Author Topic: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations  (Read 9904 times)

Good_Juju

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Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« on: September 30, 2016, 02:02:39 PM »
Guys. I am so nervous. I got a job offer on Wednesday for a position that seems cool and in a location that I am trying to move to (about an hour away from where I am now). The salary seemed great, since it is an 11% raise for me! However, their benefits kinda suck. When I looked at the total compensation of their offer against what I'm making now, I'm actually about $300 worse off taking their offer. Considering that the 401k match is less, my current company contributes to my HSA, and the costs of my health and dental insurance would go up 300%. The cost of living there would be higher there as well. I think for a similar size apartment to what I have now I'd be looking at $300 more per month. The biggest thing that I had a problem with was having 2 weeks less of vacation/paid holidays.

Wednesday evening I wrote out an email to send back to them with how I would like the offer to be higher. I sent it out to a few people that I respect their opinion and received feedback on it. Thursday at 9:30 I sent the email asking for $6k additional and 2 more weeks of vacation. They responded at lunch on Thursday saying basically hell no to the vacation and that they would have to ask someone else about the salary and get back to me.

I was supposed to be giving my answer about the position today. Instead I'm waiting for them to get back to me. I'm just nervous sitting here waiting but I know I probably shouldn't call because the ball is in their court and I don't want to sound nervous about it. I really do want to get up to that area. My boyfriend already has a job there and our lease ends in a few months so I feel pressured to get a job before then, but he has said that he would support whatever decision I make. I just don't want to sell myself short. I enjoy my current position. I feel so scattered brained just waiting to hear back. Any positive vibes or advice on what to do would be great. At what point should I reach out to them if I haven't heard back?
« Last Edit: September 30, 2016, 02:05:31 PM by Good_Juju »

Bruinguy

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2016, 02:43:45 PM »
It seems the ball is in their court.  I wouldn't be surprised for it to take a few days for them to consider and get back to you.  I'd say wait until Monday afternoon to follow up.

Good luck!

mm1970

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2016, 02:59:17 PM »
Good luck.

The vacation would be a no-go for me.  I'm capped out at 34 days PTO (includes sick) and last place I interviewed offered me 19. Um, no.

I'd be willing to lose a week, but many places want you to start at 2 wks vacation, 9 holiday, and 5 sick.  Nope, huh uh, no way.

caracarn

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2016, 03:10:19 PM »
Seems like you have a few conflicts here.  You like your current job yet you want to leave it to move with your boyfriend, which seems important, but then you get hung up over a $300 shortfall?  I get the not selling yourself short, but if timing is the big factor, you are up against taking what you can get, or else waiting for something else.  Unless you are in a senior role, I find it is very, very rare that they will give you extra vacation to start beyond and extra week, so the no is not a surprise.  I get I probably have a different perspective than most, as I do not go for the entitlement that seems to have become  a lot more prevalent in the work force lately.   MM's comment seemed to be along those lines with the vehement denial of taking anything less than what was earned with a long tenure somewhere else.  A new employer does not "owe" it to any of us to match what was earned elsewhere.  You have done nothing for the new employer yet.

I agree you need to just wait and see what happens.  You are not asking for a huge amount of money as an increase so that seems reasonable.  If you placed your rationale in the request, that you would be taking a step back, they should see that the request is coming from a reasonable place. 

Good_Juju

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2016, 05:43:07 PM »
Thank you for all the well wishes.

It would be going from 3 weeks vacation and 10 paid holidays (which has been typical from my experience), to 2 weeks with 6 paid holidays. It's definitely the biggest downside of this offer for me and they have already said that they would not come up on the vacation at all. I wouldn't start accruing any vacation for 2 months, and I wouldn't go up to 3 weeks of vacation until 6 years in.

It's not that I think that I'm entitled to it...it's a matter of my priorities as well as the industry standard. I value time off, and when they are actively working to fuck their employees over on any paid leave its starting the relationship out on a bad foot.

