by Melissa Judy | Apr 16, 2012 | Job Search, Negotiation, Take 5
Salary negotiation is a common part of the hiring process, so don’t let it intimidate you. Talking about money is sticky and uncomfortable, but to ensure that you get the salary you deserve to match your skills and experience, it’s a topic that you absolutely have to bring up with a future employer. The more you do it, the better you’ll be at it and the more comfortable you’ll be doing it. The more job experience you have, the more negotiating leverage you’ll have. But, new professionals can negotiate too!
Below are 5 sites that offer a few tips and reminders about how to successfully negotiate your new salary and benefits:
36 Negotiable Items in an Academic Position – Jane Tucker and Barbara Butterfield
The Womanly Art of Negotiation – Catherine Conrad in the Chronicle of Higher Education
Top 10 Salary Negotiation Tips – Negotiation Board
The New Salary Negotiation – Johanna Schlegel, Salary.com
Salary Negotiation Tips – University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts Career Services
Take 5 is a regular feature where we present links to some good articles and resources on job search topics. If you have ideas for future topics, send them to Melissa Judy, Content Development Intern at melissa@higheredcareercoach.com.
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | May 9, 2011 | Job Search, Negotiation
Discussing salary is easily the one part of the job search process that causes candidates universal anxiety. One of the search terms that job-seekers look up, before arriving at this site, is “tactfully asking about salary.”
Since asking about salary is such a nerve-wracking experience, here are five ways to find out about salary without asking (or at least asking outright).
- Refer back to the job posting and see if a “salary range” is indicated. Anticipate that most hiring agents will make an offer between the minimum and the mid-point of that range, with early-career candidates being offered closer to the minimum, and more experienced candidates being offered toward the mid-point. In very few cases should you expect an offer to be made above the mid-point; organizations want to hire people who can grow into the position before their salary expectations outgrow what the organization can pay. It’s a question of value: no matter how good you are in general, they have placed a maximum value on what the work at that level is worth to the organization. If you need more than that, don’t apply for the job.
- Visit the Human Resources website for the institution and see if there is a section with information about salary, compensation and benefits. In this section, search for the terms “pay scale,” “salary bands,” “pay grades,” “salary grades” and “salary levels.” If the institution has this sort of system, see if you can find level at which the position is classified; this may be listed in the posting. Public institutions are more likely to have this information posted, since many states require that information about employee pay scales be released to the public. If you do find these listed, refer back to the advice from #1 and figure the pay will be between the minimum and mid-point.
- Ask someone who works at the institution, but outside the hiring circle for the department where you are applying. If you can find such a person in the same department, or who holds (or has held) a similar position (in title or pay band), they should be able to at least give you context about what they make, and may be able to give you some context based on that experience. They may also have access to internal systems where they can see different information than the general public (like new employee manuals, benefit guides, etc.)
- Call someone at Human Resources and ask what the “typical” hiring range is for a position at that title and grade. Indicate that you believe you may be interested in the position but don’t want to waste anyone’s time (theirs or yours) by applying to a job you can’t afford to take. As long as you say it diplomatically and convey that you are asking for those reasons, you’ll likely be fine, in the eyes of Human Resources. It shows that you are a serious candidate if you do apply.
- Google it. You never really know what you might find out. Try “salary range” for “title,” and “institution,” and see what comes back. I did this for several positions and the search returned recent job listings, with salary information, a couple of perspective pieces by student affairs professionals about jobs and salaries, and one site called GlassDoor.Com, which lets you search for salaries by job title. (That would’ve been a number 6, I guess, but I didn’t want to change the title of the article.)
Whatever you choose to do, I advise against asking outright about a specific salary number, related to your candidacy, until you have been made an offer. When you are offered a job, a starting point for the salary discussion will be included in the initial offer. Don’t react to the first number you if you can help yourself. Just ask how they came up with the number, and why they feel it would be a fair offer, given your education, skills and experience. Then take some time to think about whether the offer is fair. If it is, you can take it or maybe see if you could make a counter-offer to see if you could do a bit better. But if you are happy with the salary, there’s nothing wrong with just taking it and getting to work. If you aren’t, go back with a counter offer, but be sure to base it on the value you will create for the employer (i.e., how you will earn the higher salary through hard work and productivity.
What other ways can you think of to “ask without asking?”
Some good resources to help you explore ways to approach salary negotiation:
Negotiating a Job Offer: Do’s and Don’ts
Sealing the Deal: Questions to Ask Yourself When Faced with “The Offer”
Job Search 101 Video on YouTube from USC’s Annenberg School
Interview Tip: Leave the Salary Out of It on Newly Corporate
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Apr 18, 2011 | Job Search, job search tools
Salary negotiation is the one part of the hiring process that people on both sides of the table look forward to it about as much as a root canal.
The key to successful negotiations, I think, is to take emotions out of the process as much as possible. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you, as a job-seeker, make an effective, objective argument during the process.
