# advice about job offer



## RedUntilDead (Feb 10, 2009)

Okay guys, getting splinters from sitting on the fence over this.
After two interviews I have been offered a job with a very respectable and stable company. When I applied to their ad it didnt state the wage and the job description was brief. Its for a maintenance engineer if that is a factor.
Their HR made contact and asked my salary demands which turned out to be £6K more than they wanted to pay and that ended the conversation. Two days later and they phoned me again explaining that they have seen something in my cv and were looking to expand the role which could possibly justify an increase in their offer.Fast forward the two interviews with the MD, production manager and HR manager, the morning after the second interview (today) they explain that they are very impressed and would like to offer me the role buts it £2K less than my current salary. She did repeat a line that I used about the wage not being my full motivation for being interested. I have asked for a day to consider the offer.
On one hand the HR lady has explained that they have upped the wage for the role to the maximum their budget will allow but only by adding more responsibilities could they justify such a wage increase. They are,or seem very genuine so maybe I shouldnt doubt her.(and I dont think I do)
On the other hand they knew from the very first conversation what my wage "demand" was so should I feel like they are low balling me?
My gut feeling is that if I tell them thanks very much but I cant leave my job for £2K a year less, they will go elsewhere as she made it perfectly clear about them hitting the limit of their budget.
What do think?

Maybe I should add that I have been with this employer for 6 months and have been looking for a way out from day one. I accepted this job which is the same rate as what is being offered to me in this new role. However, I have just passed my 6 months probation period which has been signed off which qualifies me for a £2K a year rise so I would basically be giving this up plus the added expense of the longer commute (thirty minutes more).


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## ivor (Sep 24, 2008)

That's the rock and the hard bit like you say You have been looking for an out from day one with present company so you need to way up what you don't like bout your current place and what attracts you to the other , for me personally being happy with the job is more important than the money I could easily jump from my job and go up a vast amount but I like the people I work and some of the work I do is very bespoke


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

You answered your own question when you said that you were looking at getting out from day 1 in your current role.

£2k over 12mths after tax is not a deal breaker / loser.

If you want out and the extra 30 minute commute is bearable then definitely go for it.


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## Rundie (Oct 2, 2007)

Never trust HR, they are paid to attract the right people regardless of the positives or negatives for yourself.
Depends on how much you want to stick two fingers up to your current employer, things might improve for you there, the first six months can be the best or worst part of your employment with them. 
30 minutes extra commute and a £2K drop in wages= a cracking new job or desperation to get out of the hole you're in.

They are offering two grand less yet adding extra duties to the original job ?? Tight a*rses imo.


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## Geordieexile (May 21, 2013)

It does sound like they want you. Could you possibly contact them and say you're very interested but you're struggling to justify it financially owing to circumstance rather than motivation. Perhaps suggesting a business expense contribution to your extra travelling cost that would be an expense payment they could write off against tax may help and put you both in a position where it's a viable option.

As stated above though, 2k isn't a great deal over 12 months though I understand that may sound flippant given that I don't know the proportionality.

What I would say is that they've come up by 66.6% and are asking you to take the rest of the hit. Are there any development opportunities?


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## Rundie (Oct 2, 2007)

Geordieexile said:


> What I would say is that they've come up by 66.6% and are asking you to take the rest of the hit. Are there any development opportunities?


Maybe I've missed something, they've come up by 66% of the 6K expectation in salary ?


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

I've run out of count the amount of people who were promised rises after their probation period. I wouldn't hold your breath for that one. 

Making a rough guess based what other maintenance get, £2k is quite a reasonable drop in money that would go noticed. Then another 30mins commuting not only shortens your day, that will likely add further expense. You didn't say how you were travelling. 

If the other company are upping their usual wage cap and already highlighting that they see other uses for you, that might entail you'll have to do more work than the rest to justify your extra salary. 

So it could mean a good bit less money and a whole lot more work. 

It could be a great challenging job though. It is hard for us to guess. 

It you're not happy in the job you are in and come by another job easily, you haven't got too much to lose.


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## Sicskate (Oct 3, 2012)

Exactly as above, will you have the opportunity to gain promotion?


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## Rayner (Aug 16, 2012)

Sounds like a game they're playing to me but I could well be wrong. 

All I'll say is if the new job is something your going to enjoy then you can't put a price on that :thumb:


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

Maybe one of the key lessons is to be careful when talking about money in an interview. If you are unhappy where you are then moving could be the right move. It sounds as if they like you and want you to work for them, in the absence of other offers I would take the risk and move

I do think they have taken advantage of you with their salary offers but this is entirely normal. The trick is if you accept the offer, erase any salary unhappiness from your mind. This is the kind of thing which can gnaw away at you if allowed to fester. I say this from experience and professionally speaking; as one of those awful HR types


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## Geordieexile (May 21, 2013)

Rundie said:


> Maybe I've missed something, they've come up by 66% of the 6K expectation in salary ?


If I'm not wrong his initial demand from the original post was equivalent to his current salary and 6k above the new employer's max salary for that position.

They have now offered 2k less than his demands which equates to upping their offer by 4k.

That's how I read the original post but perhaps that's incorrect.

Perhaps they've changed the job description to justify paying him more as they want him, but need to keep others at the same salary point happy by providing a differential in responsibility and not leaving themselves open to equal pay litigation.


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## Rundie (Oct 2, 2007)

I took it that he was after £6K more than his current salary, they have offered £2K less than his 'new' current salary so £4K less ?? LOL, needs some clarification.


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## djgregory (Apr 2, 2013)

6k more than THEY wanted to pay, not 6k more than his current salary.

Clear as water.


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## RedUntilDead (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies, lots of good advice.
Made the phone call and explained that it was with great regret that I had to reject the offer. The reply I got went along the lines of their hr suspected I would turn the low offer down and what could I accept as they couldnt match my present wage. 
I am pleased to say that I have a shiny new job having agreed to a 1k drop:thumb:


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

RedUntilDead said:


> Thanks for all the replies, lots of good advice.
> Made the phone call and explained that it was with great regret that I had to reject the offer. The reply I got went along the lines of their hr suspected I would turn the low offer down and what could I accept as they couldnt match my present wage.
> I am pleased to say that I have a shiny new job having agreed to a 1k drop:thumb:


Congratulations on your new (shiny) job :thumb:


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