Do salary bands invite negotiation?

[ExtraHotDoubleShot]

I’ve been offered an interview for a teaching job. The salary band is massive (15k). As the job would entail extra commuting and childcare on my part, only a salary at the midpoint upwards would make it financially viable for me.

The interview is extensive and requires a lot of preparation, which I don’t want to do if ultimately the salary will be fixed at the starting point.

Would it be acceptable to email in advance and ask if there would be room for negotiation on salary?

Thanks

I once negotiated to start at the middle of a salary band when interviewing for a job. But I didn't say I would have an expensive commute and childcare costs (at the time I had neither, but I don't think I would have used this as my argument even if I did). Instead I pointed out the experience I had and the amount I was earning in the role I would be leaving to take the job. In the role I was leaving I had reached the top end of my salary band and that was about the same amount of money as the middle of the band in my new job. So if they had started me at the bottom of the band I would have been earning less money than in my previous job.

Thanks, they invited applications from newly graduated people but I’m graduated with 10 years of industry experience in a very well regarded role. So I’m hoping that will give me some leverage.

Negotiate using your skills and experience - don’t mention the childcare and travel costs. To be blunt, that is not the employers concern. They will only pay more for your skills, not your extra personal costs.

By all means negotiate, do make it about things they care about, what you will bring to the role and how much value you will add.

If they are targeting new graduates, they may not have the budget to choose someone with more experience. If they spend on you, they would need to cut elsewhere.

I’d focus on selling myself first and bagging the job THEN negotiating
if you start asking about salary expectations first it might put them off!
that would be my concern 🙁

In my current role the salary band advertised was also huge. My salary at the time of applying was towards the top end of this band which I told the recruiter. They effectively offered me the highest point of the band and then I managed to negotiate a bit more on top.

I'd only negotiate on salary once I had the offer. Once they've decided they want you you have more power than pre-interview.

i was asked by the internal recruiter prior to a first interview if I was aware of the advertised salary and was ok with that. I responded saying that I was aware, my current salary was within the range but close to the top so the high end of the band was ok with me but I wouldn’t accept a pay cut. I then didn’t bring it up again until I got an offer and probably wouldn’t have raised it myself if not asked by the recruiter.

Wasn’t it great when you had to state on an application form what your current salary was? So much easier for everyone. Recruiter knows where they stand! They know you will cost more and then can make a decision based on your skills when compared to others. What’s the point of interviewing you if they will only pay at the bottom of the scale.

If you get the job, negotiate. Don’t say about your costs. Talk about your experience.

What kind of teaching job? Do you have a PGCE? Industry experience sounds like something different.

Teaching salaries are well established and the main pay scale reflects the years of experience that you have in that role, They are pretty fixed and there is not usually much room for manoeuvre.

I was thinking the same thing. Is it a job in a school? If it’s an academy maybe it makes a difference. Or a private school. No teaching job I’ve ever experienced has room or negotiation on salary and they certainly wouldn’t have been interested in how much my commute or childcare cost.
Fascinated to know what kind of place this job is for.

@Smartiepants79 I’ve appointed teachers and heads. On a 15 point scale there is room to move a good candidate up. Industry experience can also be valued and used to raise the salary but the school needs to evaluate the Op against other candidates who might be cheaper. Staff getting promotion in a small school, having taught in a big school, can be on a higher salary point due to size of school . You don’t find them a pay cut. If the Op is worth more, she can be offered more but it means evaluating her experience.