Navigating Negotiations Kim E. Barrett, Ph.D. Professor of Medicine and Dean of Graduate Studies University of California, San Diego Experimental Biology, April 2008

Job negotiations – the finish line! The opportunity to negotiate the terms of a new position signals the culmination of the arduous job search process Typically begins around the time of a second visit An iterative process May involve many emails, phone calls, drafts and then a final letter

What can be negotiated? Salary Lab space Start-up package Size, location, renovations Start-up package Equipment, supplies, support for personnel, salary support Job description Assistance with moving and spouse/partner relocation Just about anything that will help you do your job

How to approach the negotiation Distinguish three types of request Essential Desirable Dispensible Seek a win/win outcome The institution should want you to succeed – they will be making a major investment in you Negotiate in good faith Understand institutional hurdles Respond to questions promptly

Tips for success Knowledge is power Approach each meeting/call with no more than three agenda items Brief your counterpart ahead of time – no blindsiding Identify the “super-objective” as a starting point Use as a bridge to your objectives Get everything in writing If your counterpart is slow/unwilling in providing written summaries, do the job for them Remember the importance of body language and other non-verbal cues

Knowledge is power Explore on-line resources to benchmark salary and other aspects of the offer http://www.acdponline.org/Surveys/2007Survey.pdf http://www.acdponline.org/Surveys/Start-up_survey.htm http://www.aamc.org/members/msmr/comparativedata/compensation.htm Ask colleagues or recently hired peers to share details of offers in their departments Road test your “wish list” with a senior mentor Rehearsal is key

Multiple offers You may have several simultaneous offers to weigh Perhaps including an internal/retention offer Be careful to consider the whole package – not just monetary items Trust your gut How will I feel in this place over the next months and years? Will I find colleagues I like/trust/can connect with socially or scientifically? Remember personal/family considerations Don’t get pressured to rush your decision

Being an internal candidate Estimate your bargaining position How valuable have you made yourself? What would it take to replace you? Accept that you will likely not get an offer that matches one from outside What considerations might make it worth staying? Consider negotiating for a transition/contingent plan If I get a grant, what then? Test the market

Gender-based pitfalls in negotiations Women, in particular, have historically been disadvantaged in negotiating for starting faculty positions “Women don’t ask” Modest decrements in starting salaries equal major inequities over the course of a career Women also typically undersell their accomplishments Salary expectations 3-32% lower than those of men seeking the same job Women are often reluctant to reveal personal or other circumstances that may be deal-breakers if they emerge at the last minute

Gender-based pitfalls in negotiating Men chose “winning a ballgame” or “participating in a wrestling match” as metaphors for negotiations Women chose “a trip to the dentist” “Women don’t ask” – Babcock and Laschever

Conclusions High stakes negotiations, such as for your first position, can be exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure Careful preparation will help you get what you want and need Remember the “super-objective” Use friends, mentors and senior colleagues to road-test your wish list Always remember that money isn’t everything Good luck!

References Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever 2003: Princeton Univ. Press