Timeline for Negotiating startup package given differences in institutional norms
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
10 events
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| Feb 21, 2016 at 17:44 | comment | added | user10636 | I know this is kind of an old thread, but in case anybody comes across this in the future, the salary the candidate requested in this case $65k/year is actually a good bit higher than what I'd expect even a decent 4 year school in a metropolitan area to pay. Most of the people I know in such positions (philosophy, USA, BA granting institutions) are making somewhere between $52-56k. I'd think a starting salary of $65k for a newly minted philosophy PhD would be more common at a program with a strong MA, or some of the lower-tier PhD granting institutions. | |
| Mar 20, 2014 at 3:20 | comment | added | Pete L. Clark | In fact, if someone offered for a 20% raise in my department without a competing offer, I know exactly what would happen: the answer would be a flat "No way; you would then be making more than most of the tenured associate professors." In fact in my department the "standard" starting assistant professor salary is much more competitive with top universities than salaries in higher academic ranks, and for that reason getting a 20% raise even with a competing offer would be difficult. In the situation that I described myself, it was not that $Z was so high, it was that $X was so low. | |
| Mar 20, 2014 at 3:12 | comment | added | Pete L. Clark | "The point I'm trying to make is, I don't think 20% more as a counteroffer screams "out of touch."" Have you yourself ever negotiated a 20% increase in a starting offer without a competing offer? Or do you specifically know anyone who has? I don't, and I have direct experience on both sides of this issue. In my opinion 20% more does seem "out of touch", and while it should not result in the offer being rescinded, there will likely be a lot of eyes rolling in the department, and you will not arrive having made the best possible first impression. | |
| Mar 20, 2014 at 3:07 | comment | added | ff524 | The point I'm trying to make is, I don't think 20% more as a counteroffer (with or w/o a competing offer) screams "out of touch." The question is how to avoid seeming clueless, not how to win at negotiations. | |
| Mar 20, 2014 at 3:03 | comment | added | Pete L. Clark | (I agree completely with your last comment. It is essentially my point!) The moral of my story at least is: it's not so much the percentage increase; it's the willingness to match a competing offer. If you want to ask for X% more just because you feel you deserve it: good luck, but that's a much harder sell. Asking for on the order of 20% more without a competing offer ought not to get your offer rescinded, but in my opinion it is quite naive. | |
| Mar 20, 2014 at 3:02 | comment | added | ff524 | Well yeah, but not everyone has a generous competing offer to use as leverage | |
| Mar 20, 2014 at 3:01 | comment | added | Pete L. Clark | @ff524: In my experience, if you are offered $X per year as a salary, the way to get $Y > $X is to reveal that you have a competing offer at credible university for $Y. Speaking personally, I received offers $X < $Y < $Z, with $Z/$X > 1.28! This made me not want to even negotiate for with the lowest offer, but a friendly outside member of the hiring committee insisted that I mention the much higher offer. After telling the other two schools the highest offer $Z, the revised offers became $Z, $Z and $Z-$1K. | |
| Mar 20, 2014 at 2:34 | comment | added | ff524 | FWIW, the candidate says the 65k suggestion was less then 20% more than their offer - on the high side, but not totally crazy | |
| Mar 19, 2014 at 12:36 | history | edited | Pete L. Clark | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 18 characters in body
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| Mar 19, 2014 at 12:31 | history | answered | Pete L. Clark | CC BY-SA 3.0 |