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HR Pros Comfortable with Job Negotiations
In fact, 21% of job hunters are downright uncomfortable with the process, according to a new joint poll by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and CareerJournal.com.
The vast majority (82%) of HR pros expect job candidates to counter the initial job offer and 92% say salaries are, in fact, negotiable. Job hunters feel the same way, with 82% stating that first offers are a starting point.
Benefits Bartering
Both sides also believe that benefits are negotiable, though candidates are more likely to ask for cash-based benefits, while HR managers favor non-cash benefits.
Negotiable benefits, according to both groups, include:
- relocation-cost reimbursement (HR professionals, 58%; job seekers, 80%)
- early reviews with the option for a salary increase (HR professionals, 48%; job seekers, 69%)
- a signing bonus (HR professionals, 49%; job seekers, 60%)
- vacation leave (HR professionals, 50%; job seekers, 30%).
Most job seekers (94%) don’t negotiate “golden parachute” severance packages, while:
- 84% don’t negotiate planned salary reviews
- 91% are not concerned about retirement options
- 90% do not think non-compete agreements are important
While there are few benefits that would cause job seekers to reject an offer if not negotiated to their satisfaction, 41% say they sometimes refuse offers due to unsuccessful negotiations.
The poll reflects the opinions of 641 HR professionals and 663 job seekers.