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I got an offer yesterday from a company in Chicago. When I spoke to the HR rep and asked him about relocation expenses, he mentioned that they usually prefer to hire local candidates and I was an exception because I live in Indiana.

He further mentioned that he would ask the manager and later send the job offer. I was in a hurry to just get the official offer letter and told him that it wouldn't matter a lot in the long term of my career and hung up.

Later, when I gave it a thought, I felt that having relocation money would be really helpful and less tiring than for me to move my furniture all by myself.

I would now like to call him and make the case of reconsidering the relocation expense money, and also try to negotiate my salary to increase it by 4k. And then, give them an option to offer either relocation or increase my salary.

How can I do this in a subtle manner and not push too much?

NOTE I have not yet accepted the job offer.

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    It sounds a lot like you left the impression that their offer was going to be acceptable to you. You can certainly always negotiate since you haven't received the formal offer and haven't accepted anything, but be prepared for the possibility that they might walk away because they might feel like you are doing a bait-and-switch on them.
    – PoloHoleSet
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 22:38
  • I have received the offer letter and told them that I would get back within a couple of days
    – Sujith Shivaprakash
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 22:40
  • Hope it goes well for you!
    – PoloHoleSet
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 22:46
  • I wonder if it is okay to hire only local candidates for a job opportunity, and if so, how is it different from the usual questions that interviewers aren't supposed to ask such as age, citizenship or marital status.
    – ValarMorghulis
    Commented May 24, 2018 at 9:50

2 Answers 2

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You can ask for anything, but be prepared for pushback, and even the possibility of losing the job.

If you don't care too much about the job, ask for relocation and see what happens.

If you do, then after the initial pushback, combined with your response, telling the manager that it wouldn't matter, you will likely end up looking indecisive. Best case scenario, it will make you look unprofessional. Worst case is they will withdraw the offer.

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  • Makes sense, I think I ll drop the relocation and negotiate my salary.
    – Sujith Shivaprakash
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 12:45
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    @SujithShivaprakash Right, and even if you slip in an extra 1000 per year, in a few years the relocation will have been paid for. There are always options
    – Old_Lamplighter
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 12:51
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How can I do this in a subtle manner and not push too much?

As long as you haven't already accepted their offer, you can ask for anything. Be prepared however to justify what you want. If you want more money, be prepared to explain why the offer is short on cash and needs to be increased. One argument you could use is cost of living, I am sure its higher in Chicago than where you currently live.

Ultimately, you are probably going to have more success asking for more cash versus money for relocation, since they mentioned to you that they normally only hire local candidates.

Also relocation money is a one time thing, and a higher salary is the gift that keeps on giving.

YMMV

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    I would discard that normally only hire local candidates as negotiation tactic. Businesses to whatever they have to do to get the required talent. Still better to increase the salary than to get a one-time-bonus. Remember your salary is the anchor for future raises.
    – Daniel
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 13:17

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