The survey, which explored the views of 1,200 UK workers, found that engineers were also some of the most likely to negotiate on a job offer, with 73.4 per cent admitting to doing so. What’s more, 57.1 per cent said they’d feel comfortably haggling with a potential employer. When asked what the key areas were that they would negotiate on within a job offer, respondents cited the following: salary (86.1 per cent); working hours (44.3 per cent); benefits (43 per cent); holiday allowance (39.2 per cent) and flexible working (32.9 per cent).
“It’s fair to say that Britain is a nation of hagglers in every respect,” Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library commented. “Nowadays, negotiations aren’t just made at the local market, but in shops, hotels and even during the job hunting process! The shift in power within the job market means that many candidates know their worth and will only move for a job that meets all of their criteria.
“Salary continues to be the main driver for engineers, with many refusing to move jobs unless they’re receiving a significant pay increase. What’s more, with work/life balance becoming more important in today’s working world, today’s candidates want confirmation that they’re not going to be glued to their desks for all hours of the day. There is always room for negotiation with job offers; you just have to be confident about your position.”
Despite engineers admitting to having high expectations around jobs, 64.6 per cent do not think they expect too much from their job offers, while a further 50 per cent stated that their high expectations have not put them off applying for or accepting certain roles. In fact, 91.1 per cent said they would be willing to compromise when negotiating a job offer.
“Often, your perception around what your ‘dream job’ is may turn out to be the opposite, so it’s always advisable to keep an open mind during the job hunting process,” Biggins added. “But that doesn’t mean settling for a job which is way below your pay grade or doesn’t allow you to work flexibly should you need to.
“Taking a gamble and pushing for more is a strategy that can pay off and it’s likely that your potential employer will have also left some wiggle room. If you’ve done your research, you should know your worth in the market so always take time to consider the package you’ve been offered and never sell yourself short.”