouldn’t mean you don’t try. In my own industry employers are often willing to hugely vary initial terms for the right person. Not so much when there’s a fixed grade or whatever but can still try for the extra 2k

This is your first opportunity for a pay rise so you should ask for it. I can guarantee 99% of men do. If you do it respectfully it will be seen as a plus for you - confidence, valuing yourself, good negotiation skills?

Why assume you’d go in at the lower level ever? If they’ve said 30-32 they’ve obviously budgeted for 32. Experience or not they’ve decided the OP is the best person so being willing to lose them for 2k or have to go for someone they considered a worse candidate is unlikely

And sorry for the mansplaining but now getting passionate about this. As a geek and someone who deals in numbers I’d point out 2k is over 6% in terms of extra. 6% is actually a pretty increase! If I’m pointing the obvious and being patronising , then forgive me. I’m sure most can do the maths but ‘only 2k’ wouldn’t be how I think about these things

*90% of the men I've offered new jobs to have pushed back on salary. Almost none of the women have.

You dont have to be a dick about it or burn bridges but if you don't ask, you don't get.*

Yep. I've had to encourage women to ask for more in their reviews otherwise they never do. Meanwhile the men kick up a fuss every year and get big increases.

It'll depend hugely on the sector, public sector is much less flexible generally speaking, a university I worked for had a non negotiable stance on arrival, no negotiation until after probation (which was 12 months).

I'm in the public sector too and when I went for my current job, I argued to be paid top of the band. My manager at the time said as with everyone, I would start at the lowest, in 3 months would be middle, and in 6 months would be top. Zero negotiation but was happy with the result!

Absolutely push for the top of the range. They will value you more for it.

You're only talking two grand here. Between the top of the range and the bottom. And you're not experienced in half the job. Arguing over a grand will not make them value you more as a pp weirdly suggests. I'd accept it to be honest. The range is so minimal.

IME if they've had sign off for the top range figure I'd always push for that unless you blatantly lack experience, as it's no skin off the recruiting managers nose to offer the top end, it's not like they need to go back and get another 5k agreed by someone higher up the chain.

Absolutely argue for the £32k. As many people have said here, a man would. Don't rationalise it just do it!