Hi, I'm a new grad and I got a job offer last week. The HR personnel who contacted me asked me if I accept the job offer without telling me pay rates. He also mentioned that the HR would send me an email fairly soon, so I asked him if I would be informed pay rates and relevant information and he said yes.
I received an email. However, It was not an offer letter but some form for BCI. I asked the person who sent the email (HR assistant) if I can receive an offer letter before we proceed but she replied that I would receive it at the orientation. I asked her again that it doesn't have to be an official letter but I would like to know the details of the job offer even informally. HR called me to set my orientation and physical, but again she insisted that I would receive the information at the orientation.
Isn't it odd? Attend an orientation not knowing my pay rates? The nursing manager told me that she hoped HR would offer me pay rates before they contacted me so I assume she doesn't know what's going on.What should I do? Should I contact the nursing manager and explain my situation? It's a large hospital group and I thought there would be some protocols for hiring processes. Any advice will be appreciated. TIA!
This situation is very odd, you should not sign anything until get how much your pay is going to be. As a new grad , I was told what my pay was going to be well before I got a job offer. I would usually interview with the HR person first, during that interview , I would be told all the details about my pay, benefits then I would interview with the nursing manager. I know that your a new grad and probably eager to start working but you have to be careful, trust me when I say that the new nurse enthusiasm goes away very quickly if your not happy with your working conditions. Also is this your only job offer?
Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.
The pay rate is part of the offer. I've never received a job offer without it. I'd ask for clarification. Consideration of pay is part of the decision.
As a new grad myself I was always kept informed of the pay rate. It was either discussed at the initial phone interview or when I got the call that I have been hired. If I were you, I would be more bold and say, "you know, I have asked multiple times for information on my salary and have not received it yet. Before I sign anything and go further, I need to know what my starting wage would be or please email the details."
I would NEVER wait until orientation for that information. Sorry... don't fall for it! You have a RIGHT to know.
That is really strange and I just went through the hiring process for a new grad residency. I knew the pay before I accepted the job, it was on my job offer form. I agree that it may be because it's super lower. I would hold firm and say that you need to know your salary so you can gauge whether or not you can accept the positon.
There's no way I'd accept any offer without knowing the pay rate. How are you supposed to negotiate? Imagine showing up on your first day only to find out you'll be making $12 an hour!
You Are Wrong RockNurse. A little birdie told me he'd be making $10.50 an hour that includes PM, NOC, & Weekend differentials.
If I can be of any assistance. PLEASE DO NOT SHOW-UP TO WORK on the first day of orientation cause once you do, you are considered an employee and on their clock... and as a new grad. you don't want to quit on your first day.
Have some Balls. Ask them firmly! yeah bring this emoticon face when you see them!
Errr..no. I would want any offer, in writing before i planned on showing up anywhere (including any health/physical exam stuff). While yes, it is illegal to discriminate against a person based on all sorts of different things, it still happens. Submitting to a physical prior to a proper offer screams risk of discrimination.
No job offer is legit until it's in writing. As nurses we all have branded into our brains the "if you didn't chart it, it didn't happen." If it's not in writing, it's not an offer.
I for one have needed to move a couple of times for jobs and needed that offer letter to prove to the landlord that i actually had a job with which to pay the rent. I'm with the person above that wondered if this is your first taste of how disorganized this place is.
Is it a union position? In that case, the rate is the rate and neither party can renegotiate it. However, it is very odd that your pay is not made clear at the start of the hiring process. It will probably be the first thing in your in-person orientation. Also, if you are working 12 hour shifts, how they calculate overtime can make a big difference.
It sounds like she's applying for a govt job, the only reason that I say that is, that's how the VA healthcare system works most of the time, they want you to accept the position prior to being "boarded" and knowing what your pay will be. Personally, I would definitely go to orientation and at least see what is being offered. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water as they used to say...:-)
What to do? Well, it depends in part on how you feel about working there and how confident you are about landing another job if you bail on this one.
Personally, when I was a NG, my philosophy was, "I will take the first acute-care job offer I get, regardless of pay and benefits" because I needed experience. That's exactly what I did and the compensation was crappy but it did turn out well because I ultimately ended up where I wanted to be. I viewed it as a paid internship and, though the rate was low, it was infinitely higher than zero which is where I was starting from.
Is there a number below which you would refuse the job? If so, you *might* consider pushing for a number. On the other hand, they've made it perfectly clear that they're not going to reveal the rate prior to orientation so pushing isn't likely to accomplish anything other than having you start out on the wrong foot.
Personally, I'd be thankful that I was hired and show up at orientation. When I finally saw the compensation package, I'd then decide if I was or wasn't willing to accept it and act accordingly.
Now this is good advice. You are a new grad. Are there lots of new grad jobs in your area? I started the same way to get my foot in the door, but I worked as a CNA with an RN license (tough competition). 1 year later I landed my first RN job with a union facililty and was being paid as I should. I can't even begin to tell you what I learned from the other CNAs...it was mind blowing. Humble experience.
It's a learning curve that some won't accept but I had no choice. The decision is yours. Sometimes it's not all about the money (at first!). Get that year and I left the wage area blank after I left the first place on my resume; in fact all position's salary are left blank...was never questioned because we aren't suppose to discuss salary.
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
It sounds like she's applying for a govt job, the only reason that I say that is, that's how the VA healthcare system works most of the time, they want you to accept the position prior to being "boarded" and knowing what your pay will be. Personally, I would definitely go to orientation and at least see what is being offered. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water as they used to say...:-)
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
If it's a government job, the salary should be a matter of public record. If it's a union job there is a contract. Hard to tell at this point if this employer dishonest or disorganized. Neither one bodes well.
OP, it depends on your circumstances. If you've been hitting the pavement and this is the only game in town, it might be worth your while to play along. Although they probably know that, which is why they don't think they have to play nice.
If you're having to turn down other offers to choose them, then they need to provide you with the necessary information. By all means call the hiring or unit manager. Tell her the situation and that you're keeping other prospective employers on the hook. You can't respond to an offer if you don't know what the offer is.
I'd personally be reluctant to sign papers, submit to a physical and turn up at orientation without knowing the pay rate. Quitting during orientation makes you look like a flake. Not accepting a job offer doesn't carry the same stigma. The only way I'd play along with this is if this was the only job standing between me and dumpster-diving. Good luck.
yeah bring this emoticon face when you see them! 
I would want any offer, in writing before i planned on showing up anywhere (including any health/physical exam stuff). While yes, it is illegal to discriminate against a person based on all sorts of different things, it still happens. Submitting to a physical prior to a proper offer screams risk of discrimination.
johsonmichelle
527 Posts
This situation is very odd, you should not sign anything until get how much your pay is going to be. As a new grad , I was told what my pay was going to be well before I got a job offer. I would usually interview with the HR person first, during that interview , I would be told all the details about my pay, benefits then I would interview with the nursing manager. I know that your a new grad and probably eager to start working but you have to be careful, trust me when I say that the new nurse enthusiasm goes away very quickly if your not happy with your working conditions. Also is this your only job offer?