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Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

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Re: Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

#11

Post by lucb1e »

yewenjie wrote: post #9

I have a similar question - If I am applying for a remote position, is it justifiable to ask for the average salary of the country the company is incorporated at, even if living cost in current country is much cheaper? I know that some remote first companies (such as Gitlab) has a complex salary calculator which takes into account all sorts of things, while some companies (like oxide.computer) pays a flat compensatio…

From my limited experience talking about the topic, it seems it's usually somewhere in the middle. The company has the same benefits (assuming you're good) as when hiring local people, but they also very well realize that you'll be paying maybe a fifth of the rent as when you need to rent in Amsterdam (or where ever they are). You can get some benefit there by getting a good salary, but also be reasonable about it.

Of course, this doesn't apply if the very reason they're hiring remotely is because they want to cut on costs. Some companies hire eastern European or Asian people because they're cheap, not because they can find enough people locally. In such a case, I presume they'll try to get you as cheaply as possible...

Re: Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

#12

Post by stephc_int13 »

General tip when negotiating: never ask more than 50% of what the other party had in mind before you talked.

Asking too much is a rookie mistake, you can quickly look like a clown if you do.

Do your homework, you can't negotiate blindly, you need to understand the market and the current trends.

Re: Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

#13

Post by lucb1e »

excitednumber wrote: post #8
excitednumber wrote: post #7

My 2c: never name the price first. If they undercut you, act extremely shocked. always ask for higher than you're willing to settle for. Ask for things in the margins at the last minute. Another vacation day. An upgrade on some ergonomic equipment. Etc.

Also - work for an employer who values you and who can justify your number. Be sure to know if you're learning or earning. Eg is the employer paying you to learn and implement a new tech or are you the expert? Getting paid to learn can happen and may be worth the wage sacrifice. If you're just executing and you're the expert, imo, don't settle

> Be sure to know if you're learning or earning

I used to agree but in my experience, though mainly with internships, the places where I was learning were also the places I was earning. Not that it invalidates the sentiment, but accepting a crappy salary with hopes of learning something new... be skeptical and make sure that it will actually be like that.

Re: Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

#14

Post by kaydub »

totalZero wrote: post #5

I would try to gently put them on the back foot when they offer a wage. When you receive the offer, you should comment on the differential between expected and offered wage, even if you intend to accept. For example, you might say with a gently puzzled tone, "this is lower than what I would ideally be earning, based on my experience and capabilities. Can you explain how you came to this number?" You may be able to pu…

Your question resonates a bit with the "Never Split the Difference" method of asking an open ended question immediately after receiving an offer. "Can you explain how you came to this number?" is similar to the "How am I supposed to do this?" kind of open ended question the author uses as an example. Happy you posted this, feel like an idiot that I've never thought of using that exact phrase lol.

Re: Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

#15

Post by onion2k »

yewenjie wrote: post #9

I have a similar question - If I am applying for a remote position, is it justifiable to ask for the average salary of the country the company is incorporated at, even if living cost in current country is much cheaper? I know that some remote first companies (such as Gitlab) has a complex salary calculator which takes into account all sorts of things, while some companies (like oxide.computer) pays a flat compensatio…

Working for a company where the salary is based on location means when you eventually go to meet up (at a retreat, a conference, etc) you will know that you're paid much less than your colleagues for the same work. That will suck. Avoid those companies.

Re: Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

#16

Post by busterarm »

I know not the advice you're looking for but this thread makes me sad. For those wages, even at what your initial ask, it's impossible to get good developers in the US unless there are extenuating circumstances (someone's first job, etc).

This company thinks you are worth less just because of where you're from and not what skills you bring to the table. If they offter you something you will take, accept it, but keep in mind that this company is actively looking to exploit you and your situation and likely will not treat you well.

Re: Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

#17

Post by nprateem »

excitednumber wrote: post #7

My 2c: never name the price first. If they undercut you, act extremely shocked. always ask for higher than you're willing to settle for. Ask for things in the margins at the last minute. Another vacation day. An upgrade on some ergonomic equipment. Etc.

Absolutely the worst advice. Whoever names the price first psychologically anchors the discussion around that price. Name a high price first and they'll have to justify their lower price so they're more likely to go to the top of their range (you know employers have a pay range right?). Let them name a much lower price first and you'll have to work hard to justify a much higher rate.

Re: Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

#18

Post by moksly »

stephc_int13 wrote: post #12

General tip when negotiating: never ask more than 50% of what the other party had in mind before you talked. Asking too much is a rookie mistake, you can quickly look like a clown if you do. Do your homework, you can't negotiate blindly, you need to understand the market and the current trends.

It depends on your situation. If you’re confident that you can find another opportunity that pays what you want, why wouldn’t you just let them know what you expect and then negotiate from there?

If there isn’t a match, then that’s just how it is.

Not that it’s not a good idea to let them offer first, but mainly because you might lowball yourself.

Re: Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

#19

Post by tboyd47 »

You yourself said you pitch too high deliberately in the start, expecting some haggling.

If $30 an hour pleases you, then don't mess it up by getting greedy.

If there are other issues with the job that you haven't told us about, bring those issues up and perhaps they will go higher.

The way negotiation works is by joining people with different expectations. It's not a contest or a battle of wits you have to "win." For them $30 an hour is great; for you, it is great. That sounds like a successful deal to me.

Re: Ask HN: Negotiating Salary

#20

Post by [deleted] »

busterarm wrote: post #16

I know not the advice you're looking for but this thread makes me sad. For those wages, even at what your initial ask, it's impossible to get good developers in the US unless there are extenuating circumstances (someone's first job, etc). This company thinks you are worth less just because of where you're from and not what skills you bring to the table. If they offter you something you will take, accept it, but keep…

[deleted]
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