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Re: Job listings with demand for salary requirments
Subject:Re: Job listings with demand for salary requirments From:"Michael L. Wyland" <michael -at- sumptionandwyland -dot- com> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:45:43 -0600
John (and all):
I'd like to make a couple of observations:
1) a prospective employer will never treat you better than they do
in the moments before they offer you a position. I'll make a
*potential* exception for large companies where HR is at the wheel in
all hiring decisions. However, this potential exception is also a
signal that your boss-to-be may well have his or her hands tied when
it comes to the all-important issue of providing you with the tools
to do your job well.
2) my firm has worked with nonprofit organizations experiencing
executive transition. In other words, the old CEO left, usually in
crisis circumstances, and the board and staff need help getting back
on track and hiring a new CEO.
All nonprofit CEO salaries are public information; they must be
disclosed on the nonprofit's annual Form 990 tax filing to the
IRS. Even with this mandatory public disclosure by nonprofits, it's
surprising how many applicants for a nonprofit's CEO position have no
idea what the salary range is, or somehow believe that their pay
should be significantly higher than the previous CEO's pay. More
than once, I've seen a lot of time wasted by an applicant being
offered a CEO position only to have him or her refuse it - after a
successful interview process - because the publicly disclosed
compensation was "too low."
My advice?
1) Seek to learn the compensation range for the advertised position
before applying.
2) Know what your own compensation range is, and on which cash and
benefits areas you can negotiate - and how much. What are your "must
haves" in terms of base pay, fringe benefits, geographic location, etc.?
3) You might be able to "upsell" during the hiring process, but
realize you're swimming against the tide. Don't waste your time,
unless you have another objective, such as gaining interview
experience, meeting the interview team members, taking a tour of the
offices, etc.
4) Don't take it personally. This is business.
Michael L. Wyland
Sumption & Wyland
818 South Hawthorne Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57104-4537
(605) 336-0244
(605) 336-0275 (FAX)
(888) 4-SUMPTION (toll-free)
michael -at- sumptionandwyland -dot- com
Since 1990
Strategic Planning * Executive Coaching * Training & Facilitation
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