[Trias11]

Salary negotiation is complicated and recruiters are mostly useless middlemen.

They're sort of used car salesemen (with used car being you :) ) that need to move inventory off the lot.

It less important to spend time to get extra 5% then sell two cars quicker.

No offence but it's a good analogy.

[elviejo]

In the freakonomics book Dan Ariely makes the same point. Here with real state agents when they are selling your house they tend to encourage you to accept the first rational offer because for them is better to move the house inventory tan the extra % in the commission.

However when they are selling their own houses... the houses tendon yo stay 3 weeks more on average, because there they have a better incentive to wait for a better offer.

[Trias11]

Totally agree.

In fact real estate agents are pretty much never acting in the best interests of their customers (buyer or sellers).

All of them are interested in making transaction happen faster to "move inventory". Negotiating better deal for their client is a waste of time for agents, although none of them will ever acknowledge it.

[paulcole]

> Salary negotiation is complicated

It’s really not unless you’re attempting to extract the theoretical maximum from each negotiation.

[babygoat]

What else would people negotiate for?

[paulcole]

A salary that’s acceptable to them.

Personally, I don’t need the most money somebody is willing to pay me. I need enough money for my goals in life. In fact, I’ll happily accept a number that’s lower than an employer’s maximum because it makes me a good value.

If their number is less than my number, I ask for my number plus a little bit and they say either yes/no. No stress and I’m perfectly happy either way.

[finwhat]

depends on the 'salesperson' (i.e. recruiter). third party recruiters run the gamut, and in my experience if you work with a good one they'll help you negotiate higher, provided you make their job easier (fast communications, transparent, etc.)