Questions for Hiring managers/HR people about jobs?

[brunswickite]

When new grads is hired right out of college for an entry level position at your company do they all get the same offer? how much more/less are the offers given to them usually?

Thanks.

 

[brunswickite]

anyone?

 

[kranky]

Usually the offers are the same for people right out of school, because most of the time there is little to differentiate one from another - same degree, similar grades, and no real work experience in our field. But if there is a standout candidate who has another offer, we might offer a bit more, like 5%.

 

[Kipper]

Originally posted by: kranky
Usually the offers are the same for people right out of school, because most of the time there is little to differentiate one from another - same degree, similar grades, and no real work experience in our field. But if there is a standout candidate who has another offer, we might offer a bit more, like 5%.

Kranky, I'm curious - does the name of the degree carry any weight with respect to salary (at least at the undergraduate level)? Obviously, at the graduate level it does matter - Yale Law vs. Podunk Law.

 

[brunswickite]

Originally posted by: MadCowDisease

Originally posted by: kranky
Usually the offers are the same for people right out of school, because most of the time there is little to differentiate one from another - same degree, similar grades, and no real work experience in our field. But if there is a standout candidate who has another offer, we might offer a bit more, like 5%.

Kranky, I'm curious - does the name of the degree carry any weight with respect to salary (at least at the undergraduate level)? Obviously, at the graduate level it does matter - Yale Law vs. Podunk Law.

good question. <bump>

 

[RabidMongoose]

don't be dissing Podunk law :|

 

[Double Trouble]

We usually make similar offers to similar candidates, but not necesarrily the same. It depends on some factors, including the institution that conferred the degree. If a school is highly respected in a particular field, or the candidate has really made a strong impression, the offer might be a little higher so there's a better chance at landing that candidate.

 

[kranky]

Originally posted by: MadCowDisease

Originally posted by: kranky
Usually the offers are the same for people right out of school, because most of the time there is little to differentiate one from another - same degree, similar grades, and no real work experience in our field. But if there is a standout candidate who has another offer, we might offer a bit more, like 5%.

Kranky, I'm curious - does the name of the degree carry any weight with respect to salary (at least at the undergraduate level)? Obviously, at the graduate level it does matter - Yale Law vs. Podunk Law.

I'm probably the wrong person to ask. I have a bit of a bias against "name" schools since my impression is that they are harder to get into than they are to get through. I'm more likely to take a person who excelled at a medium-name school than one who didn't do as well at a "name" school, especially if the person who excelled does better in the interview. And if the person from the "name" school comes from a wealthy family, that's another strike with me. I don't ask directly about their family situation, but some interview questions tend to bring that out.

Of course, that's just me. I tend to favor people who have worked hard to get where they are. There are plenty of others who see things differently.

 

[brunswickite]

Originally posted by: tagej
We usually make similar offers to similar candidates, but not necesarrily the same. It depends on some factors, including the institution that conferred the degree. If a school is highly respected in a particular field, or the candidate has really made a strong impression, the offer might be a little higher so there's a better chance at landing that candidate.

ahh ok, i figure the offers are within 5% of each other?

 

[electricJ]

Originally posted by: kranky
Usually the offers are the same for people right out of school, because most of the time there is little to differentiate one from another - same degree, similar grades, and no real work experience in our field. But if there is a standout candidate who has another offer, we might offer a bit more, like 5%.

kranky, I have a question for you (which pertains to me)... How much extra could a graduate who completed say a cooperative educational plan (about a year's worth of work experience) vs. a fresh graduate with none expect to make?

 

[kranky]

Before I answer, here's a little background on how larger companies work. My comments are aimed at people in entry-level positions.

Each position has a salary range. The maximum of the range might be 50% above the minimum. That means the midpoint is 20% above the minimum and 20% below the maximum. By the time you reach the midpoint, you should be ready or almost ready for promotion to the next level. This is because for the same performance rating, the raises get smaller as your salary increases.

If you are at the bottom of your range, and get an outstanding rating, you might get a 7-10% raise. If you are above the midpoint of the range, the same outstanding rating might get you only a 5% raise. If you are near the maximum of the range and get an average rating, your raise might be pretty small.

This is because companies figure there is a maximum salary that a position is worth. If you aren't worthy of promotion, are earning nearly the maximum, and are performing at an average level, you are already one of the more costly people in that position and aren't going to get a big raise.

So with all that in mind, it's better to start at the minimum for a higher position than to start at some amount over the minimum for a lesser position. So you want to convince them that your year of work experience qualifies you for a position that is above the standard entry level. Remember, the lower you are in the salary range, the bigger the raises for a given performance level. They may not go for it, but it's a good position to take if you can articulate why. That's going to plant the thought that you are looking ahead to bigger and better things.

Show them how your year of work experience directly relates to your potential job, that you won't need as much hand-holding, that you already know how to work well in a team environment, you are flexible, you are ambitious, you are self-motivated, you are an independent learner, etc.

All that might add up to a 5%-10% bump and even if you are still in the entry-level range, you'll already have them thinking that you are aiming at the next level up. You might be surprised at how many people start a job and show little interest in moving up, because they are lazy and don't want any responsibility. You'll be the person who sticks in their mind when they think about promoting people down the road, if your performance is deserving.

Sorry so long for a short question.

 

[electricJ]

Originally posted by: kranky
Before I answer, here's a little background on how larger companies work. My comments are aimed at people in entry-level positions.

Each position has a salary range. The maximum of the range might be 50% above the minimum. That means the midpoint is 20% above the minimum and 20% below the maximum. By the time you reach the midpoint, you should be ready or almost ready for promotion to the next level. This is because for the same performance rating, the raises get smaller as your salary increases.

If you are at the bottom of your range, and get an outstanding rating, you might get a 7-10% raise. If you are above the midpoint of the range, the same outstanding rating might get you only a 5% raise. If you are near the maximum of the range and get an average rating, your raise might be pretty small.

This is because companies figure there is a maximum salary that a position is worth. If you aren't worthy of promotion, are earning nearly the maximum, and are performing at an average level, you are already one of the more costly people in that position and aren't going to get a big raise.

So with all that in mind, it's better to start at the minimum for a higher position than to start at some amount over the minimum for a lesser position. So you want to convince them that your year of work experience qualifies you for a position that is above the standard entry level. Remember, the lower you are in the salary range, the bigger the raises for a given performance level. They may not go for it, but it's a good position to take if you can articulate why. That's going to plant the thought that you are looking ahead to bigger and better things.

Show them how your year of work experience directly relates to your potential job, that you won't need as much hand-holding, that you already know how to work well in a team environment, you are flexible, you are ambitious, you are self-motivated, you are an independent learner, etc.

All that might add up to a 5%-10% bump and even if you are still in the entry-level range, you'll already have them thinking that you are aiming at the next level up. You might be surprised at how many people start a job and show little interest in moving up, because they are lazy and don't want any responsibility. You'll be the person who sticks in their mind when they think about promoting people down the road, if your performance is deserving.

Sorry so long for a short question.

A bit long, but very insightful.... thank you for the response.

 

[Feldenak]

*Note to self* Hit up kranky for more info when I have a job search question


🙂