Re: Salary Negotiations
Quote:I've been working as an RN (ADN) consistantly for 25 yrs., excluding maturnity leave, in the metro NY area. I have an appt. with a manager for a hospital-based home care/hospice dept. in a couple of days. I've already met with HR & quoted an hourly rate of $30.75 as their best offer. I've done my "research", the dept. is short nurses; they want a nurse to see clients already in SNF's, rather than home visits; & I've obtained the pay schedule from another local hospital's similar dept. (unionized). Even if they gave me 1 yrs credit for every 2 yrs worked, this other hospital's scale would be $34.70/hr. The dept. has several of their nurses including dept. Director, that are familiar with how I provide care to their clients & family members. I recently left a Sub-acute/LTC & had a number of their clients. I've number crunched & find I financially need $31.50, only $0.75/ hr higher. I don't feel this is unrealistic or exhorbitant. I also know this dept. made the hospital's biggest profit last year, yet they pay home care/hospice nurses less than those in the hospital. I want & need this job, I don't want to do what I've been doing. How should I handle this? Should I ask to speak with the dept. Director? What do I do? I need a response quickly. Thank you.
Ok. Here is the challenge you are facing. Most employers have internal equity. This means that they may already have employees earning the wages they are offering. It makes it difficult for them to offer you more money than someone who is already working for them with less money. So one of the things you will want to figure out during your interview is the experience of the other nurses working there. The more nurses there are whom have more experience than you, the more difficult it will be to get the bump you are looking for.
With that being said, you know that the department is short staffed. This gives you a little leverage. In your case, here is what I would do. In your interview you need to really shine. Get the department manager really excited about the prospect of working with you. Tell her how excited you are abot the job, and how much you see yourself as a long term fit at their facility.
Once they are convinced that hiring you is critical to thier success, you can negotiate with them. Tell them exactly what you wrote above....that you have done yor market research and know that there are better offers out there.
Now...here is the important thing. Tell them that you don't expect them to match the other facilities wages (managers tend to get upset when they think employees are only motivated by money. They think you will jump ship as soon as you get a better offer.), but that their opportunity is not financially viable because you have assessed your own living expenses.
Stress to them how much you need this position, and then ask if they can work with you at all.
I've worked MR/DD for 4 years and I love it, but I can't get the hours that I need. I've been applying everywhere, but not getting the offers. My only experience is MR/DD and a few weeks at a nursing home. I precepted at a surgery center and loved doing recovery, but I'm finding that positions in places like that are pretty much limited to RN's anymore. None of my local hospitals are hiring LPN's anymore--they are phasing them out. I plan to get my RN after I get my personal life more settled (recent divorce), but I need to be working full time NOW. 