Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & DALE: I need your help with a tricky interview issue. I’ve been out of a job for more than a year, and now when I am going for interviews, I am being offered very minimal hikes in my salary because of this. I need your advice on how best to solve this problem so that I can bargain to my advantage.– Keith
DALE: “Minimal hikes,” you say? Hikes? Well, perhaps you were busy shopping at Montgomery Ward or jetting on Pan Am, but the economy has changed a bit – these days, you rarely see automatic salary increases. Sure, if an employer is trying to lure you away from your current job, then you might get offered a bump without negotiating, but in this economy, in your situation, you’re going to have to artfully justify an increase. J.T.: You may want to begin by explaining away your extended unemployment. I’m going to assume that you’ve been applying to positions online and waiting for calls. This is the single least effective way to look: Eight out of 10 applications online are never viewed by human eyes. You need to be networking. Then, when asked in interviews about the protracted unemployment, you can be honest and say that until recently you hadn’t been conducting an effective search. Close your statement by stressing that the employer who hires you will be getting exceptional talent in someone who is very excited to get back to work. Then, when they offer you lower pay – which they definitely will do – find a way to politely push back and explain with some solid business reasoning why you’re worth more. Do your homework and find out the competitive rates for your position. DALE: The best way to strengthen a negotiating position is to have alternatives, and you mention having had multiple opportunities. If you can say: “I’d rather work with you, but I have another offer. Do you have any flexibility in salary?” Having another offer is employer catnip. If that doesn’t apply, you can respond to a job offer with The Most Lucrative 60 Seconds in Business: You gratefully accept the offer, then say: “I’m so pleased to get to work with you. One thing: Is there any chance of a bit higher starting salary?” Usually the manager has a range and opts for the lower end, but he or she may want to start the relationship by being generous and making you happy. But if the answer is no, be prepared to back down gracefully and be delighted. J.T.: Even if you get an offer that’s below what you were hoping for, it might be worth taking just to be employed again. Those who are employed have an easier time getting better positions. Dear J.T. & Dale: My wife got into a heated argument on Facebook. It was offline, in personal messaging. The other person then went on my wife’s public page at her work and posted untrue comments. Because of this, my wife was fired. How can this be? – Bill J.T.: Your wife is what’s called an at-will employee, meaning that an employer can let her go at any time. My guess is that they investigated what transpired, then decided they did not want an employee who engages in negative banter. Companies are becoming very protective of their online images. DALE: Moving forward, explaining this is going to be tricky. When your wife states that someone posted a false criticism, the prospective employer will want to know what was said, and that will drag the conversation into the dirt. Your wife will have to rehearse an explanation, probably starting with, “Boy, did I learn my lesson about getting dragged into social media discussions …”Management guru Dale Dauten has written six books and is an authority on innovation in the workplace. His latest book, “Great Employees Only: How Gifted Bossess Hire & Dehire Their Way to Success” is available at Dauten.com. copyright 2013 King Features.
