Job offer via company - Advice on salary negotiations

Grumpy_chap

I think the OP should accept this job at the £27.5k or £28k that has been offered.
Then show through performance how they are worth more to the employer to secure that pay rise.
If that remains unsatisfactory, the OP can still look to move on in a reasonable while.

At this point in time, the OP would appear not to match the criteria for the other companies that are offering higher salaries.  Perhaps, with a couple of years of experience and demonstrable excellent performance in the roles and company that is currently available, the OP will have the extra that the other companies are setting for their criteria.

Charlotte_Ca

Marcon said:

Charlotte_Ca said:

Anyhow, she called me to offer me the job for £27,500 and I said if we would be able to negotiate. 

Anyhow... what shall I do I'm thinking now. Go back and negotiate for minimum £30K or £28K? The thing is that on the phone she told me they cannot do £30K... so I can still insist?

Last month you were looking for £27K https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6529950/job-via-recruiter-when-to-negotiate-salary#latest, so what's wrong with taking at job offering £500 more than that?

You can try insisting on anything, but you almost certainly won't get the job.

Because that was a role only partially relevant to my industry and I didn't have many points to negotiate a higher salary. I would be willing to accept it so I can get more experience and also just have a job really.

But this job now is in my industry and could negotiate better if I could.

Charlotte_Ca

I think by putting down my thoughts and reading all the comments maybe the best I could do if I wanted to negotiate the salary would be to ask £28K which is the maximum they are offering for this role.

I'm just wondering.... could they be offering their employees more and because I'm a newbie they want to pay me less?

Marcon

Charlotte_Ca said:

I think by putting down my thoughts and reading all the comments maybe the best I could do if I wanted to negotiate the salary would be to ask £28K which is the maximum they are offering for this role.

I'm just wondering.... could they be offering their employees more and because I'm a newbie they want to pay me less?

Probably - pretty standard approach - but that won't improve your negotiating position (or negotiating skills). Unless someone actually offers you a job paying more than this one, then for the moment this is going to be the best you can get.

Grumpy_chap

Charlotte_Ca said:

I'm just wondering.... could they be offering their employees more and because I'm a newbie they want to pay me less?

That is possible, but I have typically found the opposite to be more prevalent.

Whether and how you decide to negotiate is your own choice but it is important to be careful that negotiating does not see the offer withdrawn.  Your bargaining position is not as strong as it might be, considering that you advised you are currently out of work. 

The £500 difference before tax is £400 after tax, so <£35 per month.  As you said upthread, it would not be painful to a large company to pay you another £2k per year.  The company might also say it is not painful to the individual to have £35 less per month.  They might see someone quibbling over such an amount as a potential trouble-maker and that is not a starting point for a new role that I would recommend.

Good luck

Charlotte_Ca

Marcon said:

Charlotte_Ca said:

I think by putting down my thoughts and reading all the comments maybe the best I could do if I wanted to negotiate the salary would be to ask £28K which is the maximum they are offering for this role.

I'm just wondering.... could they be offering their employees more and because I'm a newbie they want to pay me less?

Probably - pretty standard approach - but that won't improve your negotiating position (or negotiating skills). Unless someone actually offers you a job paying more than this one, then for the moment this is going to be the best you can get.

That makes me feel sad because I feel disadvantaged on salary negotiations being unemployed and not being able to back down out of need for a job.... I mean if didn't like the job I would have said no, but the thing is that I like the job and the company.

It's like if ever anything happens and you cannot work then when you go back to the market it's like you start from zero... and it's like where have all these years that I've worked gone? Do they not count anymore?  

Marcon

Charlotte_Ca said:

Marcon said:

Charlotte_Ca said:

I think by putting down my thoughts and reading all the comments maybe the best I could do if I wanted to negotiate the salary would be to ask £28K which is the maximum they are offering for this role.

I'm just wondering.... could they be offering their employees more and because I'm a newbie they want to pay me less?

Probably - pretty standard approach - but that won't improve your negotiating position (or negotiating skills). Unless someone actually offers you a job paying more than this one, then for the moment this is going to be the best you can get.

That makes me feel sad because I feel disadvantaged on salary negotiations being unemployed and not being able to back down out of need for a job.... I mean if didn't like the job I would have said no, but the thing is that I like the job and the company.

It's like if ever anything happens and you cannot work then when you go back to the market it's like you start from zero... and it's like where have all these years that I've worked gone? Do they not count anymore?  

No good feeling sad; that's real life. You need to get back into work and then prove your worth - that's how you capitalise on your skills and experience. 

Good luck!

LinLui

Companies are offering £30-£32K and I know because I've been on the market and had discussions with them. 

None of the companies you have had discussions with are offering you a job though! It is six months into the year, and you say that you have been looking since January. So they are also not rushing to offer you a job at £29k or £28k either. Knowing "your worth" is all very well, but unfortunately, right now, your worth is a benefits payment. Taking the job doesn't mean you have to stop looking if you genuinely believe that you can get more. But bear in mind that the company also genuinely believe they can get someone else! I'd suggest you take the job before they do. 

Charlotte_Ca

Grumpy_chap said:

Charlotte_Ca said:

I'm just wondering.... could they be offering their employees more and because I'm a newbie they want to pay me less?

That is possible, but I have typically found the opposite to be more prevalent.

Whether and how you decide to negotiate is your own choice but it is important to be careful that negotiating does not see the offer withdrawn.  Your bargaining position is not as strong as it might be, considering that you advised you are currently out of work. 

The £500 difference before tax is £400 after tax, so <£35 per month.  As you said upthread, it would not be painful to a large company to pay you another £2k per year.  The company might also say it is not painful to the individual to have £35 less per month.  They might see someone quibbling over such an amount as a potential trouble-maker and that is not a starting point for a new role that I would recommend.

Good luck

I don't think that if I was to do a counter offer on the salary they would withdrawn the offer. The very least they would say sorry we cannot accommodate the request. 

But yes, it might look bad on them that I'm making a fuss about it for £500. 

I don't know. I think I'm leaning more towards to just accepting what they offered, start the job, prove I can do it well and that I'm an asset and then when time comes discuss the salary with them in a few months time.

Emmia

I'd say your negotiating position is weak, as you're unemployed and so can't "stay with your current employer" if they don't offer what you're seeking. 

I'd take the job, but keep looking - if you're genuinely worth £30k+ someone else will offer it, but they're more likely to do so if you're employed already.