Planning Document - Job Candidate

Planning Document Form, Version 1

Negotiation:     Recruiter/Candidate       Role:        Candidate

What issues are most important to you (in parenthesis list your position on each issue)?

1. Salary (getting anything lower than $120K has a significant negative impact, so I aim to get no less than $115K)

2. Bonus (with a 4000 point gap between top and bottom choice, I aim to get no less than 8%)

3. Moving Expense (aiming for no less than 80% coverage)

4. Start Date (aiming for no less than a June 15 start date)

5. Job Assignment (aiming for no less than Division C)

What is your BATNA?  Reservation Price?  Target?

BATNA – 2,200.  I assume this is the potential point total with another job offer that I currently have

RP – 2,400; average attainable.  Getting the middle option for each issue.  This indicates that there was some back and forth and some concessions made from both parties.  That is the least I would accept.  Even though my BATNA is 2,200, I still wouldn’t accept anything less than 2,400 because there are unquantified factors at play when accepting a job offer like other job perks or the people.

Target Price – 13,200; maximum attainable.  Top option for each issue.  

What are your sources of power?

I have already been offered the position, therefore I am the strongest candidate they have interviewed.  This gives me power, because their BATNA is another, less qualified candidate.  Also, if a deal with me falls through, then the company also loses time trying to find and negotiate with another candidate, so it’s in their best interests to get a deal done with me now.  And lastly, I have a competing job offer which I can leverage in the negotiation.  

What issues are most important to your counterpart (in parenthesis list their expected position on each issue)?

1. Salary ($105,000)

2. Bonus (6%)

3. Job Assignment (Division E)

4. Moving Expense (70%)

5. Vacation (10 Days)

What is your counterpart’s BATNA? Reservation Price?

Using my own payoff schedule:

BATNA: My counterpart’s BATNA is moving on to another candidate, in which case I believe their point BATNA is -2,400.  

Reservation Price:  -3,000

What are your counterpart’s sources of power?

The company has power because they are the company I want to work for.  Based on the point schedule, I’m also eager to get started sooner rather than later, therefore they have power in pushing for a deal to get signed today.