Negotiating more money when starting

[Realdeal1]

Im a temp but have been offered a permanent job at the same place. The trouble is the offer, although decent, is much lower than the market rate. How would you negotiate for more? I just know from prior experience that i wont be able to renegotiate once im in the job.

So far i've made a list of the 4 big reasons why im worth it and tried to encompass everything. There are also two maternity covers coming up which i know i could cover myself without them having to get anyone new. Im sure they know this/will know this but i havent mentioned it to them/included it in my reasonings yet. I was thinking about asking for a top up for a year on top of the salary, to cover the two maternity roles.

Any advice on how to word things best when they speak to me? Im aware a man would be more forthright about money but i dont want to let myself down.

So you think they’ll expect you to cover the work of three people for one salary?

How has the current salary been communicated to you?

Make it clear that you know they are offering below market rate and you aren’t prepared to accept that. I don’t think you even need reasons why they should pay you more beyond the fact that it’s below market rate tbh! Then ask for slightly more than you want, to give space for them to counter-offer.
I don’t think I would mention the maternity cover unless it’s part of your job description. You deserve market rate for just doing your normal job without needing to offer them anything else. Then if they ask you to cover, I’d ask for the top up then.

@Jessforless i suspect they will because im the only one who can do the stuff/wouldnt need much training so i think they will want the easier option. I should add that i know about the maternity as i know both the people well but it hasnt been communicated yet.

@JulieLew they asked me for a pay range/number. I now know i shouldnt have said anything but i gave the current market rate that my agencies told me. They then came back with their own lower figure but with room to go up.

@Spaghettieis how would you phrase the top up? I have never had to ask for anything like this. To replace those roles with temps would be close to £220K combined as an annual salary to an agency plus the maternity pay to the respective people.

Go to them with evidence / job adverts to say "these companies are paying 20% more can you match". You need to be prepared to either accept or walk away if they say no.

How are you proposing to do the jobs of 3 people at once without endangering your health or failing to perform? Based on the numbers you've given they sound like full time roles, so are you offering to work 120 hour weeks?

On the face of it that's a really silly proposal and I'd question the judgement of anyone who suggested it, least of all in a salary negotiation.

Just be assertive and tell the salary you need for the role. Be prepared to walk if they do not give it. Its really pretty simple

You can't offer to do the work of three full-time jobs.
You'd completely burn yourself out to try, and if you were successful at all, you'd call into question why three people are being employed at all...

You can negotiate, but that isn't a point of negotiation. They won't save £220k by hiring you.

Did they explain why they'd reduced the salary you'd asked for?

@YouveGotAFastCar great nickname - actually the two going on maternity dont have massive jobs but have been around a while so are needed. I dont think it would add a lot to my current role really.

@YouveGotAFastCar i felt like my boss plucked a number out of the air knowing id want more/will negotiate

I wouldn't get into a discussion about the future maternity cover situation.

Just explain that the offer is considerably lower than you expected and indeed below market, but that you would accept the role for X pay. Just be clear and professional.

Just stand your ground and tell them you can't accept any less than the figure you originally gave to them.

Yeah don't give reasons. Say what you will accept and be prepared to walk away if they don't match it.

Do it in email after you get their formal offer. Eg thank you so much I am very excited to join the team … I am looking for a starting salary of xx. Please do let me know if you can improve on your offer and I would be delighted to start with immediate effect.

It is cheaper for them to pay you a bit more than recruit and pay temps. At very least they will meet you in middle

You’d be insane to offer to cover 2 other roles as well as your own when they go on maternity leave, it’s a ridiculous proposal and even more ridiculous to raise this during salary negotiations.

And talk about shitting on your colleagues… “yeah no need for maternity cover for you two, I can do both your jobs while doing my own full time job too”.

You seem to think this would be impressive, it’s really not.

There is a further option to negotiate a further defined increase in pay to coincide with completion of your probation period. You can negotiate that and get it written into your offer letter before accepting if you wish.

(by that time they will presumably have become aware of the colleagues with pregnancies as well).

And of course you have already proved yourself in the role anyway, they want you, so a probationary period is probably irrelevant.

@BornIn78 I'm friends with both the colleagues actually who are pregnant. Their roles are such that one would have had a lot less work due to some bits being handed over elsewhere. The other is very open about her role being vague/not busy. So I'm not sure why you think I'm being nasty!

These two sentences contradict each other.

I don't actually want the maternity cover as well but I think my managers will know I'm the only one who could do it as I've done both the roles before. I know my boss will think he can get me in cheap and get me to do it all. But I want to get paid for it.

@quarrelmerchant I didnt explain it well, they have been around ages and have other historical knowledge about the company so cannot ever be let go. As such, they have a relatively easy job now which can be covered.

@Newgirls yes, I'm a lot cheaper as a perm than a temp.

I know my boss will think he can get me in cheap and get me to do it all. But I want to get paid for it.

So you negotiate your salary for the actual job you are being employed to do, if the question of supporting maternity cover comes up you negotiate the additional tasks and additional salary (eg an acting up allowance if appropriate) at that time. The reality is if you’re all the same grade you may be expected to cover part of their tasks as part of being a team player, you can’t negotiate your substantive salary based on what may happen in future, nor can you commit to covering two jobs on top of your current role.

@Jellycatspyjamas thank you, you're right, I won't mention the maternity covers and will try and cover my own role only. I'll probably end up having to do the maternity covers I feel but if I feel ballsy, ill ask for an acting up for that.

I'm not great with negotiating and tend to just feel grateful for a job

Hi all, thanks for all the advice. They came back with a much better offer though no mention of the maternity cover on top of my existing role. Lessons learnt for me was to negotiate toughly, saying no early on and listing why I think I'm that value and to ask rather than be grateful for whatever I got.