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I am going to soon be accepting a new job, and in our most recent conversation the company stated a specific pay rate offer and said that after a probation period if everything was going well I would get a raise.
The questions I have are quite a bit speculative at this point because I don’t have a written offer from them yet (which I will be asking for the next time I speak to them after the holidays are over), but I’d like to get some opinions here before I talk to them. In other words, I don’t want them to look at me like I’m nuts if what I’m asking for is unreasonable and run the risk of losing the job opportunity all together.
I’ve been unemployed for 8 months so I CAN’T afford to ********** up and be left with nothing. Chances are I will NOT negotiate the initial salary offer for that reason, but will consider negotiating the post probationary period raise to equal what I wanted to make. The hourly rate they offered is in fact less then what I made at my last job (by $1.10/Hr roughly) and when 1st asked what I wanted to make, I threw out a ball park range that is $5K more per year then their verbal offer.
So what I’m wondering is, what would you consider to be an appropriate pay raise to expect after a probationary period?
If I’m getting paid hourly would you still apply a percentage to this raise like a salaried employee would normally expect?
Would you expect your raise to be expressed as additional X amount $ per hour?
I did all the math and determined that the difference between what they are offering and what I’d like to make amounts to a 15% raise or an additional $2.50/hr with a $5,000 difference in the probationary and ending pay. Am I nuts to think that’s a reasonable demand?
Would you recommend that I negotiate up my initial salary instead, and ask for a lesser post-probation period raise instead? i.e. ask for a dollar more per hour (near equal to my prev. wage earnings) then ask for $1-$1.50 per hour more afterward?
Like I said, I need to approach this cautiously here because I don’t want to be left with nothing at all.
I did all the math and determined that the difference between what they are offering and what I’d like to make amounts to a 15% raise or an additional $2.50/hr with a $5,000 difference in the probationary and ending pay. Am I nuts to think that’s a reasonable demand?
Yes, you are nuts. Unless you are the only person on the planet who can do the job you need to let them tell you what the raise is going to be. I promise it won't be anywhere close to what you are thinking.
The 'raise' you are rewarded with after probationary period is the job. Not an increase in salary. Certainly not fifteen percent which is more than seasoned employees with tenure with the company will likely get at year's end!
Ask them at the time of offer what the typical raise at the end of probation is. It's probably in the range of 1-3%. If you can't accept that, then either negotiate a starting higher salary or wait until annual review time. Keep in mind that if you negotiate a higher starting wage, you will likely get smaller raises down the road.
Until you get a firm job offer I would not ask any questions about future pay raises. I see no problem asking about the post probationary raise once you are offered the job. However, if you do not like what they have to offer, I would not try to negotiate a higher raise. If you do you may be causing your employer to have second thoughts about you. You could find yourself not passing probation.
Until you get a firm job offer I would not ask any questions about future pay raises. I see no problem asking about the post probationary raise once you are offered the job. However, if you do not like what they have to offer, I would not try to negotiate a higher raise. If you do you may be causing your employer to have second thoughts about you. You could find yourself not passing probation.
I know this is off topic..but how can people like you, that joined a little more than a year ago, have 31,000 rep points? Are you just a really great debater or what ?
I know this is off topic..but how can people like you, that joined a little more than a year ago, have 31,000 rep points? Are you just a really great debater or what ?
I have lots of friends in low places
I have the City-Data rewards credit card. I get rep points with every purchase
The 'raise' you are rewarded with after probationary period is the job. Not an increase in salary. Certainly not fifteen percent which is more than seasoned employees with tenure with the company will likely get at year's end!
See that's the heart of the problem to me here. If I take the job at their current offer and get the normal 2-3% raise after the probation period and going forward, then it will take me 2 years to get what I WAS making, and probably 5 years to make what I wanted at the bottom of my desired salary range!
I agree, a 15% raise doesn't usually just happen after a yearly review. It would take a major promotion, a job title change, or "heroic" work performance to get that at most companies after a yearly review. Knowing that this is a small company to begin with, I don't see myself getting a big promotion either. I would be THE DESIGNER if I took on the job, not one of several. The only upward promotion I could see would be becoming the design director, a position the owner's son (who actually looks like he's the same age or possibly younger then me) currently does.
My generation will not work at the same company for most of their working life like my parents have. There you started at the bottom and progressively worked your way up to success. Waiting 3-5 years for a promotion and a big raise was fine, because you didn't expect to go anywhere else if you liked your job.
If I want a significant raise and a promotion, most likely that means I'm looking for a new job title and a new employer elsewhere. I expect to be almost anywhere for only 3-5 years unless I REALLY like the job and the company and see strong potential for growth.
I'm starting to think that the best way I can approach this is to ask about what my pay will be after the probation period and gauge how I should respond from there. If it's a 3-5% raise I'll probably just take it and keep on sending out resumes and looking for something better. If it's more then that then I might ask for a $1 more starting and ask for a $1 more after the probation period is over.
The reality for me is if the economy was better and I had a job at this time I wouldn't accept this job based on the salary. I'm 30 years old and I was making $37,600 at the job I was laid off from. A nationwide survey of 5,000 people in my profession and different salary data websites shows me to be making less then the average ENTRY LEVEL Product Designer, and about $15K less then a designer with my experience. I graduated into a poor economy, and I've been taking any job in my profession that I could get ever since. It's not getting me anywhere. Not to mention, I'm not making enough to be happy at this stage in my life. I should be close to having saved up enough to buy a house, start a family, etc. I'm a rung or to above leading a college student life style. I've made enough to stay ahead of my bills, but that's about it.
Last edited by Further North; 12-27-2010 at 06:42 PM..
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