Negotiate a better starting salary for 12 month maternity replacement contract

variety

Hi all- I am extremely likely to be offered an opportunity for a 12 month contract position (2 interviews, personality testing, skills testing and reference checks all complete). HR Manager said I was a "shoe-in" and I am hopeful for an offer today or Monday.
(I know, I know- don;t county my chickens, etc..., but I do want to be prepared for how to react if an offer is made.)

Whilst the salary is good, it falls short of my minimum requirements.
Briefly, I would hope for a 12% increase on the salary, but am prepared to settle for 8% and an increase in title.

I have researched negotiation tactics to increase a starting salary and/or benefits, but have found no hints as to how to go about this when temporarily replacing a person going on maternity leave.

Bear in mind that the company does not have salary banding, and they were aware from the initial phone conversation before the 1st interview of my minimum salary expectation and are happy to proceed.
I have no idea what salary the current incumbent is on.

Do I have any hope whatsoever of negotiating a better salary or better conditions? Any ideas to proceed?

tatli_lokma

There is no harm in trying, but you also need to bear in mind whether or not they pay maternity leave and what the current incumbent is on and length of service.

If they pay maternity leave, they might not be in a position to offer you the salary you want because they will be effectively paying 2 staff members at the same time.

If the current employee is there a number of years this might be reflected by her salary.

They might also be factoring in the possibility that the current employee won't return after her maternity leave. In which case, they will be wanting to ensure that they get the best deal available to them with her replacement (which may or may not be you). We are currently replacing one position here - the lady who transfered was in the role for 7 years. Due to the fact that she started on what was already an overly generous salary and then it got increased by salary increases, there was no way we would looked to replace her on even close to that salary - even for someone with 7 years experience in a similar role. Her moving on is an opportunity for us to replace her but to pay a more realistic salary. It might be the same case where maternity cover is needed - they are going to pay you within a salary range they feel is appropriate should you be needed to stay. They are not going to pay you at the top level of the salary as it will cost them too much.

It is quite hard to negotiate in the situation you are in, as you are only initially a temporary worker. They also have no experience of the quality of your work. It is much easier to negotiate a pay rise when you are in position as you can produce firm examples of benefits and improvements you have made/targets you hit/ extra work or projects you have undertaken.

I suppose it all depends on whether you are working already or not - I wouldn't leave a job for a 12 month contract in this climate regardless of the salary. If you are not working you simply need to decide if the salary is worth taking the risk for - by taking the contract you might miss out on a permanent role.

okiss

Hi Variety,

The jobs market has changed and wages have fallen in most sectors. Also it is harder to get an interview even it you have qualifications and experience.
If you look up http://www.taxcalc.eu and put in the salary you have been offered it will tell you what you will earn a week or month.
Another thing I would consider is if you have to pay for public transport to work is to have a look the tax saver tickets. Your employer pays for these from you salary before tax and you pay them back from you wages.
This saves your employer costs in prsi and lowers your tax bill also.

At the moment if I got a chance for a 12 month contract like what you are hoping to be offered I would accept the wage they are offering.
With a maternity leave contract the lady may not come back and in 12 months time you would be in a better position to look for a higher salary if the job was going well. Your also gaining more work experince.

I would take this job if you are not working as the longer your out of work the harder it is to get a job. I would agree with the previous post not to change jobs for a 12 month contract.

variety

Thanks for the replies. I have been offered the position
I am not currently in a job- have just relocated, but am under no pressure to start, either, fortunately.

After tax, the increase would be an additional 280 per month, so it's not unsubstantial.

That the person I am replacing may not return is a possibility, I suppose, but I can't make any decision based on that potential eventuality.
The company is a global firm with c. 300 in the local office so there would be possible be sideways movement at the end of the fixed term.

One more thing: there is another position at the same level, but for an 8 month contract, so the other people who have been interviewing for the position I have been offered may also be available for the 8 month one.

I was considering perhaps asking for the 10% increase and if they say no to request a review after 3 months, perhaps, after I have managed to prove myself.
Do you think I would alienate myself if I asked for more at this stage?

tatli_lokma

variety wrote: »

I was considering perhaps asking for the 10% increase and if they say no to request a review after 3 months, perhaps, after I have managed to prove myself.
Do you think I would alienate myself if I asked for more at this stage?

In my opinion it would be a bad move. Three months is practically nothing in terms of time to prove yourself. Most probation periods last at least 6 months for that reason, and in my experience it is very unusual to give someone a payrise when they have worked for you for less than a year. Also, with the fact that there are plenty of other candidates ready to take your place, I reckon if you ask you'll get a quick and short answer. I suppose you can ask, but it might go against you. There is no way to know if that will or won't happen so only you can decide if you are prepared to take a risk.

And IMO an increase after tax of €280 is not to be sneezed at. Unless you have very specialised skills that make you very much in demand I'd advise you to take it. Many people are taking jobs at lower salaries or the same money, so to get any sort of an increase is already a bonus.