Employer low balling
I have just moved here from another country where I earned a very good salary. I was just asked to come in for a second interview for a position that has less responsibility than I had in my last position. The very next day I received a "courtesy email" to tell me the position pays roughly 45K- 35K less than what I was earning and asked if I was still interested. And yes they know what my last company was paying me. This position is exactly what I am looking for and would be a great opportunity to get into this job market. I do not have a problem with earning less for this position due to it being less responsibility, however I think their range is way to low. My salary investigation for this area shows they are 20K less than the average for management positions. Do I go to the interview? Do I hold my ground?
You can hold your ground all you want but they will not be coming up $20K. So that will mean that you pass on this offer. When you change from one country to the next it can be very hard to get your foot in the door so you need to decide if getting started is more important than the money. If you think that you can find other positions that are closer to what you were doing, and you can afford to be unemployed for several months while you look, then you should pass and wait. If not, take it and continue to look for the right thing. Also, if you need a work visa, consider that has value too and isn't very easy to find. Welcome to America! Tess Sure! Go to the interview and see how all this unfolds. Wait and see what the actual salary offer turns out to be and if it's as low as you expect, politely ask if their initial offer is negotiable. In the meantime, while all this is going on, I'd continue my job search as part of a back-up plan. If the offer is negotiable, be prepared to counter with a salary range in which you believe you need to be to make ends meet, pay the bills, etc., etc. I'd express it as a $10K range. For instance, if the offer is negotiable and you're asked what salary you have in mind, I'd counter by saying I was anticipating an offer in the $X to $Y range, something like, between $50K and $60K, or $70K and $80K, or whatever - a ten grand range. If the offer isn't negotiable, decline it and keep looking. I'd still keep looking even if the offer is negotiable and let the negotiations play out as far as they'll go. The reason, incidentally, for countering with a range is to be able to negotiate within that range as the negotiations continue to unfold, assuming that they do. Hope this helps. Paul W. Barada The Negotiation Expert
It also depends on how much the offer is. If they offer you 35K less than 50K, that's a lot different than 35K less than 235K. Is this all USD? Did you work in London or somewhere with an enormous cost of living?
If you have done your research (real-time job market research, not salary site BS) and really feel that you could get this type of job for $20K more, get the job elsewhere. But if you don't think you an get this type of job with benefits, growth opportunities and visa concerns, thank them for the offer and accept it. | |
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