Job negotiating

[Deleted User] · December 2014

My husband had interviews with 2 well-known companies in the last week. He got one great offer today (27% raise plus yearly bonus) and was told by HR from the other company that he will be getting a 2nd offer tomorrow or Monday. Both would require us to move across the state. We would live near my ILs. Currently DH is underpaid and undervalued for the work he does. He would prefer not to move but would need a decent raise in order for us to stay.

I'm asking you ladies... how does he go about negotiating with his current employer for a raise? This is a whole new realm for us but it's necessary. Should he meet with his managers or go directly to HR? Any other advice or well wishes are appreciated. Thanks!

[Deleted User] · December 2014

Benefits are comparable. He would be happy with a moderate raise. I don't think the raise would have to be even with his new offer for us to stay.

GraceInCA · December 2014

He has to be willing to leave, and not bluff.

You take the offer from the potential new employer to the current one and you say, "I've received a great offer, and my intention is to take it. I'd like to give you the opportunity to match it, and in that case I'd stay. But I need to know by tomorrow because I need to respond to this offer. Thanks."

momofcatan · December 2014

GraceInCA said:

He has to be willing to leave, and not bluff.

You take the offer from the potential new employer to the current one and you say, "I've received a great offer, and my intention is to take it. I'd like to give you the opportunity to match it, and in that case I'd stay. But I need to know by tomorrow because I need to respond to this offer. Thanks."

This is what I was thinking. If he is going to tell them that he wants a raise because he has these other offers, he needs to be 100% prepared to be told to go take the other offers.

With that being the case it is definitely worth asking the current employer to match the offers and see what they come back with.

momofcatan · December 2014

Also where I work managers control your salary, not HR, it would definitely be a discussion with a manager.

[Deleted User] · December 2014

UPDATE
Thank you ladies! We have absolutely no experience in this area so your advice is very helpful.

DH made an appointment to speak with his VP this afternoon. He drafted a new job description that included his recently added job responsibilities. He also tacked on a higher pay class. He had a cordial meeting with his VP. In the end, his VP said that he agrees that DH is underpaid and that he will talk to HR about a raise. BUT.... VP guarantees that HR will not give him a raise anywhere near close to the other offer. The VP said "You are one of my best employees and I would hate to lose you but I don't think HR can match your offer." The VP recognizes that he has lost several great employees recently but he is bound by HR and budgeting granted by the Board.

Looks like we will be moving. Nothing is finalized yet though.

amie444 · December 2014

I was going to add historically and statistically most people leave the current jobs within 6 months even if they get a raise. Good Luck!

KittenGator · December 2014

I just have to insert my little HR-self here and tell you what it really looks like behind closed doors (usually).

The manager will write a justification for an increase in his salary. HR is going to look at the salaries of people in the same classification, compare their education (if applicable), experience, tenure, performance appraisals and all of that good stuff and make sure giving him a raise is internally equitable (i.e. he's not making more than peers with more or similar experience or more than someone who's at a higher classification with more experience or he's not making more than a woman with the same experience etc.) and well-justified in their salary justification. So HR has little control over it, really- it's more dependent on the budget, internal equity and how good of a job the manager did writing the salary justification.

That said, like someone said above companies usually do have money elsewhere that they can suddenly find if necessary but even if that money's available- if his raise wouldn't fit into the above then don't count on it. Unless of course you don't have a well-established HR department that allows potentially litigious employment actions to happen, or he's higher up or something like that. So if it doesn't turn out, he should not only not take it personally but not blame HR

Of course everywhere you go the process varies but the above encompasses the processes that have taken place in the varies agencies I've done HR for.

ETA: If he were so inclined, in preparation for his manager's meeting with HR, he could write his boss a justification for his increase so when the boss goes to prepare it himself he either has a wealth of information available or can just use what YH wrote

Or he can give them a competing job offer and where I come from (public sector) that is usually enough to get the job done.

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