If they will come up on the salary though it would be rather enticing just in the % increase. I could work there for a couple of years and if I'm not feeling it then I'd be in the location I want to be and have a good salary that could help in future negotiations where the benefits are likely to be better than they are with this company.
« Last Edit: September 30, 2016, 06:49:16 PM by Good_Juju »

mozar

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2016, 04:52:48 PM »
I think that a new company should offer more in order to entice you away from your current job. The best thing is to have multiple job offers so you can play them against each other. When I got an offer from my current job even though they were offering a 15% raise, I saw that that they didn't have a 401k, I asked for 4k more and they said they couldn't do that, and I said sorry, that's just not competitive with other offers. They gave the 4k, and 3 months later they started a 401k.

aschmidt2930

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2016, 08:39:33 PM »
Nothing unique to add here, but good work negotiating.  It's amazing how many people are terrified to do it, and end up really limiting their career earnings

chasesfish

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2016, 09:08:31 PM »
It's a great employment market, it's okay to negotiate.  How many other options are there in the area?

mandy_2002

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2016, 11:47:56 AM »
Did you calculate the lost vacation into your shortfall?  9 days of lost vacation/holiday pay with a salary of $50,000 per year is ~$1,700 lost, plus sanity. 

My last year at my company I had 10 holidays and 22 vacation days.  I'd have troubles with so much less than that.

Cathy

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2016, 11:54:54 AM »
Guys. I am so nervous. ...

The lesson here is always have options, so that you can negotiate from a position of strength. If you have only one job offer, everything is scary and uncertain if you negotiate it too hard. But if you have a panoply of offers to choose from, you can take risks without fear because you have so many plays open to you.

Good_Juju

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2016, 11:58:17 AM »
Did you calculate the lost vacation into your shortfall?  9 days of lost vacation/holiday pay with a salary of $50,000 per year is ~$1,700 lost, plus sanity. 

My last year at my company I had 10 holidays and 22 vacation days.  I'd have troubles with so much less than that.
Yes, I did include that in my calculation. Especially since I am looking to have 2 weeks paid out if I leave my current job. There's definitely a financial side to PTO.

« Last Edit: October 02, 2016, 12:02:37 PM by Good_Juju »

Good_Juju

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2016, 11:59:39 AM »
Guys. I am so nervous. ...

The lesson here is always have options, so that you can negotiate from a position of strength. If you have only one job offer, everything is scary and uncertain if you negotiate it too hard. But if you have a panoply of offers to choose from, you can take risks without fear because you have so many plays open to you.
How often does that realistically happen though? Obviously I'd prefer to have multiple offers but that's not where I'm at.

« Last Edit: October 02, 2016, 12:02:57 PM by Good_Juju »

Good_Juju

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2016, 12:01:47 PM »
It's a great employment market, it's okay to negotiate.  How many other options are there in the area?
There are jobs being posted in the area in my field quiet frequently.

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Good_Juju

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #13 on: October 02, 2016, 12:02:18 PM »
Since you are wanting to relocate anyway, you might consider taking this and then looking again in the local area once you are established there.  If you like the place in spite of the lower level of benefits, you can always stay, but if you can find something better then you can jump ship quickly.
Yeah this is a good idea.

mozar

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #14 on: October 02, 2016, 12:14:35 PM »
Quote
How often does that realistically happen though? Obviously I'd prefer to have multiple offers but that's not where I'm at.

It's realistic but it takes a lot of work, applying, interviewing, negotiating. Are you on LinkedIn?

Quote
There are jobs being posted in the area in my field quiet frequently.

There you go.


mm1970

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #15 on: October 03, 2016, 11:46:19 AM »
Guys. I am so nervous. ...

The lesson here is always have options, so that you can negotiate from a position of strength. If you have only one job offer, everything is scary and uncertain if you negotiate it too hard. But if you have a panoply of offers to choose from, you can take risks without fear because you have so many plays open to you.
How often does that realistically happen though? Obviously I'd prefer to have multiple offers but that's not where I'm at.

While having multiple offers at once is great, it's not typical.

But you have *two* options.  You can stay or go.  You are in the position of strength.

