Hi there,
I have been offered a job in another local authority as a social worker. So it is a sideways move in some senses. However their pay offer would mean I would be on the same level I am on now. However due to the time of year of the move I would not be entitled to any annual increment either which means I would essentially have a pay cut for a year.
Would I be totally unreasonable to ask them to increase their offer because of this.
I appreciate in these times of recession this topic may feel distasteful however I have previously blindly accepted the pay offers on previous jobs without question only later to discover many less experienced social workers to be paid more.
All points of view welcomed
M
And you presumably believe that social work is about advocating for others - so try it for yourself! - they can but say no.
I take it the job itself is of no consequence, in terms of decision making?
Would have thought you should have nailed it @ interview. Good question to ask;shows you are on the ball.
However as another poster says, don't die wondering.
Hi,
You have a ready argument in place as to why you want this Local Authority to increase their offer, so speak to the Team Manager and HR .
Be clear about the specific salary point and pay rate you are requesting, thus minimising any confusion.
The Local Authority will not withdraw the offer of a position if you ask for the salary offer to be set 1 or 2 increments above what they originally offered.
But as medieval italian prince once told me.....if you can play them along long enough to be sure any second best choice candidate might have moved on..you might have the ability to bluff them into thinking you will not accept the post without the additional increment.
Then they have to decide if they want the hassle of going through the whole process again and the cost of readvertising.
It is never a question of them not being able to afford it, because they will have saved 25% of the salary in the three months it has already been vacant, and the previous encumbant was probably higher up the scale than they are offering you. You can make the point that cost of living freezes will bite enough without being at a low start point as a bottom line.
It all depends how much they want to fight their own HR department to use their own discretion over their own budget rather than sticking to an organisational principle of austerity.
They will be aware of the hassle of re-advertising, or the pitfalls of taking the "second best" candidate on a finance principle rather than a professional principle.
You just need to ensure that you come across as professional and cooperative while you negotiate...to give the impression that this is the only thing you have made a stance on.
If they get the impression you are going to be as stubborn over everything you don't want to do, they will begin to see you as potentially difficult to manage and the second best candidate will start to look as if they have been wrongly placed!
It is still a gamble, but you must have had other reasons for applying for a sideways move anyway, and they must come into the balance of deciding if you want the job or not, even fo the same salary.