Grad lowballed Salary Requirement, is there a way to salvage this potential job?

Parent Cafe
1

My D got a recruiter call out of the blue today. They somehow found her off of her summer internship from a few years back, and were very interested to learn all the other qualifications she could bring to this position. It is a great job situation, in her field, but it took her by surprise and she was not prepared to talk salary requirements. Instead of asking for more time to think it over, she rattled off a super low wage range. The salary she proposed will not allow her to live on her own, or pay back her student loans. Bottom line, she will lose the ability to take this job if the salary range is not raised significantly.

I suggested she email the recruiter in the morning, submit her most current resume, and ask for a “do over” with the salary request. I think she needs to revise her salary request ASAP to be taken seriously, and also to regain negotiation rights. D did tell me that the recruiter was speaking in generalities about job duties, and D did not see the actual job description until after talking with the recruiter. This type of job could vary from lowly technician to manager, and what they are looking for does include supervision of other employees. So my D wasn’t completely out of her head when she suggested an entry level, technician type salary. (Think receptionist vs office manager, that kind of wide spread of different levels of responsibilities)

D was not receptive to my suggestion to respond immediately and ask to change her salary requirement, and said she would just wait until an actual job offer was given to renegotiate at that point.

My husband had a great talk with her tonight, I allowed them to chat without me present, knowing that his style of speaking is different from mine, and I knew he has been gently pushing D to reach for a higher salaried job. My husband said later that D agreed that her salary request needed to be much higher to match the job description. But, H did not realize as he spoke with D that D had already given a lowball salary range.

Husband thinks the game is over, that there is no hope. D is not wanting to rock the boat and is optimistically hoping to renegotiate later, and I want her to communicate tomorrow morning that her salary needs are vastly different than what she stated today.

Help?!

2

Is the higher salary you have in mind what you think she needs for her living expenses or is it based on what the job will ACTUALLY pay? Employers don’t really care about need, they care about going market rate. Has she looked at Glass Door and similar sites to get some idea of an appropriate range?

I see nothing wrong with doing some research and having her contact the recruiter and say that after further thought and research, salary requirements would be in the X range. If she can’t live on the salary she stated, what’s the harm in trying? Also, chalk it up to a learning experience. If things don’t come to fruition, now she knows better how to handle things. Talking to a recruiter doesn’t mean she’s going to get a job offer anyway so it’s not like she’s ruined a job offer if a job hasn’t been offered. It’s in the early stages.

3

If she is lucky, the company may have a standardized pay level for new college graduates in each type of job that it hires new college graduates into. In that case, if the standardized pay level is higher than what she said, they may think that it will be easy to hire her when offering that pay level.

She should carefully consider benefits as part of the compensation package. Medical insurance in particular can be expensive to purchase on one’s own if there is no employer provided or subsidized medical insurance, so a job without should be expected to pay significantly more. Other significant benefits include long term disability insurance, pension/401k, paid time off (vacation and sick) policy, etc…

Location also matters in terms of cost of living and the convenience of commuting from an affordable place to live. Of course, intangible preferences for location also matter.

Perhaps the best answer to any question about pay requirements, particularly if one is unprepared, is to say something like “it depends based on the type of job, the location of the job, and other benefits included in the compensation package”. Because it does (or should) depend on all of those things!

4

There is no black mark to give more information to a recruiter. I’d vote you are right, but your D might also be right. If it is a lowball offer (which she has not even yet received, right?) then she can say that salary is for X and I would like to be considered for Y at $Mega.

Side note, women should rock the salary boat a LOT more often! We were happy to hear that DS’s girlfriend negotiated $5000/yr more from her first offer before she accepted.

YMMV, however, depending on the field and location, my experience is in techy fields.

5

More info, this is NOT a tech field. The Recruiter is actually an HR employee of the Company wanting to hire her. The salary we are thinking is appropriate is in the range of what D was offered as an intern to return to her internship company after college graduation.

We live in a large metropolitan area, and this company is a large employer here, and thus would be very aware of our high cost of living.

I had not thought of finding comparison salaries at GlassDoor. Will pass that along to my D.

Thank you all for responding so quickly, and I will continue to read all responses.

6

Do you know whether your expectations for what your daughter needs to live on are realistic for her job and skill level?

Keep in mind that if your expectations are unrealistically high, that could make it less likely for her to be hired-- the company will likely have a budget and a sense of what they can offer.

My daughter lives in NYC and the salary she had with her first job out of college would have been way too low for her to rent an apartment on her own in NY… but she didn’t live on her own, and never has. She started off with roommates and now she is married. Job #1 did have a student loan benefit, which was nice. So loan payments weren’t a problem either. After 2 years she moved onto a second job that was actually a step down in pay, and no loan benefit – but it looked like more potential for growth and she negotiated a promise that her salary would be reviewed in 6 months. It was, and she got a raise – and she is still with the same company and she’s now earning at least triple the amount of her starting salary.

