Anonymous wrote:At what point do you negotiate? I am pending background check (public trust) and don’t yet have an official offer or EOD. Can I still try to negotiate leave? (No prior fed employment but directly comparable work experience.)

You have to wait for a public trust check to be completed before you can start the position? At my agency you on-board and then complete the paperwork for the public trust background check. It can take well over a year for the public trust check to be completed.

I am playing the similar game now. Received the job offer, I counter offered and provided pay stubs to show proof of current salary. I waited one week and received a email from HR stating the new proposed the salary from grade 13,step 1 to grade 13 step 2. I sent another email asking if for consideration up to a step 4. Still waiting a response

It all depends. Sometimes the hiring people you are dealing with are pretty low level (e.g., just a 15 supervisor) and don't have much motivation to try and get you more money. Other times, the person who has more decision making power (e.g., Director or Associate Director) has more pull so can get HR to increase your salary. It also depends who the hiring office is dealing with in HR. So I've seen it vary widely, quite frankly. And it can really come down to luck.

Mine would have taken long enough - at least weeks - that I had to simply accept the salary offered because I didn't have time to play things out without starting a different job that wasn't as good.

But it was a fair salary and I got credit for private sector work for vacation accrual so it wasn't that big a deal.

Mine took a month and a half....

Go ahead and do it now. Bring it up with the HR person you’ve been in contact with and see if it’s something the agency offers. If so HR can get the ball rolling now and hopefully it will be approved once they’re ready for you to start. If you wait until you have your EOD may end up dragging out the process even longer and delaying your EOD.

At what point do you negotiate? I am pending background check (public trust) and don’t yet have an official offer or EOD. Can I still try to negotiate leave? (No prior fed employment but directly comparable work experience.)

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone successfully negotiated a salary that was higher than GS xx Step 1 even if their current salary was lower? For example, let’s say you were making $120k, but negotiated a GS 15 Step 4, which is roughly $148k. Obviously this situation only works if you are happy where you are and need a worthwhile offer to switch jobs.

I’m a PP in HR and my office works with the hiring offices to approve these requests. We can approve up to 20% more than your current salary. In some occasions we can offer more than that but it needs to be a very hard to fill position.

Has anyone successfully negotiated a salary that was higher than GS xx Step 1 even if their current salary was lower? For example, let’s say you were making $120k, but negotiated a GS 15 Step 4, which is roughly $148k. Obviously this situation only works if you are happy where you are and need a worthwhile offer to switch jobs.

Wow, 3 weeks is a long time. Mine was quicker

Anonymous wrote:Not OP. Just curious how long does the negotiation process take on the fed level? one week or longer??

I think it took about 3 weeks for mine.

Not OP. Just curious how long does the negotiation process take on the fed level? one week or longer??

My agency won't start you above Step 4 if you are in the maximum grade level for your position, but has absolute flexibility up to the salary for the max GS/step 4 if you are coming in below max grade level and asking for a salary match (with evidence).

Yep--we allow in grade increases and higher leave categories if you are a lateral.

I was able to get the higher step as well, glad you went for it, I'm sure you'll get it if the agency allows it, they're all different for sure!