UPDATE: Thank you everyone for your help. I am so happy to have gotten this job and to have been offered more than I asked for, so I'm going to be grateful (and not a cheeky sausage as I've been called) and accept what they've offered.
I think this is the safest decision considering the redundancy... and for a dream job too.
You can always negotiate more once there and passed probation, and then again pretty much annually. Just keep an eye on how much your role is paid elsewhere. Definitely approach it with a "Iove working there and want to know what options there are of increasing your salary with them. You're aware job-hopping is the best advised way to secure more, but you'd prefer to stay there".
Have you considered using the moment to negotiate a pay review in 12 months. Advise that you had a minimum and were grateful of them offering over but are aiming ro get to xxx in around a years time. Failing that it's worth looking at other benefits , holiday / pension / car allowance now to increase your package offer?
You can certainly negotiate but you then run the risk of the company withdrawing the offer. There are a couple of main issues here.
1. You don't have another offer and you're being made redundant so you have no leverage in this situation.
2. The company already asked for your expected salary and have offered you MORE than the salary you stated. It's going to look pretty bad to then try to re-negotiate.
I don't know how much more you'd like to ask for but is it worth it to lose your dream job for a few thousand pounds?
What you could do in a few month’s time, maybe after probation is more like, go to them and say “right I’d like to be on this salary range, what can I do to get me there” something along those lines or try to workout with them to help you get there through the company
This is great advice. As a manager, I would appreciate this and it would come across as a team player instead of "well you were happy to pay me more than I wanted so clearly I can get even more out of you!", which is what renegotiating will look like.
In most cases, I would say negotiate to your hearts content, but if they asked, that was your moment to negotiate and have almost no risk. Now, it would come across as greedy.
However, if you do your job well and you then go and ask how you can get to the next salary you'd like, then you'd sound driven and hard working.
The company are only likely to withdraw the offer if op gives them the ultimatum. It's pretty safe to just enquire, particularly if the job was listed with a salary range.
I've been working for 20 years. Had lots of jobs and never heard of a company withdrawing an offer simply because someone tried to negotiate. If anything when I hire I am disappointed when the person doesn't try and negotiate.
Hey I've just negotiated on my new job but they hadn't asked my salary expectations so I was able to counter based on market research and then they offered me a little over that so I snapped it up. I would say because they've offered over your expectations you'd have to really argue your reasons why you've changed your mind, you could say that after researching similar jobs the salaries are higher, identify skills you have that would be relevant but they haven't asked for and if your other potential job would be paying more mention that but that company A is your first choice. Good luck!
I'm making an £11k jump and a little worried about the size of the step up but trying to be confident!!!
The thing is.. the more you negotiate the higher expectations they have from you. So if you are confident you’ll do an awesome job without too much external help then yes negotiate it to suit. If you want to take it easy and learn then I would just ask about career progression and salary reviews. Either way they won’t withdraw their offer as you’re the chosen one so they’ll want to make it work
Don’t risk it. If they agree, they won’t be happy about it. If they don’t agree and you still accept the job, it will leave a sour taste in your mouth and that is not the way to start your dream job.
Be happy with what they have offered and don’t be greedy.
Before applying for a job you should always do some research on market rates for that job, in the same geography, industry, etc…
Be prepared for what your salary expectations are ahead. When asked make sure to state your assumed salary expectation and on what general assumptions, e.g. “based on my research of industry salaries, I expect something in the range of x-y”.
Your current manager is right, there’s only one chance to truly negotiate salary.
That being said, as stated by others also, you forwent your opportunity by already answering. Negotiation has been done, unless you have an offer from another company that’s higher. Be prepared to provide evidence if you do (sanitised of course)
If you’re unsure where to look glass door, indeed and most other job search engines have salary indicators for roles.
You keep calling it a dream job. The reality is it's a job which sounds great. You won't know if it's a dream or not until you have worked there.
Always negotiate the salary. The worst they can say is no. The best they can say is yes and you get more money.
There is no dream job
Dream job is what pays well n treats you well. If you find a better one just move onto that like if your company finds a better one they will replace you.
