Negotiating your salary at a job interview feels kind of wrong because you feel like you need that job more than the employer needs you, so you don’t want to ask too much as it could make them not consider you as a candidate. Although many recruiters and HR specialists on social media keep encouraging job applicants to do that.
One nurse did just that. Actually, it was the recruiter who suggested negotiating as the candidate’s resume specified her preferred starting rate, which was too high for the company. The nurse responded that she was willing to discuss the matter, but got a response that they don’t negotiate on salary, which infuriated the woman, so she went on Reddit to vent.
More info: Reddit
Nurse looking for a job was willing to accept an offer lower than her initial minimum, but for the recruiter, negotiation meant accepting the fixed rate
Imge credits: Nenad Stojkovic (not the actual image)
The Reddit user Jbeez4117 is a licensed practical nurse (LPN) with 11 years of experience and also a new graduate registered nurse (RN). If you are not familiar with these terms, then LPNs work mainly with doctors and registered nurses, providing them assistance, and RNs work directly with patients.
The responsibilities reflect in the salaries as according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs earn approximately $17,500 a year more than LPNs. With the additional education, Jbeez4117 has different wage expectations while looking for a new job.
Because the nurse had 11 years of experience, she believed she deserved to earn $34 per hour, but the clinic was offering $29/hr
Image credits: u/Jbeez4117
Image credits: u/Jbeez4117
Her expectation is to earn $34 per hour. Judging from the reaction in the comments, it isn’t too much to ask for. According to Becker’s ASC Review, the average national hourly wage for registered nurses is almost $39.
In the comments, the Redditor revealed that her location is central Florida, and there, the average is $33.42. Considering that the Original Poster (OP) has plenty of experience, she is not afraid to ask for a bit more.
When asked, the woman agreed to negotiate and find a middle ground where everyone was happy
A private fertility office in Florida replied to Jbeez4117’s job application but the recruiter had to mention that their starting rate was $29 per hour, which is $5 less than the OP’s requirement. The person asked if the nurse would negotiate.
The nurse responded positively and agreed to discuss the wage which would satisfy both parties, as she would love to work at that particular practice because it specialized in women’s health, which was her passion. What is more, she had 7 years of experience working in that field.
But the recruiter responded that $29 was the final offer, seemingly forgetting they were the ones that opened the negotiation
People in the comments believed the nurse was actually asking for too little and the clinic’s offer was even more ridiculous
The job recruiter probably forgot that they were the ones to suggest salary negotiation in the first place because after the nurse agreed to lower her expected pay, the recruiter stated that the starting rate was actually non-negotiable.
While responding to the comments, Jbeez4117 said that she didn’t even respond to the latest email. That is understandable, because it is quite disrespectful to ask for negotiation when one is actually asking the applicant to just accept the initial offer.
Redditors were also appalled at the recruiter's audacity because they felt the clinic was trying to lure the nurse into a trap
A few people pointed out that it was a mistake for Jbeez4117 to mention that she wanted that job because she actually enjoyed working in women’s health. They suspected that this could have indicated to the recruiter that she would back down and accept a lower offer.
It could also be that the recruiter was put off by the woman mentioning another offer she was considering, because according to Investopedia, it is one of the salary negotiation mistakes. Although, Indeed claims that it actually shows your worth and may end in better salary offers, which was not the case this time.
In the end, the nurse didn’t respond to the email and hopefully found a better offer elsewhere
Do you think the nurse was asking for too much? Would you have continued to negotiate with this recruiter? Also, do you agree that this was a one-sided negotiation and the clinic wasn't even planning on increasing their offer? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments!