Negotiating salary is one of the toughest tasks of a job seeker – especially in an employers’ market.
“Your answer to question 7 belies the ‘poker hand’ nature of the employer/candidate relationship. I’m going to tilt my hand just a bit … in hopes you’ll show me yours.” – The first line of Brian Harris’ salary negotiation email.
I recently applied for the Digital Marketing Specialist position at SaaS company Bridgeline Digital. As a follow-up to the job application, they sent back a list of questions – one, of course, being my compensation requirements.
I responded with my typical pay scale inquiry: “What is the range you’re offering for the position?”
Usually, I receive the runaround reply: “I don’t have salary information since I’m not the hiring manager.” You know, the quick brushoff with the HR recruiter expecting you to just toss out a number. (It’s just one of the things companies do to annoy job applicants.)
In this economy of companies that expect job candidates to throw themselves at their feet for any pay, I was relieved to receive a thoughtful job compensation response from Bridgeline Digital‘s Digital Services Manager Brian Harris, who agreed to let me share it with you:
Continue Reading »