The idea of negotiating for
salary usually comes off as scary to employees, but you know what’s scarier? Not negotiating at all. A survey by salary.com revealed that only 37% of people always negotiate their salaries—while an astonishing 18% never do. Even worse, 44% of respondents claim to have never brought up the subject of a raise during their performance reviews.
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Well, you’re definitely not alone, because many people find it uncomfortable to talk about the subject of salary negotiation once they have an offer, but surprisingly, employers expect employees to negotiate so you’ll be killing yourself not to. Imagine not negotiating your salary after you’re given the offer only to find out that you’re paid below standard, won’t you feel cheated? Then why not negotiate right on time?
The key to having an upper hand in negotiating your salary lies in timing. It is much more advisable to negotiate your salary after you’ve been given an offer rather than during the interview sections. Once you’ve proven to be the best candidate for the job and an offer has been made, bring up the subject of salary negotiation. Negotiating before an offer can harm your chances of securing the job offer. Should the offer be presented over the phone, you can ask for time to think about it and get back to the organization. Better to negotiate and have better pay than end up in regrets.
Salary negotiation is a skill, and like most skills, it has to be learnt and practised over time. Now let’s get right into how to negotiate.
To get the pay you deserve, you need to know your value and what you can offer. Consider the geographical location, cost of living, leadership experience, industry experience, education level, career level, skills, licenses, and certifications. These points should be your guide towards making the hiring staff understand how valuable you would be to the organization.
You need to know the market average of that position in that industry. This will give you a justification and baseline for your salary request. Find out how much the company is willing to pay, find out the average pay in your geographic location, find out what competing or similar firms pay employees in that position. These would give you a better guide as to what to expect.
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This is a basic rule in negotiating. Bid higher than your goal so that the employer will still meet you at a desirable point. If you provide a salary range, ensure that you’re still comfortable with the amount at the lowest part of that range. Always remember that you’re entitled to higher pay, and your employer will negotiate down, so bid higher.
It is one thing to know what to say and another thing to say confidently. Your level of confidence goes a long way in showing your employer how prepared and how much information you have. It also communicates your sense of value and self-worth. Lack of confidence might give off the vibe that you’re not sure of what you’re doing or can easily settle for anything.
Being always agreeable hasn’t helped anyone. In some cases where the employer will not be able to meet up with your minimum salary requirement, consider if the job is worth the lower amount, consider if it is less stressful than your current position, consider proximity to your home, but if all these don’t fall into place, be willing to politely decline the offer and look for other opportunities.
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Don’t Push it, Stay Positive
Inasmuch as salary negotiations come off as scary, you need to stay calm and positive. Your future employer is not your enemy; therefore, you need to guide your tone while negotiating your desired salary. Don’t push it beyond what your employer can offer, and be flexible enough to accept other compensations.
In conclusion, in order to remember what you want to say and convey it confidently, be sure to rehearse it over and over again.
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