171–180 of 412 posts
>> Most important takeaway about salary negotiation, by the way: disclosing a previous salary is almost always against your interests because it pegs your new salary to that plus 5% rather than your value to the new firm minus a discount, which is a brutal mistake I had a phone screen with an HR drone once (Cerner Inc. to be exact \waves) part way thru she asked me my current salary. I declined to provide that inform…
Interesting use of the term Rack Rate in the article -- I had to google it: The published, full price for a room in a hotel that has not been pre-booked [1] [1] http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rack_rate
I always appreciate your transparency and believe that you're helping drive our industry forward. I often search for ideas on how to help within my area of influence. The closest I've found is Stack Exchange's salary matrix, and the related approach at Fog Creek. I think publishing salaries has several benefits. For one thing, it removes the used car salesman approach to hiring. One result, which is more important, i…
> Able to emulate a 1200 baud modem using just your mouth (with error correction protocol) well enough to upload a GIF picture to Compuserv
:D
"Salaries are not just internally transparent at Japanese megacorps but so predictable that any middle-class adult in central Japan can accurately predict my salary history. I mention this partly to say that salary transparency by itself does not guarantee happy outcomes for employees." Yes. Salaries at Buffer might be transparent but also quite low.
Yeah, I actually prefer a lack of transparency. I fully recognize the right of others to discuss salaries openly and support their ability to do so. However, I think aside from benefiting companies, a lack of transparency around salaries benefits those who are good at negotiating, whereas complete transparency helps those who are not good at negotiating. If for example, you know company X's highest paid software deve…
I'm all for talking about salary to everyone except co-workers. Knowing what you can make elsewhere gives you power to negotiate or move. I know what my engineering friends make, I know what they are getting bumped to after reviews, I know what offers they are getting and the same goes both ways. Knowing what everyone makes internally would just cause trouble I think.. At the least I would imagine it would limit my options to only companies that can afford to pay everyone top dollar..
>> Most important takeaway about salary negotiation, by the way: disclosing a previous salary is almost always against your interests because it pegs your new salary to that plus 5% rather than your value to the new firm minus a discount, which is a brutal mistake I had a phone screen with an HR drone once (Cerner Inc. to be exact \waves) part way thru she asked me my current salary. I declined to provide that inform…
"What is your current salary?" I would think that at this point they _are_ interested in bringing you on. Then you could go in different directions: "I'll be glad to discuss my salary requirements at the appropriate time, would you please tell me first how badly do you need me? more about ... say work-life balance, employee rotation, non-monetary perks, whatever... "Let me tell you about how much more value I bring t…
It doesn't happen often [at least for me] but it does happen. I have similar issues when I decline to put an "Education" section on my resume. Both are groups I'd prefer to avoid, personally, but you do need to recognize there is a certain percentage of people that won't work with due to their process.
I always appreciate your transparency and believe that you're helping drive our industry forward. I often search for ideas on how to help within my area of influence. The closest I've found is Stack Exchange's salary matrix, and the related approach at Fog Creek. I think publishing salaries has several benefits. For one thing, it removes the used car salesman approach to hiring. One result, which is more important, i…
At the firm that I work at everything is in the open, even between groups, and it works very well. It is a formula-based compensation given your department (basically consultants and back-office) and stated level. With that, I know or can calculate exactly how much my manager makes, how much an entry level HR employee makes, and how much the CEO makes. I love it because it removes any problem with politics or shadowy…
These companies work really well for the median employee for all of the reasons you mention - especially the air of transparency. But I think it makes it nearly impossible to properly compensate top talent.
>> Most important takeaway about salary negotiation, by the way: disclosing a previous salary is almost always against your interests because it pegs your new salary to that plus 5% rather than your value to the new firm minus a discount, which is a brutal mistake I had a phone screen with an HR drone once (Cerner Inc. to be exact \waves) part way thru she asked me my current salary. I declined to provide that inform…
"What is your current salary?" I would think that at this point they _are_ interested in bringing you on. Then you could go in different directions: "I'll be glad to discuss my salary requirements at the appropriate time, would you please tell me first how badly do you need me? more about ... say work-life balance, employee rotation, non-monetary perks, whatever... "Let me tell you about how much more value I bring t…
It doesn't happen often [at least for me] but it does happen. I have similar issues when I decline to put an "Education" section on my resume. Both are groups I'd prefer to avoid, personally, but you do need to recognize there is a certain percentage of people that won't work with due to their process.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I just say "I'm looking for $X" when asked, then it's not even a bluff.
This is what happened in my last negotiation, where $X was a 30%-ish raise. They didn't bat an eye, and made an offer of exactly $X. I asked them, "Could we make that $(X + .06*X) and they did. Negotiate.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, one might think so, but this was the CEO in question[1]. Edit, and so far as bluffing, could an employer legally ask for W2's to verify? [1] http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/05/business/stinging-office-m...
In the original post Patrick already touched on the Japan case, but one thing I'd add is that one of the pieces of paperwork you must hand to your new employer is your final tax slip from your previous employer showing how much tax you have paid in the current year. From there it's trivial to calculate your previous salary. There are ways around it but it seems most people go with "my base was XX.... and that's one o…
Are you referring to Japan?
I've worked in two states in the USA and never been required to produce such documentation.
Something which I think is only hinted at here: negotiating pay requires a willingness to lose the job if the negotiation doesn't go well. If hirer has an equally good candidate or consultant who quotes a lower rate: you're out of the running. Even if you're better, you have to be better value according to the employer's own assessment. There are few employers who are price insensitive and you have to be in an overwh…
That's why, if possible, you negotiate when you already have another offer. I negotiated a +50% annual pay raise at my last job because I was completely willing to walk away for another job.
I also got the raise because I was playing an important part in a high value project at that time. I felt a bit guilty about the possibility of leaving the project in the lurch, or negotiating when my value was at its highest. I thought it would lead to resentment from my managers if they thought I was strong-arming them.
But they agreed to the rate, and never showed resentment. Every successful business person or trader knows to sell high, but sometimes the rest of us forget.
> If hirer has an equally good candidate or consultant who quotes a lower rate: you're out of the running.
If you can easily be replaced by a new hire or a consultant, you don't deserve the higher salary.