Applying to an advertised role - salary quibbles

[prand]

I'm looking for a new job - I'm in need of new challenge, experience and if possible, a half decent pay rise.

I was approached by a recruitment consultant who sent me a job spec with £XXXX as a guide. In initial conversations we discussed my salary expectations. I say that I'd be happy if offered the guide figure, which seems to me a fair market rate for the role, but a good increase on my current salary (about 15%).

Things are progressing well and I am seeing the hiring company later this week after a successful telephone interview.

All good so far, but the recruitment lady seems to be making an issue around the salary. She's starting to say that the hiring company's HR would not expect me to have an uplift of more than 10%, so maybe change my expectations in what I should ask for.

I'm going to continue this process and see where we get to. But I'm going to be firm on my expectations (negotiable to a point), as I feel somewhat undervalued at work (I'm hiring people on more money than me for example), and getting a new job is often the only chance to make any significant progress.

So is this a sensible approach (sticking to my guns at the guide salary) or should I adjust downwards to meet the new company's HR hiring and salary setting policy?

[edc]

Re-iterate to the recruiter what your salary expectation is. Re-iterate that the role and company so far tick the right boxes and you are happy on this basis to progress through the interview process. Explain that if this is not in line with the hirer then you should focus your search on other opportunities.

[Bullett]

Sounds like the recruiter has oversold the salary and is now back pedalling.

I got circa 30% uplift last time I moved. In fact the recruiter got more than I was expecting, the top of the salary band offered.

[rog007]

Perceived wisdom is dont move for less than a 20% uplift in overall package to compensate for the additional risk of moving. If 20% is the average, there is some room for manoeuvre based upon your perceived risk of any move. But note that the 20% does not just have to based upon the salary, it can be made up from other benefits too (car/health/etc). Good luck!

[prand]

Bullett said:

Sounds like the recruiter has oversold the salary and is now back pedalling.

I got circa 30% uplift last time I moved. In fact the recruiter got more than I was expecting, the top of the salary band offered.

This is partly what I am thinking. I have had similar uplifts to yours in the past, previous salary has never been a consideration. I am just wondering if its a more common thing nowadays, it surprised me as I certainly don't think about it when hiring people as I generally have a budget to work within and don't drive down starting salaries deliberately. This made me a little suspicious of the recruitment lady's motives.

I agree with what the poster above says too. Stick to my guns, If I like the job so desperately then maybe I take less. But I have a job which several benefits, not just financial and it's not all bad, so to an extent I can afford to be choosy at the moment.

[prand]

rog007 said:

Perceived wisdom is dont move for less than a 20% uplift in overall package to compensate for the additional risk of moving. If 20% is the average, there is some room for manoeuvre based upon your perceived risk of any move. But note that the 20% does not just have to based upon the salary, it can be made up from other benefits too (car/health/etc). Good luck!

And this is around the figure I had in mind. I have already been informed this job does not come with a car allowance so I'd have to take that out of this too!

Well, let's wait and see...

[BrabusMog]

I can only think she has inflated the salary to get a better calibre of candidate to impress her client - recruitment consultants work on commission so the higher the salary she gets you, the more she gets paid. Seems bizarre to try and start getting you to accept less.