Negotiating not my strong suit

[Bonnie Nurse]

All of you experienced nurses out there will have my heartfelt thanks for any tips you can share on negotiating the best outcome for a position as a new RN. I have no experience outside of clinicals, but I bring other strengths to the table. I taught high school for several years, worked in business, and served as an education coordinator for a blood bank. I've just finished my BSN and will take the boards soon. I don't think that finding a job will be difficult, but I don't feel ready to negotiate those points that will have tremendous impact on quality of life. From what I'm hearing everyone gets a slightly different deal, even as new RN's. Some tell me to simply be brutually honest about what is important to me, without regard to whether they think it's asking for "too much". They contend that maturity and life experience will make me very appealing as a potential employee, and they will want to sweeten the deal by conceding on some quality of life issues. Others tell me that regardless of my life experience, I am now at the bottom of the food chain and I may as well get used to working nights, no vacation, calls to come in on off days, not being able to plan more than two or three weeks out, etc.....What can I do? One person I know ( a new RN) was hired for dayshift and was started with three weeks vacation. Another is working nights and has no vacation until after the first year. There are only two hospital systems in the area. If only this were an interview for a teaching position, but it's not. I need to know how assertive I can be without risking being viewed as too aggressive. I know I will be a newbie, but I don't want to feel like a lamb headed for slaughter either. I am definitley no stranger to hard work, but balance in life, personal health, and fair compensation and treatment are all biggies for me. Any advice will be very appreciated!

[llg, PhD, RN]

Before you try to negotiate ... do your homework and find out what is negotiable and what is not. For example, you mentioned that 2 people you know got a different deal on vacation time. Did those 2 people work for the same employer? That might be the case, but I doubt it. Most vacation policies are consistent across an institution. On an issue such as vacation, find out what the policy is and ask whether or not is negotiable before you go in and start making demands. Even if an issue is non-negotiable, you might be able to get a little something if you ask nicely rather than make demands. With vacation time, for example, you will probably be earning it right away, but not able to use it for a set period of time. I have asked for (and received) a few days off without pay during that "no vacation time" period because I negotiated for it before I accepted the job.

So ....

1. Do your homework and find out what is set, non-negotiable policy and what is negotiable.

2. Don't make your demands and/or desires the focus of the pre-offer interviews. Use those interactions to gather information about the job, the expectations, and the standard policies and practices -- and to give the employer an opportunity to learn how you will be assest to their team.

3. After you have the job offer, tell them that you would love to work for them, but that you need to address a few concerns before you can make a firm committment.

4. Explain your concerns without being whiney and/or complaining and ask if there is any way they can help you ... or if they can offer any suggestions to help you deal with each concern. BE FLEXIBLE when considering any possible options. Back the vacation time example ... you can say something like, "I know you don't usually allow new employees to use their vacation time until after 6 months, but I have some family needs that I will need to take of and will need a little time off. Do you ever make exceptions?" ... If not, you can ask .... "Can I arrange to take a little time off without pay then during that time?"

5. Be flexible, creative, and willing to compromise. Remember that they may not be able to give you everything you want without setting up unrealistic expectations for the rest of the staff. Work WITH them to help them find a solution to your concerns that will work for both of you rather than making demands. Seek a win-win resolution. No one wants to hire an employee who is going to whiney and/or demanding.

Good luck,

llg

[Bonnie Nurse]

You made me remember what the interview is really for -- getting the OFFER for the job. Really good advice. Thanks.

[zambezi, BSN, RN]

I agree that there is some research that needs to be done. Find out if the hospital is unionized or not. I work at a unionized hopsital and the only people that really have a lot of negotiation room where I work at people that have been working in the field for a long time, have "extra" certifications, etc...(ie: we have a few travlers that were looking to work permenantly at the hospital but their pay was decreased from what they were previously making as travelers...due to their high level of experience, the fact that they were good employees, had extra certs, etc...our union fought for them and renegotiated a wage for them).

That being said, a new grad will always start at the same place as far as wage goes in my hospital. Things like vacation can be negotiated (ie: if you had plans made, you can usually get it off or work something out in the first couple of months- but after that you have to put in for it like everyone else)

We don't offer day shifts to new grads unless it has been offered to nights and no one wants it...but you still have to go through orientation on nights because you can't apply for the day shift position until you are off of orientation. As for schedules, it is somewhat negotiable- but you may not always get want you want to start but hopefully things can be changed withing a few months...we stick with mostly set schedules so I can usually plan a year out.

Some of the rules are flexible and some are not- our union negotiates the contract and we work within that. So that is something to look into. I am not saying your past experience doesn't count- because it probably will when you are compared to others that are applying for the position...but in the same regard, if you aren't a little flexible with your demands/requests, they may rather take someone with whom they have to negotiate with less if neither of you have any direct nursing experience.

I too would use that first interview to feel the place out. Ask questions about the staffing, support, orientation, union vs. not union, now vacation time is decided, education, etc. Like llg said, you need an offer from them before you can requst anything anyway, so use the interview as a get to know you process.

llg always has good information too so I would go with most of her suggestions!!

[jsteine1]

Despite differences in deals you may hear about, regardless of life experience, you will still be compensated in the established range

for the type of unit you work in as it applies to a new graduate. Vacation time is also policy driven and often tied to number of years employed. If an individual worked as a CNA in a particular setting for some years while attending RN school, they would receive the benefits associated with a tenured person should they continue working there after graduation.

I would suggest researching all the work settings within a reasonable commute to you in which a new grad RN could be hired to determine who has the greatest # of RN openings. The greater the demand, the more attractive the offer generally. Dont limit yourself to hospitals only( unless your heart is set on it). But dont be disappointed. As a new grad, you dont have a lot of bargaining power. Be pleased to be working in a professional capacity in your chosen profession, excel in every way and down the road, your bargaining power increases. Congrats and best of luck to you!

PS- the larger the institution, the more mindful they will be of concerns about discriminatory hiring practices, the less you will see large ranges of pay or benefits for the same level of experience.