Anyone noticing lowball job offers in I.T.?

[foghorn67]

I am working right now as a temp. I am still on the market since my job only last until early July.
Me and another temp are getting calls from recruiters with insultingly low offers.

I thought at first it was due to some fly by night agencies, but some of the well established outfits are starting to offer jobs at 50% of the previous going rate.

Is this because the company that needs the staff is only offering so much? Or is this because recruiters need to take more of a cut?

 

[Flammable]

taking advantage of the recession

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: Flammable
taking advantage of the recession

May as well. If you don't take it, there's probably someone desperate enough with a family to feed that will.

 

[Hacp]

How much is 1/2 the rate? 30k?

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: Hacp
How much is 1/2 the rate? 30k?

About that.

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: Hacp
How much is 1/2 the rate? 30k?

About that.

That sucks dude. Outsourcing ftl. With everyone else in the world getting college degrees, the salary for American college graduates has only one way to go.. Down.

 

[nageov3t]

my company's always lowballed and under-paid. but I look at it as a stable job that more than pays the rent and where I can get the experience on my resume needed to get a better job when I'm ready to move on... and if my stock options are actually worth something someday, that'd be awesome too.

 

[EKKC]

tell me about it.

you're not the only one. the field is pretty much in disarray right now. i'm a salaried employee working for a consulting firm, we've been getting lowballed everywhere (my rate was at one point $200+, normally $150 and now under $100 is downright insulting) and my company cannot take those offers or they'll be paying me out of pocket. but im salaried so I don't understand why they want to absorb my salary in its entirety. until last friday they told me to take 2 weeks off without pay.

now, i've also been working backoffice supporting other consultants during my bench time, b but should I even reply to emails during this unpaid period? that's what i wanna know.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: loki8481
my company's always lowballed and under-paid. but I look at it as a stable job that more than pays the rent and where I can get the experience on my resume needed to get a better job when I'm ready to move on... and if my stock options are actually worth something someday, that'd be awesome too.

Count your blessings. You are employed full time (meaning, not through an agency), you have benefits, and you have stock options. Do you know how long it's been since I had stock options?
Stay the course man.
I had plenty of jobs that underpaid, but made up for it other ways, like benefits, or just simply having a nice working environment.

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: EKKC
tell me about it.

you're not the only one. the field is pretty much in disarray right now. i'm a salaried employee working for a consulting firm, we've been getting lowballed everywhere (my rate was at one point $200+, normally $150 and now under $100 is downright insulting) and my company cannot take those offers or they'll be paying me out of pocket. but im salaried so I don't understand why they want to absorb my salary in its entirety. until last friday they told me to take 2 weeks off without pay.

now, i've also been working backoffice supporting other consultants during my bench time, b but should I even reply to emails during this unpaid period? that's what i wanna know.

Is it unpaid or is it furlough?

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: EKKC
tell me about it.

you're not the only one. the field is pretty much in disarray right now. i'm a salaried employee working for a consulting firm, we've been getting lowballed everywhere (my rate was at one point $200+, normally $150 and now under $100 is downright insulting) and my company cannot take those offers or they'll be paying me out of pocket. but im salaried so I don't understand why they want to absorb my salary in its entirety. until last friday they told me to take 2 weeks off without pay.

now, i've also been working backoffice supporting other consultants during my bench time, b but should I even reply to emails during this unpaid period? that's what i wanna know.

seriously, ouch.

 

[KLin]

Is it really lowball offers or just corrections in the market?

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: KLin
Is it really lowball offers or just corrections in the market?

lowball. Corrections are okay. Some in IT are overpaid, but corrections were made starting January 2008.
Now it's just predatory in my opinion.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: KLin
Is it really lowball offers or just corrections in the market?

lowball. Corrections are okay. Some in IT are overpaid, but corrections were made starting January 2008.
Now it's just predatory in my opinion.

Are the positions getting filled? If so they are corrections. If not, then it just means no money to fill the position at the "market" and it will go unfilled.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: KLin
Is it really lowball offers or just corrections in the market?

lowball. Corrections are okay. Some in IT are overpaid, but corrections were made starting January 2008.
Now it's just predatory in my opinion.

