Q & A Table of Contents
They Want Me Soon; I Want Them Later
From: Nagi, Australia
Question: I received an offer of 65K from US based company asking me to join within 2/3 months. How do I negotiate to accept the offer only after 6 months as I am stuck with the current assignment and I want to complete it. Is it possible to ask for more pay than 65K?
Response: You say that you 'received' the offer from the US based company. If you have not yet responded, then it is perfectly appropriate to indicate that you have an existing obligation to which you are contractually or
morally bound. If the new employer recognizes that you are loyal and will
abide by an agreement, that should give them confidence that waiting the
extra time for you to start could well be worth it.
If the new employer rejects your request for a time extension, that may be a clear indication not only that you are in a tough spot as regards current versus future loyalties, but also that asking for more pay is not a great idea.
Once you have seen their response to the timing issue, if you learn they are willing to wait you can then also say that you would like to be paid more. It is important to decide whether you're prepared to accept the job at 65K before you ask for more. If they don't respond enthusiastically to your request for higher pay now, you may talk about other elements of compensation such as vacation, a parking space, an attractive workspace, etc. You could also ask about the frequency of salary reviews -- and then ask for a salary review twice as often as their normal practice. In that instance, you may not start where you want to, but perhaps you can get increases your pay rate faster than is usual at the company.
Take things step by step. Focus on what is most important to you -- both short-term and long-term. There is no such thing as a dumb question -- but there can be dumb answers. Try to avoid the latter.
Good luck,
Steve
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