It's not personal.  Some companies just have stricter leave policies.  Large corporations and small. Some start everyone at 2 weeks vacation + Sick + holiday, and make you wait 5 years for the next week.  But many times these companies have 401k match, good health care benefits, and higher pay.

I would, for example, be willing to lose vacation/ PTO if the salary bump made up for it.  Because, if allowed, I'd happily take a week without pay.

The other thing that I can't tell is how old you are.  It does matter - many companies reward longevity.
In my 20s, I was in the military, so I had paid leave of 30 days a year.
Next job, I started at 4 weeks paid leave (so I lost 2 weeks).
Next job, I started at 2 weeks.
(sick/holidays not counted)

I worked my way up in job #3 to 19 days (almost 4 weeks), plus 5 sick and 9 holiday.
Changed jobs and dropped to 15 days + sick + holiday.
Now I'm up to 20 days + 5 sick and 9 holiday.  This is the cap.

My own company starts you at 10 to 15 days PTO (plus sick and holiday) depending on the # of years of experience that you have.
<5 is 10
5 to 10 is 12
>10 is 15

You earn an extra day a year, up to the cap.

If they cannot come up on vacation, or enough salary to make up for it, then I'd pass.  And keep looking.

Good_Juju

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #16 on: October 03, 2016, 12:43:09 PM »
They came up $2k and are going to include a signon/relocation bonus as well.

I'm going to take it since it is such a large salary increase and will put me in the area I want to be in, and is also a good opportunity. Thanks for all of the advice.

Captain FIRE

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #17 on: October 03, 2016, 12:53:47 PM »
It's also not an either/or situation.  You can also ask them to credit you some time towards the next vacation level.  e.g. to walk in with 3 years credit to 5 required for the next vacation bump.  Get that in writing if they agree so if it doesn't happen later because it's off cycle, you have documentation.

mxt0133

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #18 on: October 03, 2016, 01:12:22 PM »
They came up $2k and are going to include a signon/relocation bonus as well.

I'm going to take it since it is such a large salary increase and will put me in the area I want to be in, and is also a good opportunity. Thanks for all of the advice.

I'm confused you say that it's a large salary increase but with the reduced PTO and 401k math, HSA gone, and cost of living increaes you say you are worse of.

You need to take another look at your overall compensation and ensure that it compensates you adequately for the risk you are taking.  New company and new city.

However, if the opportunity was just so much better based on where you are right now.  Taking a step back to be able to take 2 steps forward might be a good strategy.  I personally have taken lower total compensation to improve quality of life which increase my hourly pay.

Good_Juju

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #19 on: October 03, 2016, 01:17:58 PM »
They came up $2k and are going to include a signon/relocation bonus as well.

I'm going to take it since it is such a large salary increase and will put me in the area I want to be in, and is also a good opportunity. Thanks for all of the advice.

I'm confused you say that it's a large salary increase but with the reduced PTO and 401k math, HSA gone, and cost of living increaes you say you are worse of.

You need to take another look at your overall compensation and ensure that it compensates you adequately for the risk you are taking.  New company and new city.

However, if the opportunity was just so much better based on where you are right now.  Taking a step back to be able to take 2 steps forward might be a good strategy.  I personally have taken lower total compensation to improve quality of life which increase my hourly pay.
Well it's a $10k increase in salary, but with the increased offer it's only about $2k more in total compensation. I don't think it's a high enough offer for the risk of leaving my job. However, the higher salary looks really nice on paper and in the future when I look for different work I would have a nicer figure to present, so I think that would be very good.

I think the thing that tipped me over the edge on the decision is that there is another company that is trying to get me on-site for an interview. When I asked about the salary range they gave a $20k range with the top of it being what this offer is, so there's no way they would come close.

It is a good opportunity but it is more of a lateral move than I would like for it to be. Although it isn't exactly where I want to be I have time to keep looking to get there.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2016, 01:21:01 PM by Good_Juju »

mozar

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Re: Waiting to hear back about salary negotiations
« Reply #20 on: October 03, 2016, 04:23:51 PM »
Congrats!