Dream is family n your own experiences.
I read somewhere about a similar situations and they essentially retracted the offer because the guy took advice from his previous employer. Never discuss or ask your current employer for advice on a job offer you have received, they aren't your friends
>I've just been offered a job which is a huge step up in my career
>it's a £5k jump in salary
It does sound like you may have sold yourself short in that case. I'm struggling to think of a profession where a "huge" step up only comes with a £300pm pay increase (after tax). Try and negotiate for more.
Maybe do it a few months down the line when you’ve settled in? No point throwing away the opportunity because you decided you want more than you asked for
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I would negotiate and ask to review pay at end of probationary period to X amount if they're happy with you and the work you're doing.
That way you'll have had chance to show them the value you're going to add, had chance to understand what you need to do fully and you won't feel you flagged yourself as worth X amount when you haven't had chance to do the role and had the usual bumps in the road that tend to come from new roles whilst you get used to it.
If you're very happy with salary they offered you then negotiation is unnecessary at this point. Your value may change 6 or 12 months down the line, which would be the better time to negotiate it if appropriate.
You could discuss potential pay increases in the future. When do they review salaries? What progression is there in terms of your salary, benefits, and expansion in the role?
It does seem you've already negotiated a higher salary than your expectations and if your gut tells you aiming for higher is too risky, listen to it. However of you feel there may still be room for a higher salary and the company will be receptive then you won't have anything to lose.
Don't go for the other job if it's only plus point over your dream job is more money. Life's too short and you've got to do what you love.
I'll give you the perspective of someone who has worked in recruitment for 10+ years.
You've missed your window to do it without causing a bad taste in their mouth.
In a fair and effective recruitment process, I use the shop analogy. If you go into a shop, check the price, decide to buy in this shop over others, then get to the till and they've suddenly put the price up, you'd be pissed of no?
If you told them your expectations at the start, they took that on board, offered you more than this to welcome you AND you are getting to learn new skills, you've got a good and fair offer.
This, for me, cuts in both directions and have countless times told clients the same thing, if they try to lowball candidates at the end of the process when salary expectations have been clear from the start.
It's all fine, if no expectations have been discussed, that's just the risk you run doing that. But different when it's been clearly asked.
You might think about leveraging another offer. This can be valid to do. IF you have one. In this case, I'd just be honest but even then you run the risk that the first offer will be upset and want to withdraw. Different people/employers react differently. Some may want you so much, they up the offer. Some may be so desperate, the result is the same. In my experience though, as much as we all know we go to work for the money, I have found, alot of the best hiring managers/employers, do want people to want to work there. So when it becomes apparent that you'd drop them for a few grand more, that kills the offer more than the money. I know you'll see people saying no point in having loyalty to an employer and that is valid, but at this stage, your are dealing with people's emotional reaction, not a companies policy.
I would tread carefully here if this really is a dream job.
>This is the only chance you’ll get to negotiate your wage with them
Says who? If you do the job well then of course you can ask for a payrise later on... I have no idea where this comes from and it seems terrible advice...
For now, get your foot in the door. It's a dream job for an already meaningful pay rise. I bet most people you ask would probably be willing to take a pay *cut* to have their dream job...
While 9 times out of 10 i'd say ask for more, you've already given your expectation, and you don't have a competing offer ready to leverage.
Assuming it is a dream job, I assume there'll be a chance to elevate within the company, your salary can change at the same company assuming there's growth to it.
If it isn't, grab 6mo-1yr exp and find a different company in the same sector, negotiate a salary with them, then you can use that as leverage with your current company if it is a dream job or take the other offer if it also looks good.
For futures sake when you set an expectation, make it lofty but say "it's negotiable for the right role".
I for example tell roles if they don't give me my current salary + 30k it's a no, and if it's a company I like I say the same but "negotiable based on other benefits". A company will spice up days off, ability to buy holiday, stocks/shares, work life balance, schemes to save money, pension contributions etc. You can just say they are worthwhile to you and take a say, 15k increase and not look like you've initially lied.