I don’t think it’s good for parents to be overly involved in the job search. Fine for you to offer suggestions if your daughter asks, but it sounds like you are pressuring her and the net result may be that there is no offer at all. Your daughter can always turn down the job if offered-- but she will have lost a learning opportunity of she is dropped from consideration because you are trying to fix her mistakes for her. Let her complete the interview process.

In addition to Glassdoor, your daughter can check Payscale.com and the salary calculator at Simplyhired.com for an idea of realistic salaries.

Also, benefits are important and can be more important than base salary.

But again, let your daughter drive the process.

In your original post you wrote, “think receptionist vs office manager” – was that just an attempt to draw a parallel, or are those the actual positions being discussed?

7

Having watched closely someone who went from $34,000 to $15,000,000 per year, the best deal is compensation based on performance, in a company that offers top executives tax-deferred stock incentives.

–But you have to be smart, and you have to prove yourself worthy first.

Meanwhile, starting out, you have to be trustworthy and likable. D will not be trustworthy if she goes back on her word now. Nor is she likable if she raises her price before she’s done anything to earn a raise. Before she’s even started the job!

If she tries to change her price now, she may prove that she’s not a very clever person for having spoken before she thought: Not an ideal employee profile.

She gave her word, it’s done. She has to prove herself worthy of that figure before expecting more: Live and learn.

Starting out, show no sign of personal greed and never mention salary nor name your price. You should always interview having researched first and spoken to people. Asked point blank to name a figure, demur–your focus in the interview should be on listening to what they want, not advancing how much you want. If you ask the right questions about their business, they’ll be raising their figure mentally as you speak. Otherwise, they have a figure set in stone by HR or policy, and you’ll get that no matter what–starting out.

Once your foot is in the door, put in more hours and smarter effort than your cohort. Be noticed for working effectively, be nice in a general way, and do everything possible to contribute innovatively to the company’s bottom line. Always move to work in a company profit center, where performance growth is possible.

In every follow up promotion/raise discussion, focus on how much your department improved profitability–as a unit. (Personal ego is ugly. Are wildly successful people egotistical and selfish?–Sure, but canny ones never show it!)

That successful person told me never to ask for money. Companies prefer your focus on their bottom line, not yours: What will you do for the company? Not what the company can do for you.

Once you prove your impact on their profit (it takes years,) they want to keep you. Industry gossip when others try to hire you away will add to your value exponentially. If you are offered better opportunity elsewhere, take it. Befriend industry insiders. Nurture relationships with consultants, who are like bees and cross-pollinate–expanding your reputation widely.

Do not go back and ask for more morey. She named her figure. She should be a person of her word. She also hasn’t done anything for them yet.

A top career is a long-term project. The first few salaries are not important. Don’t whine about how poor she lives meanwhile. Use it to motivate a better overall approach. She made a mistake and better learn from it.

If it wasn’t a livable salary she named, then she’ll have to look for another job.

8

More info. No, the job she is interested in is not an office worker position, and yes, I was just using the terms “Receptionist” and “Office Manager” as an analogy for 2 job titles working in the same space but requiring different levels of responsibility.

I appreciate the wisdom to step back and let D drive this process. It is hard to do, but wise to let her drive this.

NOTE TO ALL: The main point is that D got a phone call, out of the blue. She was not prepared, she did not have any time to research company, calculate the cost of getting a place nearby, or even have a job description to look at.

She made a costly mistake in speaking without having all the facts and figures. I think she can use the line “after studying the job description you sent me after we spoke, I realize this job is more involved than an entry level technician position. I would like to change my salary requirement.”

D has worked in management for 11 months after graduating from college. She has earned two national certifications in this field, and has garnered a great reputation (and will have great recommendations). She thought she needed to take a pay cut to get an entry level position into a field that more closely used her college degree and area of interest. She knew she could continue to live at home with us, and she can, but the commute in our metro area will be brutal.

9

As no formal offer has yet been made, I think your daughter is right to wait – and in the meantime she can do more research to determine appropriate salaries for the position.

Another question: is your daughter currently employed? If not has she been actively seeking employment, and for how long? Gaps on a resume don’t look good, and the more time that goes by, the harder it is to find work — so it can be beneficial to grab an offer, especially one with a desired company or industry, when it comes along. It’s the bird in hand thing… again, your advice to daughter could backfire tremendously-- and even if your advice is sound, if your daughter then didn’t get an offer she might always wonder whether that communication about salary was the reason that she didn’t get the offer.

You wrote, “It is a great job situation, in her field” - if it is hard to find work in her field, then there is intrinsic value in the job situation that may compensate for lower salary, if there is a strong possibility of advancement and significant salary increases over time.

But don’t assume that if she is given an offer that it will be based on her lowball salary – an established company is going to want to stick to its own policies or pay local market rate. And when your daughter does get an offer she can raise issues then — after she has done her research into the company and gotten a sense of an appropriate salary. Plus she will be in a better position to negotiate once she has had a chance to learn more about the position and get a better sense of the company culture.

10

It’s very difficult to step back, but bless her she’s learning a lot from her experience and yours and your husband’s input.

