Job interview - Salary negotiation?

beach-mom · ‎03-09-2010

DD is going to an interview with a major company and will be faced with this. DH and I can't help because we never had to worry about this in our career fields. When she went with her present company she was pretty naive, right out of school, and took what they offered. Once she got there, she found out her pay was considerably lower than almost everyone else - including people who came in after she was hired, were less qualified for the job, and are doing the same job.

This time she has a range (she did some research). IF they bring this up it will be easy for her to mention the range. But if they offer her a salary lower than she would like, should she ask for a little more, or should she accept what they offer? The pay might be a little lower, but if the working conditions are better. . .(?)

She's a sweet girl and she's good with people, but she's a tad introverted. She's really nervous about this!

Any advice for her from anyone in the corporate world? TIA!

hippityhop27 · ‎10-03-2011

I would recommend her to negotiate. Since she knows the market range for the position it sounds like she is prepared which is a good thing.

Assuming the initial offer they make her is lower than she wants, she should counter offer but at a higher number than she truly wants/expects with the intent that they will counter her offer and settle somewhere in between.

Best of luck to her!

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@hippityhop27 wrote:
I would recommend her to negotiate. Since she knows the market range for the position it sounds like she is prepared which is a good thing.
Assuming the initial offer they make her is lower than she wants, she should counter offer but at a higher number than she truly wants/expects with the intent that they will counter her offer and settle somewhere in between.
Best of luck to her!

@beach-mom

Stop what you're doing right now and google "how to negotiate a job offer" .... really good stuff came up.

One thing that worked for me personally when the salary seemed a little low and was presumably not negotiable .... I asked for a Signing Bonus instead. It worked and I had a small lump sum coming into the job.

I'm sure you'll get even more ideas here ... Good Luck to your daughter!

Kitlynn · ‎03-09-2010

Listen to the offered wage and all the benefits that the company says go with the position. Then ask about how often raises are given and what they are based on. She should wait to see if they offer her the job and then if they do and she feels like she needs more mone or benefits then that would be the time to negotiate. She also needs to make sure she gets what they agree upon in writing and not just go by what they say they will do. It can be done in a way that just comes across as showing intitiave and not rude or as having a false sense of entitilement.

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

@beach-momRetired from the corporate rat race.

"it will be easy for her to mention the range."

Never mention to the party "the range." The person expects that an interviewee would have done some research.

Wait for the interviewer to mention an amount first. Then you go from there.

"if they offer her a salary lower than she would like, should she ask for a little more, or should she accept what they offer?"

Negotiate for more AND let them know WHY you are worth more.

NEVER accept the FIRST offer unless it's too good to be true! If your daughter has a top notch resume & same has been checked by the company, some companies will offer a better amount than what the interviewee had in mind.

If the offer is within your daughter TOP range, take the offer but ASK if she can have 24 hrs to think it over.

If the offer is lower than your daughter's projected amount, she should ask about "perks" to compensate.......better health plan, etc.

HTH

Is this a call back interview??

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

nomless · ‎03-10-2010

It depends on the job market in her geo location, IMO. Here, there are so many interviewees that trying to negotiate will end the process and the company will move on to its next choice. It's a take it or leave market here. Things might be different in her area.

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

Yes, she should state what she thinks is appropriate. She comes to the job with experience and working knowledge. So she should be compensated accordingly.

No way should she settle for the low part of the range.

nycgrl · ‎05-08-2012

Being in the corporate world I would first ask does she need the job and can she afford to be picky? How is the job market where she is interviewing - are there other options/companies vying for her? Never, ever talk money at a first interview unless the subject is brought up by the interviewer. Only then can that topic be addressed. Benefits, bonuses, etc. are counted as total salary and are added to the company's bottom line. Is she in a profession where there is overtime or is it a salaried position. Things these days are not like they used to be. There are a lot of people for 1 job. No one is indispensible. Going in confident, well-spoken, knowledgeable in her field and well-groomed will help her to stand out. Never accept the first offer and don't be afraid to walk away (as long as you can afford to).

libbyannE · ‎10-27-2010

I am not sure why you are asking because if she is a professional out in the world, she needs to be on top of this on her own! And she probably is. She has probably asked colleagues about this and googled the topic if she is self-motivated. You sound like a loving mom to be asking, though. The thing is, every company operates differently in terms of how much flexibility there is in offering money and benefits, not that one shouldn't ask in an interview. If the interview(s) go well and she is offered a job and she knows the salary offer is at the bottom of an industry range, she should negotiate, say how much she wants to work for THIS and why and say she expected such-and-such an amount and cite specifics of why SHE is worth that and what she can contribute to the organization.