I had a bad experience with a job offer in Auckland. After this episode, I realise that some of the posts and comments on this website make sense. It strikes me that I have encountered a negative aspect of New Zealand even before I have step foot into the country.
I was offered a job and before the job offer, I was asked verbally for my expectation renumeration. I inform my prospective employer that I wanted $X for my base salary. The hiring manager came back with an offer of $Y, which is about 9% less than $X and offer the remaining 9% as a conditional bonus paid out annually. I wasn’t impressed with the offer as I did my sums on the cost of living and reckon that my family will be comfortable only with my original asking of $X. I also ask for relocation benefits.
What happened after my negotiation request was what struck me as the unprofessional and a “take it or leave it” attitude from the hiring manager.
The hiring manager refused any change in the renumeration offer stating that he went through many levels of approval to come to the current offer. He also stated that bluntly that the salary package with conditional bonus would come up to be the same as my asking package. In other parts of the developed world, bonus is a bonus and is never part of the base salary package. The hiring manager also refuse to entertain any relocation benefits and mentioned that he helped me saved money by not requiring me to attend in-person interviews. Again, in most other parts of the world, the hiring company would pay for air ticket and accomodation for flying candidates to the host country for interviews if needed. How not needing me to attend an in-person interview is helping me save money is beyond me.
With his replies, I can sense that this company isn’t sincere about hiring a talented person for the posiiton and the hiring manager’s attitude does show that future advancement and salary adjustment may well be a brickwall affair.
The worst part is that since I am not able to get the hiring manager to make any concessions to the offer terms, I notified him via email as soon as I can and that was a Saturday, no wanting to make a phone call during the weekends (to give him peace and quiet during his personal time). I paid long distance phone fees and tried to get to him on the phone on Monday but couldn’t get through. Call another 3 times on Tuesday, voicemail. Finally, the hiring manager picked up the phone on Wednesday and told me that my application was cancelled as soon as he had read my email regarding rejecting the offer. All the while I have not received any notification that he had received my rejection email and had acted on it. How unprofessional can the organization be?
I am glad that I have rejected the offer.