Having been in the recruiting and hiring process for a large national company many moons ago, I saw everything, and this was not unusual. Companies have structured salary levels, and those who low-ball are so pleasantly surprised when offered the actual salary.

Also, if the HR person was not clear on the position it would be completely acceptable to say so when discussing salary as this process unfolds. Once they tell her the specific position a good question to ask as follow-up is what the salary range is and where she starts in that range. Thus she’s not backtracking etc…

Furthermore, and this happens frequently since she’s actively job hunting, if a second opportunity with another company pops up or is under consideration, she will be able to leverage the first company.

11

I am not going to say another word to my D about this. Will let her work through the process.

Thankful for a safe place to vent, and appreciate all the input.

Just another crazy rollercoaster ride on this parenting journey…

12

I never interview for a job that I know they couldn’t afford my salary. I also do not interview people who I can’t afford. Reason being I do not like to waste people’s time. I would get mad at my recruiter if they were to show me a candidate that he/she knew we couldn’t afford.

If it is a large well established company, they probably have well established pay range for each band. If your D wants a higher salary, it is possible they may not be able to afford her. At the same time, it is better for your D to know now rather than go through the whole interview process.

If your D thinks the salary range she gave was too low, then she should let the recruiter know earlier rather than later. I would just say, “After giving it further considerations and factoring these things (list them), for me to make a move I would like the salary to be around this range…I am very interested in the position and would like to further explore it. I hope the new salary range is workable for you”

OP - I think you are doing the right thing by giving your D guidance. Both of my girls talk to me often about their work and ask for my input because after all I have 30+ years of work experience.

One last thing I would like to add is when you are young getting the highest pay isn’t always the ultimate goal. It is more important how the job is going to help with your skill sets, build your resume and potential future advancement, but at the end of day it needs to pay your bills.

13

I think honesty is the best policy. She should research comparable salaries in her area in the position plus her experience level and if she indeed low balled then contact the recruiter and tell the recruiter she is still interested but caught by surprise by the phone call. After doing alittle research found that she is at xx dollars for that job. It is definitely a lesson learned if nothing comes of the phone call.

14

She’s young. She won’t make this mistake again. I can almost hear the family conflict the situation has caused, but I don’t think she should go back on her word and renegotiate.

At least she hasn’t done something that will ruin her whole life.

This too shall pass.

15

I think this is way overplayed. While she made a mistake by mentioning salary without all the facts and research in hand, it is no big deal. Most positions have a salary associated with them. Employers like to get potential employees to disclose salary amounts so they can cut to the chase. No reason to interview a guy looking for $100,000 if the job only pays $50,000.

I wouldn’t worry about it at all. Get on with life. If they come back and request an interview, you can deal with it at that time. In the meantime, she needs to learn how to address those questions. Good luck.

16

I think she still has some negotiating room if they make her an offer. She shouldn’t say yes right away if they do. She can then bring up that she was surprised by the initial call, hadn’t researched positions and salaries like the one offered, and now has had time to do so. And that it seems like salary X is more aligned with the responsibilities and market.

But – expect that if they improve the offer, it won’t be all the way up to what she asks for. And they may not move at all. She needs to decide how to handle that. One thing she might do if they won’t budge on salary is ask for another week if paid time off (I did that in my 2nd job out of college).

Also, she should remember that this job likely comes with benefits that are worth something over her internship rates (health, dental, life insurance, etc). There is nothing wrong with asking if they have a benefits brochure before accepting, too.

In summary, it would be a second mistake to allow herself to be stampeded to saying yes to an offer if it comes without fully understanding it, and attempting to negotiate if appropriate. She can ask for time to think about it, ask for more info, and attempt to negotiate.

As an aside, my kid in the working world shared an apartment (but not a bedroom) in an expensive city for several years after moving there right out of college. It is pretty normal.

17

I’m in a somewhat similar situation. A few months ago I thought I was headed for unemployment, so on job applications I was putting a pretty low salary requirement. Now my job situation has changed and I won’t be parting ways with my current employer so there’s no urgency for me to move. However I’m now pretty far down the path of interviewing with another company.

So my dillema is whether or not I come out right now and tell them my salary requirements have changed, or do I let the process play out and negotiate salary if/when they make me an offer? I’m still torn, but I’ve decided to let it go and negotiate at the end. If they decide I’m worth the money they’ll pay me what I want, and if not we’ll just part ways. I may also decide that I like the job and people so much that I’m willing to take less money to work there (and to my own surprise, I’m actually feeling that way a little).

At the end of the day it’s the way the business world works - not every offer is accepted, and sometimes companies decide they really want someone and are willing to pay what they’re asking, and sometimes candidates decide they’re willing to take less money. But that determination comes about after multiple interviews and both parties have time to gather information, not in the first 30 minutes of conversation.

Anyway, sorry for the long non-answer. I think OP’s D can go either way but I’d probably lean (very slightly) towards keeping quiet and seeing where the interviews take her. Remember that she’s interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing her. Oh and to echo others, I personally would never accept the first offer - always negotiate.