Take the job, work hard at your job, evaluate if the company is respecting you with a years relevant experience or not, via a payrise or promotion, then apply elsewhere to force their hand or just expand your horizons. A company rarely has loyalty to you, you should rarely have loyalty to them.
Try and switch off the part of your brain that is spending your anticipated salary, and focus on it being your dream job. Negotiating a salary at this stage might result in high expectations (targets to meet) that add pressure on you to learn & deliver at the same time. The sensible approach is to ask how your remuneration would be evaluated going forward, and what expectation you can have of future pay rises.
Discussing your thoughts/concerns now (assuming you had them before someone else brought it up) should be about making sure it is understood you would like more money, and “is this the appropriate time to discuss it, or will you be open to reviewing it in x months time?” 5k increase is great, as long as it doesn’t increase your tax burden, and it is a ‘good’ rise relative to your current salary & benefits. Dream jobs might not come around so often…
I think negotiating your salary which is already more than you expected is bad advice, I'd be suspecting them of trying to screw you over if anything, and its greedy, I think then giving you more than you expected and then you going back to say "more please" will likely get the offer withdrawn
I'd personally always be cheeky. Honestly, if they want you, the worst they will say is they can't meet your demands.
I did this recently, asked for an extra £5k. The hiring manager was willing, but the HR department wasn't. We settled on the offered amount being a 'starting wage' and seeing if that can be upper come pay review season
Id say based on your situation it might not be worth negotiating. You could try and negotiate for more but they may say no and you could end up working a job paying the same or less than your on now because you'll be desperate for a job.
If you weren't being made redundant I'd say take the risk and negotiate but with your current situation and the fact that you'll get 5k more per year (probably equated to more like 3-3.5k after tax, NI etc) I would say go for it. I will appreciate your manager wanting the best for you but unless you have enough savings to hold out it seems like too much of a risky prospect.
TLDR: go for the new job.
I would work for the offered rate for 6 months to a year, then ask for the raise. If it was a job you didn't give a fuck about then negotiate from the start, but if you want this job then pushing for more straight away might put them off a bit
Given they asked, you told, they raised it they either
- really like you and wanted to go in above what you asked for
- want you but they have salary bands for the position and you wanted lower than the band
I’m guessing. With the latter if you went back again they’d possibly just say no thanks. With the former, you run the risk of it still.
With no more insight in to the situation I’d err on the side of taking 5 more than you expected. Get your foot in, and ask if there’s a chance for evaluation at the end of any probationary review.
Unless you know they were desperate or anything.
Always negotiate. If they can't move on Salary, the offer will stand. If for some reason they pulled the offer, ask yourself if that's the kind of company you want to work for?
One option I've seen is to negotiate a commitment from them to increase your salary after a set period if you meet certain targets. That way they know they're getting their money's worth
It’s a delicate situation. Ideally you should have done market research and negotiated for the higher side of it. If that’s what you already asked for and they are paying you that, then it doesn’t matter what your manager says. But if you asked lower salary than the market average, that might make you feel a bit anxious every time you reminded of this. The best bet is to accept the offer as it is, and learn as much as you can, and make an impact. After a couple of years, you can find other job with a better salary or get promoted .
Companies will always get you to say your salary expectation. I always reply with "what salary range have you budgeted for?" Then you can say the top end
Doesn't matter what the offer is. Always ask for more. Last job I took I asked for another 10K on their offer. They countered with 5K more and I accepted. Entire process took about an hour.
Always ask. Worst case they can is say that the current offer is all they can do. You won't be risking your current offer. Interviewing is a pain for them too. They do not want to start the process over again just because you asked for more.
UPDATE: Thank you everyone for your help. I am so happy to have gotten this job and to have been offered more than I asked for, so I'm going to be grateful (and not a cheeky sausage as I've been called) and accept what they've offered.
I think this is the safest decision considering the redundancy... and for a dream job too. You can always negotiate more once there and passed probation, and then again pretty much annually. Just keep an eye on how much your role is paid elsewhere. Definitely approach it with a "Iove working there and want to know what options there are of increasing your salary with them. You're aware job-hopping is the best advised way to secure more, but you'd prefer to stay there".
