Salary etc. Negotiations

[Sotiria]

I'm getting called back in for a 2nd interview for a job I've applied for and am pretty sure that they want to hire me. What sort of things are important to ask for in contract negotiations that I haven't thought of?

At the top of my list are:

-Getting paid for overtime hours, and/or being an hourly employee instead of salaried. This is an IT job, so overtime is definitely going to be there, and I am not going to put in extra hours for free

-Benefits package in full writing detailing everything

-Extra vacation time...not a ton, but I've found that asking for this can't hurt. They can easily just say no.


What else am I missing. This is the highest paid job I have ever had the opportunity to take on, and is a lot more high profile than any place I've worked for in the past. Previously, at my old places of employment, I was naive and was happy enough to just be getting a good paycheck and wasn't so much concerned with the extra benifits that are possible.

Please help [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[zoobird]

It really depends on the type of company.

At my current company (large multi-national) you can negotiate salary. Nothing else. Everything else completely consistent for all employees at the same level.

When I worked for a small start-up, you could negotiate salary, bonus, vacation, etc...but you still couldn't get pair by the hour. That's something that most firms have made up their mind about long before they interview anyone, and it would be pretty unusual for them to change their mind unless you have some REALLY unique skills.

Also, don't negotiate anything until after you've gotten a written offer. Otherwise they're just going to think you're a pain in the ass and may choose not to make you an offer.

[MisterW]

The 2nd interview is not the time to negotiate. Do you have any other offers? If not, you really shouldn't be negotiating unless the offer they made you is not up to par with the industry. During the 2nd interview, they generally make you at least a verbal offer. Ask for the full offer to be sent to you in writing - don't ever accept an offer during the 2nd interview. Once you have that, then you can either call or meet them to negotiate, but make sure you have at least their written offer first.

Generally you have about 2 weeks to accept or decline their offer. If you need more time to consider other offers, ask for it and they're usually pretty good about giving you a little more time to consider.

In terms of negotiating salary/benefits, focus on one or the other. You have to decide if you want compensation for overtime or if it's more important to have more vacation time, for example. If you don't have any other offers and the one they make you is not up to par with industry standards, focus on a fair compensation package. If you get greedy, they may get a bad impression of you, but they usually won't rescind an offer. Make sure you don't lie and say you have better offers when you don't - these things will catch up to you later.

FWIW - I recently spent a lot of time studying this matter before interviewing for a structural engineering position. I got offers from 4 of 5 places I interviewed at and was able to do quite a bit of negotiating.

Hope this helps.

-MisterW

[fm191124]

a bonus for a job well done every couple months, or when big projects are finished

[Sotiria]

[ QUOTE ]
The 2nd interview is not the time to negotiate. Do you have any other offers? If not, you really shouldn't be negotiating unless the offer they made you is not up to par with the industry. During the 2nd interview, they generally make you at least a verbal offer. Ask for the full offer to be sent to you in writing - don't ever accept an offer during the 2nd interview. Once you have that, then you can either call or meet them to negotiate, but make sure you have at least their written offer first.

Generally you have about 2 weeks to accept or decline their offer. If you need more time to consider other offers, ask for it and they're usually pretty good about giving you a little more time to consider.

In terms of negotiating salary/benefits, focus on one or the other. You have to decide if you want compensation for overtime or if it's more important to have more vacation time, for example. If you don't have any other offers and the one they make you is not up to par with industry standards, focus on a fair compensation package. If you get greedy, they may get a bad impression of you, but they usually won't rescind an offer. Make sure you don't lie and say you have better offers when you don't - these things will catch up to you later.

FWIW - I recently spent a lot of time studying this matter before interviewing for a structural engineering position. I got offers from 4 of 5 places I interviewed at and was able to do quite a bit of negotiating.

Hope this helps.

-MisterW

[/ QUOTE ]

Very helpful, ty. FYI, I wasn't planning on doing any negotiation during the second interview, I was just trying to plan ahead.

[MisterW]

[ QUOTE ]
Very helpful, ty. FYI, I wasn't planning on doing any negotiation during the second interview, I was just trying to plan ahead.

[/ QUOTE ]

One question to be prepared for in the 2nd interview is "What are your salary expectations?" I was definitely not expecting that or prepared for it the first time I was asked it at a 2nd interview. After stumbling my way through an answer to that question, I went home and did a lot of research and found some good up-to-date resources that provided some statistics to refer to.

I was asked that question two more times during other interviews with different companies, and I think the best way to answer it is to say something to the effect of "The average salary for a person of my qualifications is $___, but I would consider myself above average because ___." This way you avoid giving a definite answer, which could make them think that you either undervalue yourself or are greedy, depending on what you say. Plus it leaves the door open for a higher than average starting salary, with implications that you would expect a higher than average starting salary. You simultaneously deflect the burdon of picking a salary right back on the employer, where it should be.

Also I found that providing them with a printout of salary statistics from a reliable source is very helpful, because, surprisingly, many employers simply don't know what the going rate is.

From what I can tell, and you may have a completely different experience from this, but it seems that technical positions are in fairly high demand right now. From about 2000 to 2004, jobs and salary raises have been fairly stagnant for these positions. Starting in 2005, the niche job market appears to have increased substantially, with average starting salaries increasing between 8 and 10 percent per year.

I found this to be true of engineering positions across the board, and I would venture a guess that it would be the same for technical positions since the two are symbiotic.

Some good research and knowledge about the job market you are in is really helpful for 2nd interviews and negotiations, should they occur. The hard part is finding good information. I found the best information at a university career center.

-MisterW

[engineer_mba]

Hi,

First, I want to reiterate that what MisterW said is completely dead on true.

Second, I have been an exec at a startup and now work as a VP of a Fortune 500 company. The hiring practices in these companies greatly differ. At a smaller company, the manager has more freedom to give you more vacation, benefits, stock options, etc. At a very large company, much of this can be mandated through HR so you may want to concentrate your negotiating efforts on salary.

Third, I highly recommend you get a detailed salary range for your position. There is a free sites at Salary.com to get your started. I have had a few people directly reference that during an interview. You also want them to know that you understand the market value for your skills.

Lastly, I am not sure what the level of position you are applying, but be careful asking about being paid hourly. If this is a salaried position, you are gonna have a major strike against you, especially in a large rigid company. I typically ask about "work/life" balance to let them know that I am not interested in working in a sweatshop.

Best of Luck,

Leo