Job Offer Etiquette

[FLMountainMan]



doesn't it piss you off that your employer came to the table so quickly and without hesitation?
when it happened to me i was furious - they obviously thought i was worth much more but didn't bother offering me more until the absolute last minute.

You should be mad at yourself in this instance, not the employer.

I think it depends on the corporate culture. I certainly wasn't furious. Florida has the leanest, cheapest government in the country. I understand how tight resources are and would actually be ticked off if they gave out raises willy-nilly. No need to pay out additional money unless you have to. It's a pretty interesting and challenging environment from an HR perspective. You can go to a website and see exactly what the slacker in the cubicle next to you is making. You can't give merit raises or bonuses because of the budget. The only way to reward employees is through goodwill and promotion (or appointment, in my case).

FLMM, sounds like a happy ending for all parties. This sort of thing (counter offers and such) is common where I work, along with the occasional drama that accompanies it.
Congrats on the pay bump and other additional resources. It's obvious you're appreciated there.

Thanks. It's really encouraging. .

 

[yerfdog]



Additionally, my last promotion in January had been to a very high-level appointee position. Of only 22 people at this level in the state, I was by far, the lowest-paid.

If you're an appointee, don't you have to assume you have a good shot of being out of a job next time the administration changes? Or does it not work that way in FL state gov?

also you're a political appointee, in a relatively small state government, and you're posting about this on the internet? I assume someone could quite easily identify you based on other stuff you have posted?

edit: also wow I just went to http://dmssalaries.heroku.com/salaries and was skimming around, and boy you sure shouldn't work for the FL government if you want a high salary as a lawyer....

 

[Mr Herbert]



You should be mad at yourself in this instance, not the employer.

probably - everyone says the squeeky gate gets the grease but i grew up being taught not to blow my own trumpet

 

[idfnl]



probably - everyone says the squeeky gate gets the grease but i grew up being taught not to blow my own trumpet

Its not tooting your own horn. Its being confident enough to ask for what you are worth. That doesnt require bragging.

 

[FLMountainMan]



If you're an appointee, don't you have to assume you have a good shot of being out of a job next time the administration changes? Or does it not work that way in FL state gov?
also you're a political appointee, in a relatively small state government, and you're posting about this on the internet? I assume someone could quite easily identify you based on other stuff you have posted?
edit: also wow I just went to http://dmssalaries.heroku.com/salaries and was skimming around, and boy you sure shouldn't work for the FL government if you want a high salary as a lawyer....

Yes, government lawyers, especially at DCF are horribly paid. Some start at $29,000.

 

[Douglas]

FLMM - I think the company in question is being pretty ******.

As someone who does more or less represent a (small) corporation, I want good employees. Part of my recruiting is wanting people I know, both inside and outside the company, to bring me good prospective employees. A positive work culture with A-level people and an A-level reputation creates its own rewards. For that reason, we only make offers to people we really want. Every hire is an important hire. And every negotiation is different, and every prospective employee is different. But the bottom line is you don't always get your man (or woman), and sometimes the reasons are simply beyond your control, or beyond your willingness to pay. And that's that. But you can hardly blame an intermediary who brought you someone in good faith when an applicant decides to take another tack. Once referred, were you supposed to automatically take any offer, for fear of anything blowing back on your friend? What a stilted, counterproductive work environment.

That said, things get strange at larger corporations. I think HR departments can end up holding too much sway, and they're disconnected from the actual work functions. Add in big referral bonuses and you've got a king-making HR department with little oversight and a lot of power. Offers are made perhaps not always to the perfect applicant but are influenced instead by other parameters. Sounds like there was at least a little of this political stuff going on there.

This is part of the reason we don't really do referral bonuses. I think we do have a $500 program, but it's not so big that it skews the landscape. The other major reason I hate them is you end up with the opposite of your problem - instead of qualified applicants that don't take our positions, you can end up with employees lobbying hard to push a round peg through a square hole. And when it's not a good fit and you turn someone down, you end up with a disappointed or disgruntled existing employee.

Honestly, it sounds like this "big corporation" has some nasty issues and you're probably better off not working there.

 

[imatlas]

^ well said. This reflects poorly on them, not on FLMM. It doesn't sound like he did anything untoward.