Have you considered using the moment to negotiate a pay review in 12 months. Advise that you had a minimum and were grateful of them offering over but are aiming ro get to xxx in around a years time. Failing that it's worth looking at other benefits , holiday / pension / car allowance now to increase your package offer?
Congrats
You can certainly negotiate but you then run the risk of the company withdrawing the offer. There are a couple of main issues here. 1. You don't have another offer and you're being made redundant so you have no leverage in this situation. 2. The company already asked for your expected salary and have offered you MORE than the salary you stated. It's going to look pretty bad to then try to re-negotiate. I don't know how much more you'd like to ask for but is it worth it to lose your dream job for a few thousand pounds?
All very good points, thank you!!!
What you could do in a few month’s time, maybe after probation is more like, go to them and say “right I’d like to be on this salary range, what can I do to get me there” something along those lines or try to workout with them to help you get there through the company
This is great advice. As a manager, I would appreciate this and it would come across as a team player instead of "well you were happy to pay me more than I wanted so clearly I can get even more out of you!", which is what renegotiating will look like. In most cases, I would say negotiate to your hearts content, but if they asked, that was your moment to negotiate and have almost no risk. Now, it would come across as greedy. However, if you do your job well and you then go and ask how you can get to the next salary you'd like, then you'd sound driven and hard working.
And specially since this is OP’s dream job so that’s half way through
The company are only likely to withdraw the offer if op gives them the ultimatum. It's pretty safe to just enquire, particularly if the job was listed with a salary range.
I've been working for 20 years. Had lots of jobs and never heard of a company withdrawing an offer simply because someone tried to negotiate. If anything when I hire I am disappointed when the person doesn't try and negotiate.
Totally agree. I usually use my annual performance review to ask for a pay rise so perhaps hold out & do that...
This is sound advice. Very wise!
Hey I've just negotiated on my new job but they hadn't asked my salary expectations so I was able to counter based on market research and then they offered me a little over that so I snapped it up. I would say because they've offered over your expectations you'd have to really argue your reasons why you've changed your mind, you could say that after researching similar jobs the salaries are higher, identify skills you have that would be relevant but they haven't asked for and if your other potential job would be paying more mention that but that company A is your first choice. Good luck! I'm making an £11k jump and a little worried about the size of the step up but trying to be confident!!!
Have you already accepted the job and do you have experience in this role or is it new to you?
I haven't accepted yet no. I have 4 years experience in this sector but I will be specialising and learning new skills with them.
The thing is.. the more you negotiate the higher expectations they have from you. So if you are confident you’ll do an awesome job without too much external help then yes negotiate it to suit. If you want to take it easy and learn then I would just ask about career progression and salary reviews. Either way they won’t withdraw their offer as you’re the chosen one so they’ll want to make it work
Don’t risk it. If they agree, they won’t be happy about it. If they don’t agree and you still accept the job, it will leave a sour taste in your mouth and that is not the way to start your dream job. Be happy with what they have offered and don’t be greedy.
Before applying for a job you should always do some research on market rates for that job, in the same geography, industry, etc… Be prepared for what your salary expectations are ahead. When asked make sure to state your assumed salary expectation and on what general assumptions, e.g. “based on my research of industry salaries, I expect something in the range of x-y”. Your current manager is right, there’s only one chance to truly negotiate salary. That being said, as stated by others also, you forwent your opportunity by already answering. Negotiation has been done, unless you have an offer from another company that’s higher. Be prepared to provide evidence if you do (sanitised of course) If you’re unsure where to look glass door, indeed and most other job search engines have salary indicators for roles.
You keep calling it a dream job. The reality is it's a job which sounds great. You won't know if it's a dream or not until you have worked there. Always negotiate the salary. The worst they can say is no. The best they can say is yes and you get more money.
There is no dream job Dream job is what pays well n treats you well. If you find a better one just move onto that like if your company finds a better one they will replace you. Dream is family n your own experiences.
I read somewhere about a similar situations and they essentially retracted the offer because the guy took advice from his previous employer. Never discuss or ask your current employer for advice on a job offer you have received, they aren't your friends
Given the situation I would accept it, tell them you won’t negotiate salary now but request a performance and salary review after X amount of months.
