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Salary Negotiation | |
Printed directories are available for members.Members are encouraged to pass on a directory to employers or potential employers.
A Chair and committee chairs are needed for next year's Showcase. Vice President Julia Joun will lead the first Task Force meeting.
The BWA database is being re-vamped and ideas are solicited for building it up and making more efficient for sending out information. Anyone with ideas is invited to post them to the BWA list.
Sam Grothe introduced an awards program to recognize the many members who contribute time and energy to BWA. In addition, there will be a member recognition tribute during the meeting announcement period. The first two awards were presented to Phil Tobias and Sue Anderson as past BWA Presidents. Hillary Lane, BWA Treasurer "since forever", was recognized in a special tribute.
To promote more networking and member interaction, Julia Wong proposed that members meet informally for lunch during months in which there is no general membership meeting.
Presenters:
Gail
Hollander, Management and Organization Development Consultant, addressing the
candidate point of view:
determining your value and using your negotiation skills.
Jenny Shedd, Technical Recruiting Consultant, Career Coach, and Account
Executive with MicroStaff Corporation, addressing the client point of
view: how salary is determined, what the unspoken range really is, and when
it is appropriate to ask for what you want.
Preparation for negotiations should begin well before the meeting. There are three essential aspects of maintaining an appropriate attitude when entering salary negotiations: 1) be curious about the job and how well the organization will fit with your own skills and interests, 2) be confident that you have appropriate skills, and 3) be positive.
In creating and maintaining a positive attitude, which will give you strength during the negotiations, it is important to remember that there are three positions a person can choose: being positive, engaged, and purposeful; feeling like a victim to circumstances; or attempting to control and meet only self-interests. If the latter two positions are taken, a positive attitude will be hard to develop. A support network, mental imagery, and positive self-talk will all help to create a positive attitude.
It is also important to determine which concerns can be influenced and which
cannot be controlled. By writing down your concerns, then eliminating those
which cannot be influenced, such as the economy and job market, you can put
energy into concerns that
you can control, such as how you present your skills and your knowledge of the
company.
When in the interview, decide what sets you apart from everyone else and
present your skills in terms of "experience and benefits." For example,
instead of saying that you write technical manuals, emphasize that the company
will benefit from reduced help desk calls because you can write technical manual
very clearly.
Lastly, no matter how many times you have been through interviews, always prepare
and practice. Be prepared to answer questions such as, "Tell me about yourself,"
"Why do you want to work for this company?" and "Do you have
any questions?" For the last question, good replies include: "Why
is the position open?" and, for contract workers, "What experiences
have you had with contract workers in the past?"
Download Gail Hollander's Handout on Salary Negotiation in PDF format:
Salary Negotiation Handout (82 KB)
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the file. The Reader is available
free from Adobe.
Knowing what comparable salaries for the position you are seeking is important.
You can find this information on the Internet, by networking with others in
the field, through professional associations, trade groups, and alumni organizations,
and by asking recruiters at staffing agencies. Talking with current employees
of the company to find out what they make, however, is discouraged because employers
might frown on their employees discussing salaries.
Some hiring managers will negotiate salaries, but some are given certain values and cannot or will not negotiate around these. In general, the higher the position in the company, the more likely the salary will be negotiable.
In the past year, there has been a shift in salaries; full-time positions have seen 10 - 15% shifts in some markets. However, many companies have not make such "corrections" because they know that the market will be changing in the coming years. Contract writers have been more likely affected by the changes. Currently, the hourly range for technical writers is $30 - 75/hour. Annual salaries range between $35,000 and $90,000, although most companies are not willing to pay at the top of the range. Some companies have made 30 to 50% reductions in their hourly pay scales, but many have not, assuming that "you get what you pay for."
When going into the interview, it is important to know what you want, what you can do, and at what point you will walk away from the negotiation.
The issue of answering questions regarding required salary ranges has no straight answer. Some recruiters will ask up front in order to screen out applicants whose salary requirements are too high. However, answering the question can be difficult. The best solution is to say that you will need to know more about the job before you can answer appropriately. Or note that it will be better to wait until you both feel that you are a good match for the job before discussing the salary. Jenny noted that in her experience, when a person has given a range, it has not been unusual to have the range adjusted later as the discussions progress and the nature of the job is more clear. However, some companies have a policy of never agreeing to the high end of a range because they feel that then the person has no place to go.
Gail pointed out that it is important to convey an attitude of "how can I grow with the company" not just "where do I start." In any event, it is best to allow the interviewer to bring up the question of salary first.
For contract work, it is useful to have a two-stage process. In the first stage, the project's scope is determined, then the salary is re-negotiated. This can also work for full-time employment in which you begin at a certain salary, then in a few months time the salary is re-negotiated.
When comparing contract work rates with full-time employee salaries, some companies forget that contract workers do not receive the benefits that must be factored into maintaining a full-time employee: taxes, insurance, office space and equipment, etc. These can add a 30 to 50% burden to the employee salary. One calculation to equitize salaries is to take the hourly rate of a full-time employee and multiply it by 2 to 2.5 to get the full compensation value.
An important factor in compensation for full-time employee negotiations is non-monetary benefits, such as educational and training opportunities or vacation time.
When asked about salary history, Jenny noted that you really have to divulge the information. Although it might not seem that the company has the right to know this information, if you provide incorrect information on an application, it may be grounds for dismissal. If your salary history has been lower than you would like, you can add in all the benefits received in past jobs, noting that the amount is the total compensation.
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