Do:
- Research salaries and benefits for similar positions, and use this to frame the discussion
- Visit the institution’s HR site to understand what benefits are offered and the costs of these benefits. Even though many job seekers don’t consider the costs of their benefits, the employer has no choice but to pay for your benefits. They don’t come from thin air, and today, costs of healthcare have especially impacted the bottom line.
- Consider the level of experience you have and be open to hearing what range they can reasonably offer. One way to do this is to ask how they came up with the offer, and how they factored in your previous experience.
- Give examples of your experience, and how you will apply it in the job to earn the salary.
Don’t
- Talk about your financial needs, debts, or your “ego” needs for a certain salary level (These are your problems, not theirs.)
- Compare your potential salary to that of other people you know at other institutions (they are not hiring these people) in other regions (cost of living varies) or other industries (student affairs salaries do not compare with corporate salaries.)
- Get angry, act as if you have been insulted, cry, or threaten to walk away (they won’t care if you act that way, anyway.)
Another piece of advice: always ask for time to think the offer through, and a get a solid deadline for getting back to the employer. Even if you want a job, you’ll probably feel better knowing you did your best to be fairly compensated, and you won’t second-guess your decision and feel you “sold yourself short.”
by Mickey Fitch | Jun 14, 2010 | Career Skills, Job Search, The Placement Experience
In our field, a lot of time and attention is put into prepping for interviews, writing cover letters and resumes, and getting ready for the big on campus interview day. Less attention is given to teaching what type of follow up you should do after an interview to stay at the top of the hiring committee’s list of top candidates. Even worse, we rarely talk about how to “seal the deal,” by asking questions, airing concerns, and negotiating before we accept (or deny) a final job offer.
Student Affairs is admittedly a sometimes overly “touchy-feely” field. We fear asking probing questions, or acquiesce to certain professional situations, because we don’t feel like we have any other choice, or that we are “just” a new professional and have to “deal” with what is given to us. However, in the same breath, we tout how great we are, at motivating our students to reach for the highest goals and achievements they can. Does anyone else see the disparity there?
Recently, I underwent my own mid-level job search. With the help of professional peers, my best friend, my partner (both of whom are in higher education), and family, I was able to be very intentional, thoughtful, and mindful of my situation when “the phone call” came from my new supervisor. Through this process, I’ve gathered a few helpful hints and questions to ask yourself when “sealing the deal”.
Some things that are important within your professional role and critical to consider when faced with a job offer, include:
- Availability of peers/network/team
- Peer professional context (where were they before there? Homegrown? Across country?)
- Availability of professional development funding and/or commitment to tangible professional development
- Technological resources within department/division/university
- Tangibility of higher leadership to you (dean of students, vice chancellor for student affairs, chancellor/president, etc)
- Mission/vision and goals (are they active? Is there a five year plan? Do they know where they are going?)
- What is the general “vibe” of the team? (Are they easy going? Joke a lot? Work late at night? Always late?)
Beyond the professional concerns, you should also be aware of your personal needs (and hot buttons!) that need to be met when facing a job offer, including:
- Cost of university services (parking, health/wellness center membership, meal availability, athletics tickets, theater tickets)
- Benefit packages (what is the retirement contribution/match percentage, availability of local doctors and specialists, vision/dental care, flex health benefits, vacation/sick leave)
- Where is your university/system “at” in terms of furlough, layoffs, hiring freezes, travel freezes, etc
- Proximity of university to retail shopping, groceries, and social/hobby needs
- Ability to find suitable housing for self/family/petsProximity to airport/mass transit
- What salary do you need vs. want (don’t be afraid of negotiating for a higher salary or soft recurring benefits! These extras can lead to higher employee satisfaction and productivity!)
I mentioned before about asking these questions of yourself/your institution. However, I would also encourage you to air these out with peers, partner/family, and friends. They have an objective viewpoint that you may not be able to see because of the “job offer glow”. After searching out answers to these questions, you can feel confident in the fact that you’ve done a thorough job “sealing the deal”.
What kinds of questions do you ask? Share with me via Twitter or comments below! Best of luck to all of you getting “the phone call” soon!
Starting in mid-June, Mickey Fitch is the new Assistant Director of University Housing at University of Wisconsin-Superior. Mickey’s crafted her career around the residence life experience on the college campus. Mickey loves to tell stories and help students make the most of their residential experience on campus. On the personal side, Mickey is an avid fisherman and outdoorswoman and is currently engaged in a life-changing health and fitness journey! You can learn more about her at mickeyfitch.weebly.com or follow her on Twitter @mickeyfitch.
Salary negotiation is a common part of the hiring process, so don’t let it intimidate you. Talking about money is sticky and uncomfortable, but to ensure that you get the salary you deserve to match your skills and experience, it’s a topic that you absolutely have to bring up with a future employer. The more you do it, the better you’ll be at it and the more comfortable you’ll be doing it. The more job experience you have, the more negotiating leverage you’ll have. But, new professionals can negotiate too!
