9/15/2015–here are five reasons to not negotiate starting salary. A deeper explanation of the topic was my focus in this entry, “You’re not negotiating salary, you’re just asking for more”.
- Likely increases the pay gap between men and women, since men have been more likely to negotiate and do it successfully.
- At a “good” company, top talent (like you, right?) gets disproportionately invested into, making the little extra you negotiate for at the beginning insignificant.
- Risk outweighs reward–you’re likely to lose goodwill (important for a new hire) and the possible benefit is pretty small. Even a successful negotiation only nets a few hundred dollars more per month after taxes. Is that worth lost goodwill?
- If you do get more, but you end up not being top talent, you’re overpaid–a dangerous spot to be in during rough financial times. A.k.a. you’re first to go.
- It’s not negotiating if you’re not giving anything more to them. It’s just asking for more money, and that’s probably not a good way to start any relationship.
QOTW: “Don’t turn your hobbies into a business. You’ll end up hating your hobbies.” Charles Heywood and dad
?FNW: Do I get the GA offer? Yes
11/29/2017 review–As I linked to, the entry “You’re not negotiating salary, you’re just asking for more” covers this topic, including my updated feelings on it.