How do I start salary negotiations after simply agreeing on the phone?

January 18, 2015 12:22 AM

I was offered a job, but do to being just woken up and unsure of myself when the initial call came through, I did not try to negotiate the salary when they told me what it is over the phone. It's a bit under what I wanted and I was wondering, how do I contact them to engage in negotiations? And, once I do, how do I phrase it? I feel like I accidentally already agreed.

I have their offer in writing now, in a PDF that was sent as an email and I'll be receiving a physical copy in a couple of days. I want to negotiate a higher salary, but am unsure of how to go about calling them up to do so?

Other data points:

The benefits package is quite nice, but standardized across the company. There's nothing in the benefits to negotiate. There is health insurance, 401K automatic donations, life insurance, etc.

When I originally did a phone screening interview, they asked me what I was looking for and I gave a very broad range, naming just the first digit (e.g. 70's - it wasn't 70's) but no more. Looking back I should have said mid to high, but I can't rewind that.

I was woken up by the call offering me the job, so I was too bleary to do anything other than agree when they called. I've also never negotiated salary before- I was working first at a school and then for a temp agency, so there wasn't much room for negotiation with either.

The offer is about 10% under the median starting salary for this position. The position is new, although I don't know if that makes a difference.

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (11 answers total)

I've had new staff renegotiate all the way up to a month after they were hired, successfully. Something like "I'm really excited about the position, and can't wait to start work, but I was wondering if there was any room to move on the salary?" won't offend anyone. No need to tell them you were half-asleep.
posted by Mogur at 12:58 AM on January 18, 2015 [11 favorites]

I also think it doesn't hurt to just ask as Mogur suggests above.

You could also see if there's something different in the benefits to what you have in your current role and then you could say "now that I've had a chance to look at the complete package, I realise that I will get less (whatever) than I have been receiving. I understand you don't have flexibility on those, but do you have any room to move on the salary?".
posted by AnnaRat at 2:07 AM on January 18, 2015 [3 favorites]

Also you have a great reason to open negotiations. "I'm really excited about the prospect of this job, but it seems like the base salary is lower than what is standard in the industry. Would it be possible to bring it up to (a number 15%-20% higher than what it is now)?" Then hopefully they counter with 5%, you come back with 12% and with any luck you get to 10%.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:51 AM on January 18, 2015 [7 favorites]

This is totally normal by the way. Just don't hem and haw or take forever to get back to them--that's way worse than making direct requests.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:53 AM on January 18, 2015 [3 favorites]

Negotiating before acceptance is totally normal ... but not after acceptance. Think hard before you go there. You cannot undo the first impressions you create. Is the additional money you might get worth looking a little inept in the critical first days.
posted by imthebadgerdamnit at 4:16 AM on January 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

"I've had a chance to review the total compensation package. When we first discussed salary it was Foo. If we can get to that number we can move forward and I can start on Blah."
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:03 AM on January 18, 2015 [3 favorites]

You haven't accepted anything until you send them a signed commitment letter, and it sounds like sometimes there is room for negotiation even after you do that. It's normal to take some time to think about the offer before starting negotiations. It really doesn't hurt to ask.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 6:29 AM on January 18, 2015 [3 favorites]

Nothing's done until you actually come in and sign paperwork. But you have to recognize "it doesn't hurt to ask" might not be entirely true. For all you know, they could be high-fiving themselves that their search is over, they can't wait for you to get started, and now you're going to confuse them.

I don't think you can fully wind this back, so take that note for the future. When someone offers you a job, the answer is always, "Let me think about it, I will call you tomorrow."

But regardless, you need to get paid what you're worth.

Like others have said, don't drag this out. Call them first thing tomorrow. "I want to discuss the comp package, so I can get started and direct my full attention to the work, and so we don't have to talk again about comp. I've been better able to review X, and in order to get going with Company A, I'd like the comp to be Y."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:55 AM on January 18, 2015

This is just like job interviews, where you're interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. They are also sitting there with a little bit of sweat on their brow over whether you will accept and sign this offer. You absolutely can bring this up, because they know they need you to sign the agreement before it's real. If anything, this is the moment of your greatest leverage. Given the 10% gap, well, they're probably (unless they're naive or worse) still mentally prepared to have you turn them down or come back and demand a little more juice.

There is of course the possibility that they have someone else they like who will take it at that level or -- who knows -- below. That's just smart planning on their part, and given the labor market in general, not inconceivable. But think polite but firm, think about what your floor is rather than what their ceiling is, and tell them you are ready to accept but.
posted by dhartung at 11:05 AM on January 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

I think there's some risk to asking now, after you've informally accepted the job. It's true that nothing's official until you sign the paperwork, but it may create an impression that you're ... volatile, let's say. I once dumped a candidate cold because she asked for more right before signing the agreement, after pushing hard for more (and getting it) all during the negotiations. It made me feel she was a hustler, somebody I couldn't count on to keep their word ... it was just a bad vibe that I didn't want to deal with as a supervisor, and I had another candidate who was almost as good.

If it were me (and I admit I'm a chicken) I would take the offer as is and then ask for a raise at my first performance review, when I had some solid evidence that I'm worth more. YMMV, of course, but good luck either way.
posted by Quietgal at 12:21 PM on January 18, 2015

Mod note: This is a followup from the asker.

I asked for more money, they said that the offer had already been approved all the way up the chain and that they could not increase it, but that I could push for a raise in six months. No harm done by asking, but I should have called the guy back the day I talked to him, after I woke up a little more.

posted by cortex (staff) at 9:24 AM on January 20, 2015