Negotiating starting pay - local council

[signsofspring123]

I have been offered an admin job with our local council. I am way over qualified and experienced but due to time out of work for caring responsibilities I am starting again. In my favour they also let slip I was by far the best candidate.

It is advertised as "starting salary £24 - £26452".
I currently earn £24, 500 so wondering how I approach pay negotiations.
I understand the local councils pay bands are pretty rigid but given this is a starting salary pay band there must be room for negotiating. Ideally I am looking to start on at least £25, 5000.

Any advice much appreciated

Don't expect the payrise until Nov or Dec!!!!!! Although it should be backdated

Without wanting to seem greedy Im now wondering if I try and push for another point on the scale, especially given how quickly the first offer was made.

I wouldn’t at this stage, you asked, they offered an increase and a further increase in 6 months. If you came back to me again I’d think you were taking the piss.

Fair enough!

Hard agree.

I know what you mean OP as at my last job I asked for quite a bit over the starting salary (though still within the advertised range) and they agreed immediately which made me wish I’d gone for the top of the scale with my ask. But coming in slightly below meant both sides could agree while looking reasonable, and gave scope for a payrise within the grade as well.

I am now wondering when I hand in my notice. I am temping so theoretically only need to give a week but wouldn't do that to my colleagues.

I've had the "congratulations" letter from HR advising the offer and contract will be posted out asap - am I good to go giving a month's notice when that arrives should I wait for references to come back?

Name change fail 🙄

I wouldn’t resign until I had contract in hand, personally

Local authorities are notoriously slow at collecting references and doing any pre-start checks. Wait until you have the contract and an agreed start date or you could find yourself out of work while you wait.

Wait till you have a signed contract and agreed start date. HR teams in LAs can be v slow due to their workloads

Thank you.

One strange question (to me anyway) has been asked...

Nowhere in the application did I state my DoB, nor are there dates against my education.
I listed my employment back to 2000.

HR have asked what I was doing before 2000 and my suspicions are that they are fishing for my age. Surely they are not interested in my work history before that point and it just seems odd.

Am 52 BTW

HR won't be interested in your age, so there'll be some other reason why they want your entire work history. Will you be working in a school or in social work, or in some way dealing with sensitive information?

There are some jobs that need a full working history for safeguarding - some local authorities require it for all jobs as part of safer recruitment practices.

Not a "sensitve" role as far as I know, admin for regulatory services

So standard practice then?

Yes I think some just as standard want full work history. I very much doubt it's an ageism thing, every LA I have worked for has been very good about employing older people /disabled people etc.

I know this is an old post, but could anyone advise on how long is normal for shortlisting an application with the council for an interview?