Fifty-Eight Percent of Hiring Managers Are Willing to Increase a Candidate's Salary Offer, CareerBuilder.com Survey Finds

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Fifty-Eight Percent of Hiring Managers Are Willing to Increase a Candidate's Salary Offer, CareerBuilder.com Survey Finds
 - Senior Career Advisor Offers Tips for Negotiating a Bigger, Better Deal -

    CHICAGO, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Don't sign the dotted line just yet ...
if the salary figure on your offer letter seems too low, it probably is.
Fifty-eight percent of hiring managers say they leave some negotiating room
when extending initial offers, according to a recent survey by
CareerBuilder.com.  The survey, titled "Paycheck 2005," was conducted from
August 10 to August 22, 2005 of more than 875 hiring managers.
    Most hiring managers are accommodating when a candidate asks for a better
offer, the survey found.  Nearly six-in-ten say they will extend a new offer
once, and one-in-ten will extend a new offer twice or more if they really want
the candidate.  Thirty percent of hiring managers say the first offer is
final.
    "Attempting to negotiate a better offer is almost always in a candidate's
best interest," said Richard Castellini, Vice President of Consumer Marketing
and Senior Career Advisor for CareerBuilder.com.  "In fact, nearly one-in-ten
hiring managers say they think less of a candidate who accepts the first
offer.  Salary negotiations demonstrate a candidate's determination,
persistence and recognition of the value he/she brings to an employer."
    Castellini offers these tips for helping candidates negotiate a better job
offer:

    -- Prove your worth.  Thirty-four percent of hiring managers say
       highlighting specific accomplishments and results is the most
       convincing way for candidates to negotiate a better offer.

    -- Have strong references.  Nearly one-in-three hiring managers say they
       consider a candidate's references first in salary negotiations.  Be
       sure the former employers and co-workers on your reference list are
       prepared to give glowing reports of your work.

    -- Know the market.  One-in-ten employers say knowing average salaries for
       your position and market is the best way to get an edge.  Online salary
       sites, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and industry Web sites are great
       places to start.

    -- Leverage your position with care.  Thirteen percent of hiring managers
       say showing an offer from another company and a willingness to walk
       away is an effective way to negotiate.  But be careful with this
       tactic.  It has serious potential to backfire and cost you the job
       completely.


    Survey Methodology
    The survey, "Paycheck 2005," was conducted from August 10 to August 22,
2005.  Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 875
hiring managers for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore
Networks panel members.  These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail
invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey.  The
results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 3.31
percentage points (19 times out of 20).

    About CareerBuilder.com
    CareerBuilder.com is the nation's largest online job network with more
than 20 million unique visitors and over 1 million jobs.  Owned by Gannett
Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB), and Knight Ridder, Inc.
(NYSE: KRI), the company offers a vast online and print network to help job
seekers connect with employers.  CareerBuilder.com powers the career centers
for more than 700 partners that reach national, local, industry and niche
audiences.  These include more than 165 newspapers and leading portals such as
America Online and MSN.  More than 30,000 of the nation's top employers take
advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 13 million-plus resumes,
Diversity Channel and more.  Millions of job seekers visit the site every
month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type,
sign up for automatic e-mail job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and
career management.   For more information about CareerBuilder.com products and
services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.com .

    Media Contact:
    Jennifer Sullivan
    (773) 527-1164
    Jennifer.Sullivan@careerbuilder.com
SOURCE CareerBuilder.com
http://www.careerbuilder.com
CONTACT:
Jennifer Sullivan of CareerBuilder.com,
+1-773-527-1164, Jennifer.Sullivan@careerbuilder.com