

How would you negotiate a salary at Google? - sendhil

Google has recently given me an offer.  I find that the salary is not very competitive.  It seems to me Google feels that people should take the jobs for a lower salary anyway?  Have any of you readers have similar experiences?  If so how did you negotiate your salary?
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noodle
the same way i would negotiate a salary anywhere else.

figure out what the minimum salary you would need to work for them. interview
at other companies. get other job offers. tell them that you want to work for
them, but you have other offers elsewhere and the minimum you'd accept is
$xyz.

you must be prepared to walk out if you're going to negotiate. if they balk,
tell them they have a week to reconsider or you'll accept a position
elsewhere.

also, don't forget that google does have a lot of intangibles and perks that
other companies don't. in addition, working at google is CV gold. they're
probably trying to lowball people and get the people who just want to work for
them in their offices, posisbly weeding out the people in it for the money.

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gaius
_in addition, working at google is CV gold_

Is it really? I mean, is there any evidence that Google alumni are better paid
when they leave? There are an awful lot of companies that look "good" on a CV.
Goldman Sachs looks pretty good on a CV, but they don't play silly games with
lowballing new hires...

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noodle
never said anything about being paid more. being a google alumni doesn't make
you gold. however, it does look quite good.

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tptacek
Microsoft used to be notorious for doing the same thing, and friends who were
in very strong negotiating positions wound up walking over it. Microsoft may
have eased up since then, but in 2001, they weren't kidding.

~~~
gaius
Microsoft used to be able to do that because their stock kept on going up and
up. Less so now. Same with Google. I don't think Google (or any other "big
name" employer) is as impressive on a CV as they would like to think. If you
took say 75% of the market rate salary now thinking that it would get you 150%
of the market rate when you jump ship in n years, then you might be in for a
surprise.

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tptacek
Hey, I wouldn't do it. I'm just saying, sometimes when HR tells you they have
an official policy of paying 60% of market, they aren't kidding.

~~~
gaius
Gotta wonder if HR are on 60% as well...

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tptacek
I'm pretty sure you can get HR people from a one-click shopping listing at
Amazon.

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prakash
The best way to negotiate is by not needing that job at Google/ _(substitute
some other company name)_ i.e. always be prepared to walk away.

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sendhil
I already work for a great tech company. The Google recruiter told me that
Google can't match my current compensation. It's so strange? I spent a lot of
time interviewing with them. So I made the case it doesn't compare with with I
have.

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wh
They spend millions on free food..can't they spend few more k's for good
engineers ..strange ?

~~~
sendhil
It is, I don't understand what's going on. Maybe a reflection of the times
there.

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vonsydov
have another larger offer in hand is the standard way to negotiate a salary. i
don't know how google handles that though.

