Written by Michelle Soracco
Keynote Speaker
Jack Milligan, SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP @LMAAZ
Jack has been in the HR world for many years, including being the VP of HR in Los Angeles, wondering why he felt the need to be VP of HR. Known to many as “The HR Guy,” he’s been part of the hiring process for 20,000+ people. His book, “Make More Money,” came out a few months ago. You can purchase it here on Amazon.
Salary Negotiation – Make More Money
Negotiation doesn’t work for every job. Rated jobs, about 25% of job offers, have a specific rate attached, such as trades/unions, nursing, government, teaching and contract work. The salary stated is what you get, take it or leave it. However, ranged jobs, about 75% of job offers, have a sophisticated salary structure, so there is flexibility in the range. Requestive Channel Negotiation (RCN) works well for almost everyone if the job is ranged.
According to Jack, most people with ranged job offers don’t negotiate at all before accepting the job because they’re so relieved to have work and/or think that they have no leverage. Jack’s premise is that the job offer stage is the best time to negotiate, as long as you do it properly. There are three legitimate ways to negotiate: ultimatum, demand and requestive. If you are in more of a position of power (because someone is trying to lure you away from your current job that you like, for example), ultimatum or demand may work for you, but the chances still aren’t in your favor. RCN has the best chance of success because it never hurts to ask–politely! That means asking a question, not making a statement or giving an ultimatum. With practice, courage and patience, you’ll maximize your offer, giving you peace of mind that you’ve gotten the best offer–even if they tell you there is no room to negotiate. There is no risk involved; Jack has never met anyone who used RCN and a company withdrew their job offer because of it.
How does one negotiate a better job offer? The only rule: NEVER say yes to an initial offer. The employer wants closure, not to look at Candidate #2, or worse yet, go through the recruitment process again (expensive, time consuming, and the work is piling up). Negotiation steps:
1) Be very very clear about the entire job offer and its benefits and perks.
2) Validate your enthusiasm for the position and understanding of the job offer.
3) Introduce ambiguity by asking for time (usually 1-3 days) to consider the alternatives. You’re not lying to the employer–you always have alternatives, even if the only one is not taking the job.
4) When you call back after 1-3 days, once again validate your interest in the job and request (not demand) everything on your negotiating items short list (NISL). When you ask a question, you’ll get either a yes or no answer and a reason if the answer is no.
Note: 91% of candidates who use RCN get something tangible for their efforts, but if the employer says something like having multiple candidates that could replace you, consider that a red flag and move on – the job/company won’t get any better once you get there.
Hiring Companies
Jennifer Gordievsky, University Relations Manager @BASISedCareers
BASIS.ed is committed to closing the global achievement gap and redefining education. They are the leading school network in the country, with three schools ranked in the top six of all high schools in the US (U.S. News and Reports). They are hiring for positions at their K – 12 school sites nationwide, and the central office located in Scottsdale: accounting, design, marketing, communications, law and teaching are some of the available positions. If you are passionate about education, click here for career opportunities.
Mark Pierce, Talent Acquisition Manager @EDMCCareers
EDMC has four brands: The Art Institute, Argosy University, South University and Brown Mackie College. One of their best benefits is tuition reimbursement. They are hiring Admission Representatives, Financial Aid Counselors, and Adjunct Instructors, among other positions. For more information and to apply, click here.
Christian Kaijser, Managing Director @disrupt2evolve
“Lead with your persona, follow with the documents.” If you haven’t seen Christian change from punk to professional during a presentation, it is truly impressive. A few open positions: Financial Analyst, Senior Global Accounting Manager, Sales Executive, Product Manager, Digital Marketing Specialist, WordPress Developer, Salesforce Developer, Controller in Bend, OR, Chief Strategy Officer in Los Angeles, Content Strategists, and MS Access Developer. Visit Career Evolutions positions for current openings.
John Hasna, Director of Talent Acquisition, @FreedomFamily
Freedom Financial Network is a debt consulting company that provides financial solutions and services to enable consumers to achieve financial freedom. Their 3 AZ locations have 1300 employees, and have hired 200 of the 1000 individuals they want to hire this year. They are in the process of building a new campus in Tempe and were recently named as a Phoenix Business Journal “Best Places to Work” Winner. Open positions in Tempe include Java Developers, Product Managers, Corporate Trainer, Compliance Manager, Business Intelligence Analyst, Negotiations Debt Settlement Specialist, Inside Sales Reps and Software Developer. They are willing to train for the necessary skills, as long as the culture fits.
Resources
New Horizons Learning Center, @nhphoenix
Zack Hiscock, Vice President of Learning and Development
“We are the best.” –Zack Hiscock, when asked about what should go in the blog. I can confirm they’re good; I took one of their Excel classes and learned a lot.
Career Connectors has partnered with New Horizons as their only WIOA-funded school. New Horizons is an international training organization that serves the needs of top companies to help individuals enhance their current skills and go to the next level in their career. They offer courses in IT, Office Mgmt, Healthcare Records and Management, Project/Production Mgmt Certifications. Classes are conducted live in a classroom, live online and self-paced online courses, depending on the student’s needs.
Closing
Jessica graciously thanked all of the day’s speakers, volunteers and job seekers for participating. She encouraged job seekers to take advantage of the many Career Connector services like having your resume reviewed, a free professional portrait and visit all of the other services and hiring companies. She also encouraged everyone to view the career blog, which is up and running and has a lot of good career advice.
Next event in Gilbert, Tuesday, March 28th: “Think Like a Hiring Manager and Land the Job.” Register here.
