As a candidate in the market for a new role, it’s no question that a key factor you’re evaluating is pay. If you’re working with a recruiter or staffing company, it’s very important to take into consideration the timing at which you discuss and confirm an agreed upon rate. This needs to happen pre-submittal.
An issue we encounter far too often is that a candidate has agreed to a confirmed rate, is submitted for the job, and then has an experience – such as a great interview for a different job or another offer – and then wants to discuss a higher rate. This is a detrimental move.
Consider the following analogy in which the hiring manager is in the market for a new car and you, the candidate, are their salesperson –
They find the car they want to purchase and are willing to pay your full asking price. As you’re pulling paperwork together and getting the car ready for them to drive off the lot, you turn around and decide you would actually like to charge them more than full price.
What would you expect their reaction to be? Most likely, they’ll find this ridiculous and move on with their car search elsewhere. Not only does this affect them financially – as they may have had a set budget for this car and cannot afford the higher price – but it has also compromised your integrity since you’ve gone back on your confirmed word.
As recruiters, we’re your advocate to every extent and we want to make sure you are in no way going to receive less than the value your skills and services are worth. In order to make sure of this, it’s incredibly important that you understand that the rate you confirm before we submit you for a role isn’t something you can go back on as the consequence is likely not receiving an offer.
This is an updated version of an original post that you can find here.
