Compensation Survey

According to a new survey by Career Builder, even though 45% of employers are willing and expect to negotiate salaries for initial job offers almost half, about 49%, of workers accept the first offer given to them. Career Builder’s Jennifer Grasz says that men were more likely than women to negotiate. “54% of men compared to 49% or women, so, not a huge difference between the two, but we did some differences there.” The report finds, 55% of workers 35 or older typically negotiate the first offer, which is significantly higher than workers age 18-34 at 45%, explains Grasz. “If you are jumping on that first offer that comes in, you may not be getting that full potential of what that employer is willing to pay you.” If unable to meet salary demands, many employers are willing to offer alternative benefits, adds Grasz.  “Things like flexible schedules, telecommuting options where you can work from once or twice a week, more vacation time, they would offer to pay for a mobile device, maybe give a higher title or an office.” Grasz tells more about who is most likely to negotiate. “You will see workers that are in higher skill positions, in-demand positions that will negotiate a little bit harder, areas like information technology, engineering, health care, where there really is a shortage of talent and employers are willing to pay a premium for that talent. You will typically see workers who are more seasoned, have more experience in the work force.  I think when you look at where there is a hesitant, part of that could be attributed to inexperience in the work force where the worker assumes that the first offer is the final offer.” To read the complete survey visit www.CareerBuilder.com.