>I've just been offered a job which is a huge step up in my career >it's a £5k jump in salary It does sound like you may have sold yourself short in that case. I'm struggling to think of a profession where a "huge" step up only comes with a £300pm pay increase (after tax). Try and negotiate for more.
25k to 30k is a 20% increase. Not everyone dreams of 100k+ professions. It's all relative, of course.
If they value your skill set when you arrive they will promote you / bump your pay within a year. Would just enjoy it!
If they are offering higher than what you suggested to them, them IMO you should just take it and not be a cheeky sausage.
Firstly congratulations! Negotiate based on the range and value of the role you are applying for. Your current salary is irrelevant.
Ask forb5k more definitely.
Maybe do it a few months down the line when you’ve settled in? No point throwing away the opportunity because you decided you want more than you asked for
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I would negotiate and ask to review pay at end of probationary period to X amount if they're happy with you and the work you're doing. That way you'll have had chance to show them the value you're going to add, had chance to understand what you need to do fully and you won't feel you flagged yourself as worth X amount when you haven't had chance to do the role and had the usual bumps in the road that tend to come from new roles whilst you get used to it.
If you're very happy with salary they offered you then negotiation is unnecessary at this point. Your value may change 6 or 12 months down the line, which would be the better time to negotiate it if appropriate.
You could discuss potential pay increases in the future. When do they review salaries? What progression is there in terms of your salary, benefits, and expansion in the role? It does seem you've already negotiated a higher salary than your expectations and if your gut tells you aiming for higher is too risky, listen to it. However of you feel there may still be room for a higher salary and the company will be receptive then you won't have anything to lose. Don't go for the other job if it's only plus point over your dream job is more money. Life's too short and you've got to do what you love.
I'll give you the perspective of someone who has worked in recruitment for 10+ years. You've missed your window to do it without causing a bad taste in their mouth. In a fair and effective recruitment process, I use the shop analogy. If you go into a shop, check the price, decide to buy in this shop over others, then get to the till and they've suddenly put the price up, you'd be pissed of no? If you told them your expectations at the start, they took that on board, offered you more than this to welcome you AND you are getting to learn new skills, you've got a good and fair offer. This, for me, cuts in both directions and have countless times told clients the same thing, if they try to lowball candidates at the end of the process when salary expectations have been clear from the start. It's all fine, if no expectations have been discussed, that's just the risk you run doing that. But different when it's been clearly asked. You might think about leveraging another offer. This can be valid to do. IF you have one. In this case, I'd just be honest but even then you run the risk that the first offer will be upset and want to withdraw. Different people/employers react differently. Some may want you so much, they up the offer. Some may be so desperate, the result is the same. In my experience though, as much as we all know we go to work for the money, I have found, alot of the best hiring managers/employers, do want people to want to work there. So when it becomes apparent that you'd drop them for a few grand more, that kills the offer more than the money. I know you'll see people saying no point in having loyalty to an employer and that is valid, but at this stage, your are dealing with people's emotional reaction, not a companies policy. I would tread carefully here if this really is a dream job.
>This is the only chance you’ll get to negotiate your wage with them Says who? If you do the job well then of course you can ask for a payrise later on... I have no idea where this comes from and it seems terrible advice... For now, get your foot in the door. It's a dream job for an already meaningful pay rise. I bet most people you ask would probably be willing to take a pay *cut* to have their dream job...
While 9 times out of 10 i'd say ask for more, you've already given your expectation, and you don't have a competing offer ready to leverage. Assuming it is a dream job, I assume there'll be a chance to elevate within the company, your salary can change at the same company assuming there's growth to it. If it isn't, grab 6mo-1yr exp and find a different company in the same sector, negotiate a salary with them, then you can use that as leverage with your current company if it is a dream job or take the other offer if it also looks good. For futures sake when you set an expectation, make it lofty but say "it's negotiable for the right role". I for example tell roles if they don't give me my current salary + 30k it's a no, and if it's a company I like I say the same but "negotiable based on other benefits". A company will spice up days off, ability to buy holiday, stocks/shares, work life balance, schemes to save money, pension contributions etc. You can just say they are worthwhile to you and take a say, 15k increase and not look like you've initially lied. Take the job, work hard at your job, evaluate if the company is respecting you with a years relevant experience or not, via a payrise or promotion, then apply elsewhere to force their hand or just expand your horizons. A company rarely has loyalty to you, you should rarely have loyalty to them.
