How do I negotiate?

[Catmandew]

Hi everyone,

I have an interview coming up for a job in the same organization I am currently employed.

I work as a registered nurse for a hospital/healthcare system. I have been employed here for about 3 years and have 5 years experience overall. I reside in central New York.

My question is as follows:

How do I negotiate? - I have read negotiation tips, etc and am well versed, but I have encounter a rather odd scenario with my organization's HR/Management interviewing and salary process.

I was hired as a staff RN when I entered this organization. Soon after, I was offered a position as a supervisor. When I interviewed for the supervisor position, I had a interview with the HR recruiter and then the manager of the respective unit. (Which is the typical process.) HOWEVER, during the preliminary interview with the HR recruiter they threw me the salary I was going to be paid right then and there and I didn't know how to react. (Before I interviewed with the manager or even had an offer.)

How do I navigate this? Can I negotiate without an offer in hand? Or do I politely defer the salary amount to later after I have the offer, even if they tell me what it is?

I am really at a loss and I am unsure if this is just a deceptive tactic employed by my HR department.

Thank you for any help.

[mak1277]

I'm basing my response on being a department head.  If I promoted someone in my department, I would simply tell them what their new salary was going to be.  There wouldn't be a negotiation....just like there is not a negotiation each year when annual raises are announced.

I think you're in a tough spot because they know exactly what you're making now and they (rightly) feel like you're going to get a benefit by being promoted. 

Maybe others have a different experience, but I'm not sure there's really much negotiation room when you're internal.

[DebtFreeBy25]

You're correct that you're facing a serious disadvantage as an internal applicant because HR knows exactly what your current compensation is and exactly what your current position entails. I would wait until they officially offer you the position before asking for more money. Yes, even though they told you exactly what the salary is you should still ask for more. No one ever gets a higher salary without asking. I would recommend saying that you're been contacted by recruiters recently and that a competitive salary for a position like this in your area is around $X.

[mxt0133]

I think it's fine that you did not say anything when they initially told you what the salary is going to be.  Your first priority is to get the offer, from there it become a more level playing field and they are more invested in getting you on board.  If you are not happy with the offer, tell them how excited you are about the new role and responsibilities that come with it, however the compensation is not the market rate for the position.  Politely state that if this is your best offer, then you cannot accept the position.  Don't try to give them an exact number, state a range, and say I will seriously consider your best offer.

But only say that if are actually willing to say no and walk away.  Only you know what you think is fair.  If you do take the offer and you feel that it is unfair then you are really going to have a difficult time when you have to go above and beyond your responsibilities.  This will just make it harder for you to excel because of the chip on your shoulder.  So my advice would be to only accept the offer that you feel is fair for what is being asked for the new role.

[lthenderson]

I'm basing my response on being a department head.  If I promoted someone in my department, I would simply tell them what their new salary was going to be.  There wouldn't be a negotiation....just like there is not a negotiation each year when annual raises are announced.

I think you're in a tough spot because they know exactly what you're making now and they (rightly) feel like you're going to get a benefit by being promoted.

I think this is spot on. I would definitely do your research on market values for your position in your area to see how if falls in line. However, I always ask people what the worst case can be in a situation. In this case, the worst case could be you stepping on toes by appearing to be more interested in money than the promotion (assuming you ask for more money) and you are soon shown the door. I've seen it happen though it usually happens during the next economic slowdown for the company.

[frompa]

Your best bet in negotiating is to keep as much uncertain as you can -- for example, you could say, "I can't commit to these more challenging work conditions until I see a solid salary offer." Or, "I'll have to assume that's not the final word on salary," and keep on going.  I disagree that you harm yourself by appearing more interested in more $ than in the promotion.  For god's sake, it's work... of COURSE you're interested primarily in the $.  Don't undervalue your own time and commitment.  Even though as an internal candidate they know your current salary, which is a negative in this negotiation, they also know your drive and talent -- and that is in your favor.  You don't want to look like you are making your superiors jump through hoops for no reason, so you are best off stating at the outset and repeatedly, "I won't know if I can take the position until I see the full scope of what's being required me and the solid word on salary."  It's difficult to negotiate for oneself, but you can do yourself a big favor by giving considerable thought up front to what terms you'd find acceptable, write down these terms, and then work from your head, not your heart.  Refer to your written terms throughout the process. If your employer can't or won't meet your salary requirements, then perhaps you can't get an additional few weeks of vacation or some other substitute of value to you.  Good luck. 

[Guesl982374]

Internal promotions are very difficult to negotiate. Most don't get to negotiate internal moves because your employer knows everything and they aren't trying to entice you to join.

My advise:

1) Research what a similar job pays on the open market (salary.com, glassdoor.com, recruiters, etc)
2) Compare what's been verbally said vs. your research
3) Wait for an official offer
4) If the spread is large / you know the employer is taking advantage of you, you have two choices

[Guesl982374]

Internal promotions are very difficult to negotiate. Most don't get to negotiate internal moves because your employer knows everything and they aren't trying to entice you to join. They know you will most likely take the opportunity regardless if they offer more money or not.

My advice:

1) Research what a similar job pays on the open market (salary.com, glassdoor.com, recruiters, etc)
2) Compare what's been verbally said vs. your research
3) Wait for an official offer
4) If the spread is large / you know the employer is taking advantage of you, you have a choice
    4a) Take the job at the lower pay to get the experience as a supervisor with the intent of moving on after 1-2 years to get "market" pay. Once you have experience and a competing job offer in hand it'll be time to try to negotiate but know that there is a high likelihood that you'll need to change companies
    4b) Make the comment that you love the company / culture / team / work (that's its paradise on earth) and want to be fairly compensated vs. the market so you aren't tempted to leave after 1-2 years by a higher offer. Show your research and offer to come in at 25-50 percentile of the bell curve (you are inexperienced after all)

Don't set your expectations too high. I spent two years getting experienced in a much bigger role at a significant discount to market but left the company to take a 40% bump in pay.