Is it appropriate to apply for a job with a salary stated and then negotiate a higher one?

Question

I have been contacted by a recruiter about a job position that offers X money.

Is it appropriate to apply for it and then negotiate with the company directly a higher one? Will it be considered a stupid thing since the money was already stated or a way of wasting time?

I am referring to the UK, just to give a background.

@Joe Strazzere Thank you for your reply. Most of the vacancies have a salary indicated in the UK, does it mean that there is no room for negotiation when applying to one of those positions? — Pampa Nello, Jun 05 '17 at 12:06
Possible duplicate of Does the first person to mention a number in a salary negotiation lose? — gnat, Jun 05 '17 at 12:24
While the salary is the main parameter here you can apply in the hope the benefits can make the job more attractive, some times you can even negotiate some benefits — jean, Jun 05 '17 at 12:50
@gnat Absolutely not. This is not about how to negotiate, but if it is acceptable to do it when a figure has already been stated in the job announcement. The questions are not even similar. — Pampa Nello, Jun 05 '17 at 13:08

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 05 '17 at 12:24

As Joe states it is a clear indication of the amount they are envisaging paying for the role - but in most cases even when they don't advertise the salary the organisation will already have a number "in mind" as it were when they start the recruiting process.

In my experience it is worth negotiating as long as the shortfall between the advertised salary and your requirements isn't massive. If we are talking £1-5k difference then that's not necessarily insurmountable, if we are talking £10k+ then I highly doubt it would be worthwhile. What I've done in the past is indicated to the recruiter that the job is appealing but that the money would have to be more like £Xk instead of the advertised £Yk. The recruiter usually then contacts the company to see if that level of flexibility is something they can offer, if so the process continues from there, if not then you go your seperate ways. If the advertised salary is within the bounds of what I would consider then I would continue in the process, attempt to impress them in interview and if that succeeds I would then attempt to negotiate higher.

That is what I was looking for. Thank you for the reply! – Pampa Nello Jun 05 '17 at 13:10 — Pampa Nello, Jun 05 '17 at 13:10

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 05 '17 at 12:18

Negotiations usually take place after you receive an actual offer, but in my experience, it's trickier in the UK system because salary expectations are usually discussed explicitly some time during the interview process itself. In this case, it's better for you to have a number or small range ready when you're asked. Here, you should be honest while keeping it close to the upper range of whatever the posting lists.

If you're not asked and end up receiving an offer, go ahead and negotiate (it's common) -- just don't expect, don't be greedy, and don't push.

Is it appropriate to apply for a job with a salary stated and then negotiate a higher one?

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