Negotiating TC while converting from contract to FTE?
Update: Idk how but I asked for 125k base, 30k sign-on, and 10k RSU and got exactly that (w/ standard 12% bonus target). I think my in-progress Amazon interview and its TC expectations, which the recruiter shared w/ me, scared them since EG has been losing ppl to Amazon. So definitely ask for more than you think is possible (and be prepared to back it up w/ accomplishments and market research). ymmv ofc
How much (if any) is negotiable when getting converted from contractor to FTE?
I've figured out the general range for FTE with my experience for SDE 1 at Expedia, but am worried that they would lowball me bc I would be converting from a lower contract rate. I also realize how expensive it is to hire a completely new software engineer and have it potentially not work out(1,2), so I would stress this point to them. Is it worth the hassle, though?
Current TC: 101k (97k base + 4k benefits)
YOE: 1.5 ( ~6 months at Expedia as SDE 1 )
Location: Seattle
1. https://blog.usejournal.com/it-costs-50k-to-hire-a-software-engineer-d06a0d051abf
2. https://devskiller.com/cost-hiring-bad-developer/
It Costs $50k to Hire a Software Engineer
The real cost of hiring a bad developer
comments
That said:
b) ask for what you think you’d expect and stick to it.
It’ll be reasonable for you to ask for $110-115k base salary and at least $10k sign-on.
you are just saying: it is ok to lie
Use your FTE position to negotiate outside Expedia once you’ve secured the role. Decide once you get offers if you’re interested in letting Expedia make a counteroffer or if you’d prefer to leave.
They aren’t going to factor that into base, as it would be an ongoing cost. Maybe you could negotiate a sign-on bonus. But, they aren’t going to be excited about trading a hypothetical one-time cost for an actual recurring one.
As I see it, part of negotiating is signaling whether information asymmetries exist or not. My aim was to signal that I know that I'm cheaper for them than a completely fresh hire.
Anecdotal evidence: With my first job I converted from an intern; they tried to lowball me for the FTE but I negotiated for 2.5k more and extra vacation days because I had done a lot of research on the market rate and was able to list off my business impacts.