Federal Salary Negotiations -- Is it possible? (Reston: 2015, health insurance)

[Carlingtonian]

One thing I just recently discovered: If you're a Fed applying for a lateral position (same grade as your current one), they can in fact give you additional steps within your grade. I was told by a hiring manager that the geographically distant HR would (incredibly) probably offer a lower step than I currently make but that I could say I would only take the job at step X. HR would then refer the decision to the hiring manager, who could approve the hire at the higher step.

Different agencies (even within the same Department) often do things differently, so I don't know if this is true for other places. But it can be done.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

One thing I just recently discovered: If you're a Fed applying for a lateral position (same grade as your current one), they can in fact give you additional steps within your grade. I was told by a hiring manager that the geographically distant HR would (incredibly) probably offer a lower step than I currently make but that I could say I would only take the job at step X. HR would then refer the decision to the hiring manager, who could approve the hire at the higher step.

Different agencies (even within the same Department) often do things differently, so I don't know if this is true for other places. But it can be done.

They used to do this within my agency (within DoD) but they stopped it because they felt like people were "taking advantage" of it. They felt like people staying within our agency were job-hopping to get the salary bump ups that were offered with a lateral move so our agency stopped it. However, not sure what happens if you are coming in from another area.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

They used to do this within my agency (within DoD) but they stopped it because they felt like people were "taking advantage" of it. They felt like people staying within our agency were job-hopping to get the salary bump ups that were offered with a lateral move so our agency stopped it. However, not sure what happens if you are coming in from another area.

I'm not surprised. I imagine the same would be true within my current DoD agency--but this was at a different one. I can see that if you're going for a position in the same agency, the benefit to the agency of filling the open job would be offset by the new vacancy created when you transfer.

[austindoxie1972]

Thanks for all the great posts. Glad to see good information is being shared!

At my civilian agency, they are still giving out at least a 2-step bump when you move to the next grade. It's pretty standard, and it does encourage people to move around. With pay freezes, this is the quickest -- and sometimes ONLY way -- to get a raise.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by austindoxie1972

Thanks for all the great posts. Glad to see good information is being shared!

At my civilian agency, they are still giving out at least a 2-step bump when you move to the next grade. It's pretty standard, and it does encourage people to move around. With pay freezes, this is the quickest -- and sometimes ONLY way -- to get a raise.

Getting a promotion to a higher grade is indeed the fast road to making a lot more money.

What you describe is the two-step rule, which is Gov-wide, so that people don't end up getting a pay cut because they rose a grade. Say you're a GS-11 step 10; if you went to GS-12 step 1, you would be paid less. So policy per OPM is to put the new salary at two steps above whatever the old salary would be on the higher grade.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by austindoxie1972

Thanks for all the great posts. Glad to see good information is being shared!

At my civilian agency, they are still giving out at least a 2-step bump when you move to the next grade. It's pretty standard, and it does encourage people to move around. With pay freezes, this is the quickest -- and sometimes ONLY way -- to get a raise.

They do this where I am too. I think that is actually an OPM guideline and it can't be taken away by any agency.

Ooopss...should have read Carlingtonian's post before responding!

[starfruit1242]

Hello,

I have been officially offered a GS9 Step1 position, which from my research equates to a person in my field with 1 year of experience. I currently have 4 years 10 months experience. When I received my tentative offer it stated that it was just for a step 1. I asked the HR representative immediately why I wasn't being offered a step comparable to my years of experience and she stated they had to prove my years of experience and submit everything to a board before it would be adjusted.

When I finally completed everything and received my final offer unfortunately it was still at a Step 1. The HR representative stated the board didn't grant me any more steps and the director already signed off on it and there was nothing she could do. She said there is no way to resubmit it through the process since the director signed off. According to her, my current options are to either accept or officially decline. If I officially decline, the service I will work for can write up a letter to the board and director why they should reconsider a higher step. The director can then either decide to grant me a higher step or they can begin looking for new candidates.

I currently get paid less than what they are offering, but my current employer has excellent benefits to make up for it. I find it hard to accept that I will be getting paid equal/less than people with the same/less years of experience as myself. I have a classmate who graduated the same year and has the same years of experience who was automatically granted a step 4 and didn't have to fight for it at all. She was also making about the same amount as myself, so it wasn't that she was getting paid more. Since I have over 4 years experience, I do feel that I have superior qualifications compared to someone with only 1 year of experience.

Does this sound correct? Do you have to officially decline a job to get them to consider giving you a higher step, losing your tentative offer? I have found other mistakes this HR department has made so far, and my classmate had such a different experience. I cannot find online a specific document outlining the steps of a new appointment being boarded and signed off on by the director being required to officially decline to negotiate a step increase. I can only find the document stating that due to superior qualifications you may be considered for a higher step increase.

I just want to make sure I'm not giving in too early on the steps, yet not passing up the opportunity. I guess I want my cake and to eat it too.

[ChristineVA]

Awarding superior qualifications is totally up to the hiring manager (and not even the HR department).

I have had to go through this process to try to get people in that I want at higher pay. So, these are people I definitely WANT to hire so I make sure that I can make it work. It could very well be that the hiring manager is not valuing your experience as you think it should be valued. They could have looked at it and felt it didn't justify a higher step.

I'm not really sure how to advise you. For my office, I would never let it get to the point where someone declined. In my mind, it's over at that point.

[starfruit1242]

I did contact my future manager to ask if this was normal for new hires to have to fight for an increase in step every time in her experience and if so that I was willing to write up a letter of justification of superior qualities. I am still waiting for her response.

In the past when you've had potential employees go through this process did they just have to request the superior qualifications process? Or to go through this process must you officially decline? I am worred the HR rep might be mistaken.

I know the department I will be working in really wants me as an employee, but if they're not the ones making the final decision I don't know where I will stand. The HR rep told me the service I would work for writes up the superior qualifications/needs letter. According to this thread you write up the letter. Does the service make the final decision? Or the director who may just be making a decision on numbers?

I agree, by declining I feel as if I'm being lured into a trap, and the ill-informed HR rep will say "Oh well you declined so that means you're not considered at all, I was mistaken and you can't go for the superior qualifications process. Sorry, the paperwork is in, nothing we can do for you."

Thank you for your input!

[kiplingif]

You work a job now that pays less than your offer and has excellent benefits. Aren't federal jobs known for their great benefits? How much are you really missing out on, benefits-wise?

Was your current salary asked for during the hiring process? It is possible that the people put you at GS-9 because of your education level, then kept you at Step 1 since it was already an increase over your current salary.