Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (2016)

haseebq.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 219 posts

Re: Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (2016)

#31

Post by briHass »

taklimakan wrote: post #12

This is all very interesting, but is complete fiction for most readers. 99% of job seekers aren’t going to receive competing offers from multiple companies conveniently at the same time.

It's also quite difficult to manage.

I was lucky enough to have 3 companies that all gave me offers (a couple years back when the market for tech was at its peak). It played out like this article recommends. After an offer was on the table, the other 2 kept throwing better and better offers at me.

However, interviewing at 3 companies, over the span of 2 weeks, with an existing (remote) full time job was hard work. Likely impossible if I hadn't already checked out at the FT job. It was also mentally exhausting, with how companies like to do multiple rounds.

Re: Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (2016)

#32

Post by neilv »

> Rule #5 of negotiation: don’t be the decision-maker. Even if you don’t particularly care what your friends/family/husband/mother thinks, by mentioning them, you’re no longer the only person the recruiter needs to win over. There’s no point in them trying to bully and intimidate you; the “true decision-maker” is beyond their reach.

It's a very old thing in general, not just in job-hunting.

And sometimes "I have to discuss it with my spouse" is literally for real.

But if someone says it, but the listener doesn't think it's for real, then the speaker sounds like either:

* from a culture in which it's mutually understood as a nicety, not to be taken literally; or

* a bullshitter.

The former is very Californian stereotype, incidentally.

Re: Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (2016)

#33

Post by robotnikman »

taklimakan wrote: post #12

This is all very interesting, but is complete fiction for most readers. 99% of job seekers aren’t going to receive competing offers from multiple companies conveniently at the same time.

Considering the ration of job applications to job offers right now seems to be 1 in 500, your right on point

In the current job market, only if your in the top 0.01% will you ever have to worry about this.

I really hope things improve but I'm pessimistic...

Re: Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (2016)

#34

Post by echelon »

jckahn wrote: post #21
taklimakan wrote: post #12

This is all very interesting, but is complete fiction for most readers. 99% of job seekers aren’t going to receive competing offers from multiple companies conveniently at the same time.

Seriously. Getting even one underwhelming offer is beating the odds these days.

This article must've been written in Spring 2022. Tech hiring is now like 2008 or post-dotcom.

The question is whether it will return to what it once was.

The big tech companies are monopolies, no longer afraid that they have to employ "all the engineers" to prevent competition. ZIRP isn't there to give rise to startups, or to give the tech companies unlimited leeway in development.

If interest rates drop or big tech is broken up, we might see a sharp rise in salaries. But now there's also more competition from overseas, both in terms of great talent and competition from large international players.

edit: the article was from 2016, and can confirm. I was making bank then and getting free at-work massages, boba, and towel service.

Re: Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (2016)

#35

Post by ryandrake »

taklimakan wrote: post #12

This is all very interesting, but is complete fiction for most readers. 99% of job seekers aren’t going to receive competing offers from multiple companies conveniently at the same time.

In a 25 year career, I've never really managed to significantly negotiate compensation upwards, either at the job offer phase or for raises once I'm in. It's always a "take it or leave it" offer and yea, I've chosen to leave it a few times.

Recruiter: "Here's your offer for $X compensation."

You: "I was actually looking for something paying $X+Y."

Recruiter: "Well our offer is $X."

You: "This data shows that comparable jobs with the work I'm taking on are paying $X+Y."

Recruiter: "Our offer is $X. Do you want the job or not?"

You: "Well, I'm not willing to join for less than $X+(Y/2)."

Recruiter: "OK, well, bye. We have 35 other candidates lined up to talk to. Good luck."

Not sure how it's different when you have multiple offers. The company offering a lower comp will just say "Well, their offer is higher. Have fun at Company B. Thanks for interviewing!" Reading stories of these Captains Of Industry just asking for more and getting it, or getting companies into a bidding war over them is... kind of wild. It's like we're living in different universes.

Re: Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (2016)

#36

Post by johndhi »

aozgaa wrote: post #26
taklimakan wrote: post #12

This is all very interesting, but is complete fiction for most readers. 99% of job seekers aren’t going to receive competing offers from multiple companies conveniently at the same time.

This is addressed in the article: > Turns out, it doesn’t matter that much where your first offer is from, or even how much they’re offering you. Just having an offer in hand will get the engine running. > If you’re already in the pipeline with other companies (which you should be if you’re doing it right), you should proactively reach out and let them know that you’ve just received an offer. Try to build a sense of…

As a hiring manager, this might help negotiate pay up if I already wanted to hire you, but if I was on the fence, knowing someone I'm not thrilled with has an offer does basically nothing for me.

Re: Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (2016)

#37

Post by mizzao »

1a527dd5 wrote: post #10

The best advice I found was in 'Never Split the Difference'. The rest is me being honest and direct.

Yep, I've read a lot of negotiation books and that's the one that explains all the other ones.

Everything else (including this article) is a specific case of the models described in that book.

Re: Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (2016)

#38

Post by tekla »

taklimakan wrote: post #12

This is all very interesting, but is complete fiction for most readers. 99% of job seekers aren’t going to receive competing offers from multiple companies conveniently at the same time.

You would have to be incredibly underwhelming to not receive multiple offers simultaneously.

Re: Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer (2016)

#40

Post by __turbobrew__ »

Here is my negotiation tactic: “I see on levels.fyi that people of my level make X dollars, I want the top of that range”

And magically I got 25% more TC. Only works for big enough companies with salary datapoints online.

It is kind of crazy how there is a bifurcation of TC between those who bothered to negotiate and those who didn’t. Being on the inside I know there are ranges for positions and if you push you can pretty much always get to the max for your range, obviously the recruiters will not give you a max TC offer right away.

Post reply on HN