Are the positions getting filled? If so they are corrections. If not, then it just means no money to fill the position at the "market" and it will go unfilled.

Not sure how to answer that since it's a loaded question. There is always someone out there either desperate (feed themselves or family) or dumb enough to fill.
However, at what cost? What quality of worker are they getting? Stability works two ways. Workers always like a stable company, or least a stable division. But what about the manager that had no part in HR's decision not only to hire a temp, but an underpaid one?
What about their co-worker's, or clients?

 

[Farang]

I do a job that typically pays $40k for slightly above minimum wage so I know how you feel. It is good experience though and I'm continuing my education in the meantime so I can call up the office one morning, around 7:59am on my first day of work at my new job, and say 'Sorry I'm not coming in this morning.'

 

[0roo0roo]

if no one works for the new rate, it will rise.

just how it works

 

[quikah]

what kind of jobs are these? There are plenty of jobs in IT that I think are worth about $30k.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: quikah
what kind of jobs are these? There are plenty of jobs in IT that I think are worth about $30k.

Not for the responsibilities they list.

 

[child of wonder]

My last job tried to get me on board as a Sys Admin managing blades running VMware, an HP EVA SAN, a slew of physical boxes, plus some networking on the side for $35k.

I politely declined then recontacted them 2 months later when I noticed the job was still open. Then they were much more willing to negotiate.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: KLin
Is it really lowball offers or just corrections in the market?

lowball. Corrections are okay. Some in IT are overpaid, but corrections were made starting January 2008.
Now it's just predatory in my opinion.

Are the positions getting filled? If so they are corrections. If not, then it just means no money to fill the position at the "market" and it will go unfilled.

Not sure how to answer that since it's a loaded question. There is always someone out there either desperate (feed themselves or family) or dumb enough to fill.
However, at what cost? What quality of worker are they getting? Stability works two ways. Workers always like a stable company, or least a stable division. But what about the manager that had no part in HR's decision not only to hire a temp, but an underpaid one?
What about their co-worker's, or clients?

I disagree on the scale OP is talking about. If it's truly a $60k job with $60k talent needed, and it's offering $30k, that position will not get filled by a competent body. Even if someone is offered $45-50k, and let's say they are "desperate" enough to take it, when the market picks back up, he will be gone. I guess in that scenario we just answered the question - the company is taking advantage of the recession...but are they really? Because isn't the market price established when an offer is accepted at $X?

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: KLin
Is it really lowball offers or just corrections in the market?

lowball. Corrections are okay. Some in IT are overpaid, but corrections were made starting January 2008.
Now it's just predatory in my opinion.

Are the positions getting filled? If so they are corrections. If not, then it just means no money to fill the position at the "market" and it will go unfilled.

Not sure how to answer that since it's a loaded question. There is always someone out there either desperate (feed themselves or family) or dumb enough to fill.
However, at what cost? What quality of worker are they getting? Stability works two ways. Workers always like a stable company, or least a stable division. But what about the manager that had no part in HR's decision not only to hire a temp, but an underpaid one?
What about their co-worker's, or clients?

I disagree on the scale OP is talking about. If it's truly a $60k job with $60k talent needed, and it's offering $30k, that position will not get filled by a competent body. Even if someone is offered $45-50k, and let's say they are "desperate" enough to take it, when the market picks back up, he will be gone. I guess in that scenario we just answered the question - the company is taking advantage of the recession...but are they really? Because isn't the market price established when an offer is accepted at $X?

It really depends. If the demand for a job is inelastic, even a small drop in the supply of jobs will cause pay to fall. Now add the bodies of thousands of outsourcing companies and the demand curve will be steep.

 

[IGBT]

negative financial volatility affects nearly everything.

 

[zerocool84]

They are going to find some out of college guy or the many thousands out of work people willing to take it for 30k which is why they deny you. Many people here have a secure jobs and don't know how it is right now. I've been out of work for a couple months and am just doing some light work for my brother until I get something. It still sucks out there. Never sell yourself short but if you really need the money, you will take whatever you can get but it seems like you don't need the money that bad.

 

[Phoenix86]

I had a network engineer (Cisco certs, 7+years experience supporting WANs) apply for a $17/hour help desk job.


That's why.