Is it worth applying to a role to see if they will raise the salary?
Every Monday I cruise Elpha.com for the latest career topics and to provide coaching/advice where I can. Don't know Elpha? It's an online community dedicated to helping women succeed at work. I encourage you to check it out.
When I saw the following post and the advice the question-asker was given, I knew I had to pass it onto you.
"As more states are now requiring job postings to include salary range information -- which is great! -- I'm wondering how much, if any, flexibility there is in those ranges or if the top end really is the top end.
I was laid off at the end of last year and I've come across a job posting that is a perfect fit for me, I've even had several people from my network send it to me out of the blue. However, the top end of the salary range listed in the posting is 25K less than my most recent role.
Is it worth applying to the role and trying to see if they can get the comp up? Or is a number that significant likely to just be a waste of time, both on my end and theirs?
Image Text: “Definitely don’t rule yourself out! You don’t ask, you can’t get!
One pretty different option that someone recommended to me once…Would you accept that pay if it was for a 4 day work week?
Then you have the choice to work elsewhere the other day, or focus on your hobbies/home/health etc.
They may not be open to it, but if you think it could be possible to do a good job in 4 days, and they’ve explicitly stated they can pay that salary, then it’s one of the several negotiation options you could put forward!
Best of luck”
I literally whisper-yelled “YES!" when I saw this piece of advice. If they can't increase salary / benefits - negotiate a reduced work week. And make sure colleagues know the days / times you work and work that number of days! #boundaries
Image Text: “It really depends on the job. I have been searching for several months now and I always take on the topic of pay directly. Sometimes that really is their max and they can’t budge but often it is intentionally low as they don’t want to publish their true max. First, you have to know your true min. Then it is easy to communicate that during your first discussion with the recruiter so you don’t waste anyone’s time. It is always worth asking though. I just said my minimum expectation based on my previous salary was $30K higher than a position’s posted max and they had no prob with that. they said that made sense based on my location. So after remembering postings can be location specific for compliance with laws and they can have internal info on location adjustments. So go ahead and apply
“First, you have to know your true min.” You really do. Your true min is a mix of: what your financial situation can allow for, how much you're energized / excited by the work, what your resentment zone number is, and what your enough number is. Do not even try to negotiate without knowing what this minimum number is.
When it comes to location-based salaries, as the author brings up, this compensation approach comes with mix reviews. Read more about it here.
Image Text: “Recruiter here! Yes, you should still apply. For many companies, they are posting a range that they believe “in good faith” is the lowest and highest salary they would pay a new hire. In most circumstances, that is not the actual top of the salary band.
Salary bands are not just used for new employees, they are also used for current employees. If someone got hired at the very top of the actual salary band, that would mean they are essentially a very small step away from being promoted into the next band. Most the time, a company is going to hire someone who still has some stretch in the role. For that reason, the top of the range posted in job descriptions is often actually the middle of the range, or somewhere between the middle and top of the range. Hope this helps!”
“…the top of the range posted in job descriptions is often actually the middle of the range, or somewhere between the middle and top of the range.” YUP! It doesn’t make sense for a company to offer you the top of the range at the very beginning. Unless that is part of their compensation philosophy, which we’ll cover next.
Image Text: “I would still go for it because you never know. If the company has levels and a salary comp philosophy you may be able to make the case for a higher level role, or they may recognize your skill level to be higher and offer you a higher salary (this has happened to me.)”
I'm so happy this person used the phrase “salary comp philosophy.” Every company has one, even if it's not clearly articulated (it really needs to be!).
A compensation philosophy is the “why” behind employees' pay and benefits/rewards (total comp). Companies that care about their employees will clearly document and share this openly. They will also advertise it (likely a portion of it) in their recruiting copy.
If you can't find this philosophy anywhere - ask. And yes, it's okay to ask about this during a job interview. We work for pay. We need to know what factors into that number!
A few salary negotiation resources for you:
How To Ask For More Money As You Negotiate Your Salary (post)
The Elpha Salary Database: See thousands of real salaries from women in tech and beyond. Add your salary, to create more salary transparency and more equitable pay for women at work.
AAUW’s Work Smart Salary Negotiation Workshop (free): Created for working women, Work Smart is an interactive workshop that teaches you to evaluate, negotiate, and articulate your worth confidently in the job market.
The Leaders for Equity and Equal Pay Toolkit (out of Vermont) is a great resource for employers with <400 employees who need some support when it comes to pay equity. It also includes an interactive comp philosophy worksheet.
Looking for individual support? Book a salary negotiation coaching session with me. In 75 minutes, we’ll be able to walk through your specific situation, come up with a negotiation strategy you feel good about, and practice your approach.
