Negotiating a Salary

[93LXHORSE]

When a potential employer tells you what the max budget is for a position, and is willing to give at least that, do you think he can be pushed for more?

I do. But what is your experience?

I interviewed for a position today and was told what the budget allowed. Then towards the end of the interview he realized I could do the job PLUS fill a role he was going to think about hiring a second person for.

Now, I am not saying I can get 2 salaries, but I bet I have some negotiating power, and I should have the balls to counter if it comes to an offer, yes?

He told me I would come in at the top of the range, but that shouldn't scare me from pushing for more, I believe...

[ram57ta]

I negotiated nearly 10k over what my current job offered me initially based on my level of experience as well as getting them to cover moving costs and putting me up in a nice hotel for a month and a half while I looked for a home. They also flew me out to Albuquerque for the interview, walkaround, put me up in a nice hotel and treated me to a bbq while I was there.
It's worked out nicely so far 2 years later.

[BlackGT]

Ask for what you want, they can always say no or counter offer back...
But be prepared to defend/explain why you are asking for that amount.

[JV106]

You only get the things in life you negotiate for. He might be telling the truth, maybe not. If you push it too far you just won't get the job.

More importantly who are you negotiating with? If this dude has bosses telling him what he can pay someone he's probably telling you the truth. If it's his call and there's no other boss.. who knows what you can negotiate for if he really wants you.

[LANTIRN]

Few employers seem to negotiate anymore. I have lost potential jobs just because of previous higher pay even though I was willing to take less for personal reasons. I was even told once I didn't want the job because the commute was too far for me, as if he knows what I think is too far. All employers aren't like this, obviously, but there seemed to be more like that during my last job search 1.5 years ago, vs my ones before that. Only thing I could figure that really changed was more people out of work so they were being very picky trying to get people very cheap. Just my more recent experiences.

[93LXHORSE]

I am negotiating directly with the owner of the company. And this job is a pay cut in salary, but I'm going to be in my own bed every night instead of in a hotel room and that is worth a lot.

Also I would be getting very specific training to fill a gap in my career skill set. The piece I've begged previous companies for.

I would be fine with what they are already offering - I just don't want to leave any money on the table.

[Sgt Beavis]

1. find out what that 'budget' is based on? Is it based on how much revenue you're expected to bring in? If so, can you show that you traditionally bring in more revenue?
2. If he thinks you can fill two positions, then he should tell you the budget for that 2nd position and give you a cut of it.
3. Sell yourself as the damn Messiah here to walk on water and rock his damn world.

I don't normally talk to companies that don't negotiate. If they want me in a box from a salary point of view then they want me in a box from a working point of view. The last time I was job hunting, I ran the gambit of negotiating tactics. I had one HR that demanded my previous pay and insisted I would only be offered 10% more than that at best. I then called the VP of that company that was interviewing me and told him his HR had cost him his best potential candidate.

Another contracting company, in Plano, offered me a pretty decent position helping them create an entire new practice. They offered a pretty large commission but the base pay was too low for me to make it work. I only wanted a small bump in base pay and I worked with their own commission formula to make it work right for them. They wouldn't budge. We went back and forth for three weeks until VMware came along and offered me a large bump in base pay along with a large commission...

I didn't negotiate with VMware at all. I had an earnings goal and they GREATLY surpassed it. I get a base pay that is higher than it was a HP and I get commissions and quarterly bonuses.

[slow99]

I had an earnings goal and they GREATLY surpassed it.

Well, of course.

[sc281]

You could always channel Jester, with a Sean88gt lawyer twist.

1. Ask for the salary you want. When he declines, jump up on the desk, pull out your hawg and wiggle it a bit. When he freaks out call him a homophobe and tell him you'll report him to the EEOC.

2.???

3. New job!*

* May or may not be ballwasher for the prison's "golf game" Where it's always a hole in 1.

[Big A]

Be realistic about what you're bringing to the table from a revenue aspect, and the salary should be in line with that. If you think that the job and what you bring to it are worth more, and you have the means to prove it, then ask for more. If you're just wanting to ask for more for the sake of bargaining, that sounds like a good way to lose out on an otherwise good opportunity.

[93LXHORSE]

If you're just wanting to ask for more for the sake of bargaining, that sounds like a good way to lose out on an otherwise good opportunity.

Good point. I like to bargain... but this guy already through his top figure at me and it's quite fair actually.

But I am also taking a big pay cut for the sake of being at home all the time.. and though it's certainly worth it, I am angling to get some of it back in my pocket..

[LANTIRN]

Good point. I like to bargain... but this guy already through his top figure at me and it's quite fair actually.

But I am also taking a big pay cut for the sake of being at home all the time.. and though it's certainly worth it, I am angling to get some of it back in my pocket..

That is good, but don't forget what you said either about them wanting you to cover two positions. In my opinion that itself warrants a higher pay; I would negotiate on that alone just because I know most shitty companies will try to overload you with work and don't want to compensate you for it.

[Big A]

You also should be prepared to absorb all responsibilities of the second job if you go that route, don't expect them to pay you more for some of the overlap, and then and hire someone else for half a job and salary.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk

[txstangnut]

Good point. I like to bargain... but this guy already through his top figure at me and it's quite fair actually.

But I am also taking a big pay cut for the sake of being at home all the time.. and though it's certainly worth it, I am angling to get some of it back in my pocket..

I doubt he will go past his top dollar based on what has happened to me. If you do ask for more which is your choice you could run the risk of losing the job.

Another thing to consider is are you going to complain about your salary 6 mo from now and how much of a cut you took.

If you are at the top of the pay scale will there ever be raises? Would you be ok with not getting another raise.

I had a similar situation. I was offered a job with a huge pay cut but it was closer to home, one more holiday, better insurance and a better retirement. The company I went to work for refused to move on money so it was take it or leave it. It hurt to take a cut that big but I wanted to get somewhere I could retire from someday.

[ceyko]

One option that sometimes works, is take X pay now and Y pay after 6 months after proving yourself worthy of it. i.e. start at 20K a year and if things are working the way they expect, you get bumped to 30K.

Plenty of risks there, but it has worked for me in the past but I know others that it has failed them. In those situations the employment is short lived due to frustration.