It’s a new year and some may view it as a clean slate for a different future. Many may also be rejoining the workforce after a career break, accelerating their search after a layoff (there were many), or just looking for something new, challenging and rewarding (out with the old, in with the new).
As with any job search, we start with a list of target companies that check off our boxes. They may range from commute, location, salary, benefits, prestige, great boss, career development, manager or individual contributor, contract or permanent, hybrid, remote, or in-office only.
Then you find the company that checks off all your boxes and your check off theirs. You apply. You get a great response from an eager recruiter you found on LinkedIn. They will “fast track” your resume’ to the hiring manager (great!). It’s all positive.
You are “phone screened in” and now invited to the office for a round of in-person interviews. It goes well, and although all your questions are not completely answered, (“What challenges are you experiencing as a group that I can help with?” “What does success in this role look like to you?” “How do you see artificial intelligence (AI) affecting the writing as a whole?”) You leave after a few hours feeling an offer is on the way. The recruiter said the salary range you gave was acceptable, and said “We can work with that.” That’s because you did your research with salary, investigated the salary resources available that matched your qualifications for your location.
You get positive feedback from the recruiter, and you are told an offer will be presented in the next two days. (Great!)
Then you get the offer. Surprise! The salary is significantly lower (by thousands, not hundreds) than what was discussed (and possibly lower than the job you left), and below the current market. The benefits are “run of the mill” (the same as your last employer) and sure, there is a profit-sharing plan, but you know the stock is down 15%. So, what’s going on?
The recruiter had great intentions, but apparently “internal equity” is the issue, and the hiring manager cannot bring you in at a salary higher than what the current employees are earning. You recall the other writers who you interviewed with, one had twenty-three years’ experience as a tech writer, with a master’s degree. The other has been with the company six years with an associate’s degree and a certificate in gaming. Your credentials are equal and better. Your conclusion is they are being underpaid, and have been for a long time (years, or just negotiated too low in the first place, or didn’t negotiate at all, or didn’t get a raise every year).
You raise this issue with the recruiter who rebuffs with, “Our philosophy is we attract the best candidates with our profit-sharing plan.” You use your one chance for negotiating the salary discussed. Instead, you get a sign-on bonus and a weak second offer. They tried.
If you take the job, you know you won’t be happy being underpaid and feel overqualified. You may hold back on your great ideas. You consider what the growth trajectory is and come up with nothing. Twenty years ago, the company was considered “hot.” After twenty-eight years, the hiring manager isn’t going anywhere, except retirement, and that’s at least another ten years away.
You have great ideas, you easily see where you can contribute, but they may never be worth anything and you’ll most likely be back in the job market after that sign on bonus is spent. Unfortunately, many are desperate to hire, but at the same time, assume salary won’t be the deciding factor in working for them, or they may be suffering from sticker shock (“none of our writers are making that”).
These are also signs that although seniority in a company is valued, staying too long in the same role can deeply affect your salary and hurt any chance of recruiting new talent. Now, the manager is still trying to hire, it’s taking too long, and the current staff are tiredly shouldering the burden of overwork that often leads to burnout, and eventually they will leave. The hiring manager may plead with their manager and HR liaison, but your group isn’t a money-maker, and raising the tech comm staff’s salary by ten or fifteen thousand to be competitive is considered laughable.
The job search can be an onerous process but with a rewarding goal, a great offer and a step toward creating a new path for growth and development. There are some challenges that companies have that have nothing to do with you. Know yourself, your goals, what you can bring to the organization, and consult with a friend, mentor or colleague to sharpen your thinking or entertain a different perspective.
In close, as an STC member, the resources available to you will only help you as a technical
communicator create your new year. Thank you for being with us.
Carolyn Palo
President, STC New England Chapter