If I want to ask to go in at top of salary range, do I ask when they phone to offer job?

[failingprofessional]

Is it ok to literally ask when phoned and offered the job whether I can go in at top of advertised salary? If I can't it's too much of a pay cut and I can't justify it, so it is make or break on whether I take it or not, really.

So you enjoyed a salary commensurate with your role but you're advising OP to ask for less than the top end?

A word of caution… even if you go for top end of salary range and get offered job, going forward you may find that salary increases aren’t as significant. I work for a large organisation (30k people) and increases are targeted at those at bottom end of scale. Not fair for all!

You need to read my posts again. Nowhere did I say that the OP should ask for less. What I said was that the OP should be cautious going straight in with a number, and should take the overall package, the market, their own skills and experience etc all into consideration.

In fact I didn't enjoy a salary commensurate with my role. I actually enjoyed a salary which was commensurate with the skills, experience and value that I brought to the role, which was my point to the OP.

Don't ask if its okay.

Tell them you would love to be able to accept their offer. For you to be able to do that, the salary would need to be x amount.
Remind them of what value you'd bring.
... Then if they say yes straight away great
If they say they need time.
Then be very nice and polite. But also ask by what date can you expect to hear back from them at the latest.

This then gives you a reason to chase by a certain date if you hear nothing.

You did say 'I'd always be cautious about going in right at the top of the band, but it depends on the rest of the package' etc.

OP does feel she deserves the top end so no need to talk her down.

In fact I didn't enjoy a salary commensurate with my role. I actually enjoyed a salary which was commensurate with the skills, experience and value that I brought to the role, which was my point to the OP.

Oh lordy, way to nitpick

HappiestSleeping, I did read your other posts. You’re backtracking now to suggest it’s the way op asks that is the concern (although she hasn’t said anything to suggest she doesn’t know how to ask appropriately), but those earlier posts clearly suggest asking for the top level is very risky unless you fulfil all requirements and to do so can be seen as arrogant.

I stand by what I said. This is bad advice.

OP does feel she deserves the top end so no need to talk her down.

And as I said, as long as she articulates that and doesn't just go in with "I want x number", she should be fine. I wasn't talking her down, just helping her negotiate more effectively.

Oh lordy, way to nitpick

Wasn't meant to be nitpicky, just pointing out that negotiation can be effective and not to be limited by published numbers. I exceeded the advertised salary, and again as I said earlier, it is likely that the employer will have a budget that goes beyond the advertised salary (barring some public sector roles with established pay bands). I though the point of the thread was to help the OP to get the best deal, apologies if I got it wrong.

Yes do it when they offer it. I did and got it. If they really like you they will just go for it.

Definitely wait until they offer you the job. Definitely explain the salary you need in order to accept. If they won't negotiate on salary, ask for terms to compensate (eg reduced hours, more holidays). I did this in my last job, and they gave me the extra money.

Ask at offer stage, otherwise someone will need to redo the offer letter etc. negotiate hard, are shares included?

As a hiring manager at a few different companies we would never go for more than the bottom spot salary, ours are normally quoted as up too with a salary range 80-100% never known anyone start on more.

thats across water companies and local government, mind we paid well to start with so wasn’t too bad, dont hold out much hope

100%
just say I saw on the advert the MRP range was x to y
with my skills, background and experience I feel I am well qualified for the role and would like to be put at the top of the range in order for me to accept
perfectly fine

we wouldn't agree at my company IF you were stretching into the role OR if the team had much more expertise/ experience and were on lower but the absolute worst we'd do is offer less we'd never whip the offer away

I went into a job on the top of the salary band, it was a responsible job and it had a decent salary to match.
What happened after was that I was stuck there with nothing more than normal annual cost of living increases as I had nowhere to go.
Someone who was doing a similar job came in at the bottom and had caught me up within 5 years with enhanced raises to get them to the anchor point.
I did get bonuses which made up for it, but I loved the job, but the rises were negotiable.

I would say this is what is supposed to happen tho
any team of people doing the same role have a normal distribution around 100 (above and below)
and each year when a manager gets their budget for pay increases it is aligned with the increase in the 100% level
but you use more on those at the lower end of that curve
within 5 years with good performance people should be then paid the same as the MRP 100% and the same as people with 5 years more experience doing the same role unless it's incredibly specialized industry

you got the benefit of having that extra pay for 5 years more which is great surely better than being the person paid less to do the exact same job as you to the same ability and standard 🤷‍♀️

the idea being at that point (at the top of your band ) you either stay put by choice or move up to a more senior role
thus certainly in my eyes is not a reason to not go for the top end of the pay scale

That's a very disparaging, racist and sexist comment.

Sorry, I don't quite understand. You have a salary in mind but you post a range of 80-100% of that? But would only ever offer the bottom, so 80%? Or you offer 100% but candidates don't know that's not an increase for you just the base you were expecting?

“What salary is being offered with the position please?”

XYZ

”is that negotiable at all as it is currently lower than my former employment?”

No

“Please could you send me over the contract of employment including salary and benefits to consider over the weekend/evening please?”

why?

”I’m completely sold with the company, your ethos, etc but my immediate thoughts are that I cannot afford to go to a lower salary, however I’m reluctant to say no, so I’d prefer to sleep on it”

you can then spend the time with less pressure weighing up the pros and cons of the contract - you may find it offers more holidays or more benefits that are worth it - or completely not. It may show you’re serious about a higher salary and encourage them to negotiate.

if they’re not happy with you taking the time to consider what’s best for you then they’re not the right employer.

I disagree with most of the people here as wouldn’t waste my time interviewing if I didn’t know they could pay me what I wanted. I have that conversation right upfront.
My current role I told them my minimum, they counter offered, I said no as advised, my minimum is X and they gave it to me. I also then negotiated holidays and notice period.
If they want you then they’ll pay you the top end of the salary bracket.

This can be more feasible in the private sector than in the public sector, where managers have to make a case for employing someone above the bottom of the payscale. The worse they can say is no.

Can you afford to go in any lower, if you want the job, with a view to being part way up the scale and reducing the length of the climb, so to speak.