How to negotiate the offer if the terms do not meet your expectations

• Don’t assume that everything is negotiable.
• Ask what items are negotiable – generally the base salary, vacation and start date are negotiable.

 

Verbal offer – Items you will want to address

• The verbal offer generally comes before the written offer. The Hiring Manager will want to discuss the terms of the offer prior to putting it in writing.  The items you will want to address are:
• Base Salary
• Bonus (if any)
• Auto or Car allowance
• Medical benefits for self and family
• 401K
• Profit Sharing
• Vacation
• Sick Leave
• Personal time off
• Start Date
• Ask to be sent a benefit booklet
• If you have a vacation planned, now is the time to discuss it.

 

The Danger of over-negotiating your offer

• Do not aggressively over-negotiate the offer. This could be cause for the employer to pull the offer.

 

The benefit of working with a recruiter in negotiating your offer

• A recruiter is skilled at negotiating your offer. You can have private discussions with your recruiter regarding your desired compensation plan and the recruiter will go to bat for you.

 

The appropriate time-frame to review a written offer

• It is appropriate to take 24-48 hours to review an offer with the exception of the weekend. If you take much longer, the employer may offer the job to someone else.  In some instances the employer will state the time-frame in the offer.

 

How do I say Yes?

• You should always receive a written offer of employment. The offer should include all of the items discussed in the verbal offer.
• Do not shop your offer around town by using it to get a higher salary at another firm. This could backfire on you.
• Sign, date, and return the offer to the employer in a timely manner.
• Advise the employer or your recruiter, as soon as possible, on your decision to accept or decline the offer.
• Agree on a reasonable start date.
• Putting off your start date for more than two to three weeks could cost you the job as they may have a backup candidate that can start sooner.

 

Drug Testing and Background Check

• Most companies require a background check and drug/alcohol screen.
• Your offer will be pending until this is completed.
• If you know of something that may come up as a negative, give a brief explanation to the employer so they will not interpret it negatively.
• Do not give notice to your employer until your background check and drug screening are completed and approved.

 

Giving notice to your employer

• It is important to give notice to your current employer as soon as possible after accepting an offer.
• You don’t want to burn your bridges by leaving them in a lurch with short notice.
• It is industry standard to give two weeks notice.