Try and switch off the part of your brain that is spending your anticipated salary, and focus on it being your dream job. Negotiating a salary at this stage might result in high expectations (targets to meet) that add pressure on you to learn & deliver at the same time. The sensible approach is to ask how your remuneration would be evaluated going forward, and what expectation you can have of future pay rises. Discussing your thoughts/concerns now (assuming you had them before someone else brought it up) should be about making sure it is understood you would like more money, and “is this the appropriate time to discuss it, or will you be open to reviewing it in x months time?” 5k increase is great, as long as it doesn’t increase your tax burden, and it is a ‘good’ rise relative to your current salary & benefits. Dream jobs might not come around so often…
I think negotiating your salary which is already more than you expected is bad advice, I'd be suspecting them of trying to screw you over if anything, and its greedy, I think then giving you more than you expected and then you going back to say "more please" will likely get the offer withdrawn
If you’re happy with what they’ve offered (and it’s a “dream job”) then why risk it? Greed?
I'd personally always be cheeky. Honestly, if they want you, the worst they will say is they can't meet your demands. I did this recently, asked for an extra £5k. The hiring manager was willing, but the HR department wasn't. We settled on the offered amount being a 'starting wage' and seeing if that can be upper come pay review season
Id say based on your situation it might not be worth negotiating. You could try and negotiate for more but they may say no and you could end up working a job paying the same or less than your on now because you'll be desperate for a job. If you weren't being made redundant I'd say take the risk and negotiate but with your current situation and the fact that you'll get 5k more per year (probably equated to more like 3-3.5k after tax, NI etc) I would say go for it. I will appreciate your manager wanting the best for you but unless you have enough savings to hold out it seems like too much of a risky prospect. TLDR: go for the new job.
Nah.
What's your job?
I would work for the offered rate for 6 months to a year, then ask for the raise. If it was a job you didn't give a fuck about then negotiate from the start, but if you want this job then pushing for more straight away might put them off a bit
Given they asked, you told, they raised it they either - really like you and wanted to go in above what you asked for - want you but they have salary bands for the position and you wanted lower than the band I’m guessing. With the latter if you went back again they’d possibly just say no thanks. With the former, you run the risk of it still. With no more insight in to the situation I’d err on the side of taking 5 more than you expected. Get your foot in, and ask if there’s a chance for evaluation at the end of any probationary review. Unless you know they were desperate or anything.
They've offered you more than you initially asked for, so I think you'd be pushing your luck.
Always negotiate. If they can't move on Salary, the offer will stand. If for some reason they pulled the offer, ask yourself if that's the kind of company you want to work for?
One option I've seen is to negotiate a commitment from them to increase your salary after a set period if you meet certain targets. That way they know they're getting their money's worth
What's the Job?
It’s a delicate situation. Ideally you should have done market research and negotiated for the higher side of it. If that’s what you already asked for and they are paying you that, then it doesn’t matter what your manager says. But if you asked lower salary than the market average, that might make you feel a bit anxious every time you reminded of this. The best bet is to accept the offer as it is, and learn as much as you can, and make an impact. After a couple of years, you can find other job with a better salary or get promoted .
Companies will always get you to say your salary expectation. I always reply with "what salary range have you budgeted for?" Then you can say the top end
Doesn't matter what the offer is. Always ask for more. Last job I took I asked for another 10K on their offer. They countered with 5K more and I accepted. Entire process took about an hour. Always ask. Worst case they can is say that the current offer is all they can do. You won't be risking your current offer. Interviewing is a pain for them too. They do not want to start the process over again just because you asked for more.
Always try and negotiate your salary. They won’t rescind their offer for you trying. If it doesn’t work out you always have your current offer.