Dear Jobs Guru: ‘I’ve been supplied an excellent new job – however I hoped for extra money’
Reader James likes the sound of the job he’s just been offered – everything but the salary, that is. Our Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice…
It’s important to know your own worth(Image: Getty Images)
I’ve been offered a job I’d genuinely like, but the salary is lower than I had expected.
I’m worried that if I ask for more money, they’ll decide I’m difficult and withdraw the offer. At the same time, I don’t want to accept too quickly and then spend the next year annoyed with myself for settling for less than I should have done.
The advert gave a range, but the offer is right near the bottom of it, even though I meet nearly everything they asked for. Is it reasonable to negotiate at this stage, or is that the sort of thing that can just cost you the job?
James, Kent
It’s always nice to be offered a job(Image: Getty Images)
Well, I wouldn’t faint with gratitude, James. If the advert gave a range and they’ve offered you the bottom of it then you are most definitely perfectly entitled to ask how they arrived there. That’s not being difficult. It’s an entirely reasonable conversation to have.
Keep it calm, of course. No grand speech about knowing your worth on the job market, and no mysterious claim that three other employers are fighting over you (unless they actually are!) Say you’re pleased with the offer of the job, still very interested, but had expected something nearer a particular figure in view of your experience.
Then stop talking and let them answer.
They may increase it. They may offer something else – an earlier salary review, extra holiday, flexible working, a bonus. Or they may say the figure is fixed. At least you’ll know.
Could they withdraw the offer? In theory, yes. But a reasonable request, made politely, rarely turns a delighted employer into an outraged one. And if it does then, trust me, you wouldn’t want to work for them anyway!
It’s definitely better to negotiate than to accept a salary you already resent. That feeling doesn’t generally improve once you’ve bought the season ticket and learned where the coffee is kept. It only gets worse.
There’s usually room for negotiation on salary(Image: Getty Images)
Top Tip:
Ask once, politely and with a clear figure in mind. Show enthusiasm for the job, explain your reasoning, and give them room to respond without turning it into a confrontation.
Spotlight On: Salary Ranges
A salary range in a job advert can be a funny old thing.
Candidates see £35K to £45K and naturally picture themselves somewhere around the middle. But the employer may have been picturing £35K all along, with the upper figure reserved for a near-mythical applicant who speaks four languages – and can mend the photocopier.
That doesn’t mean the range is meaningless, but it does mean you should ask questions. What would justify a higher starting point? When is pay reviewed? Is there any movement elsewhere in the package?
And do get the final offer in writing. Warm words during a telephone call are lovely, but they don’t pay the gas bill. A clear figure, a review date and any agreed benefits should all appear in the paperwork.
Get a head start in your job hunt with James’ new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted – out now from Pearson at £16.99.
Our Jobs Guru, James Innes, is a best-selling careers author and founder of the world’s leading group of professional CV and resume writers .
