How to negotiate salary like a true professional
Finally, you got the job!
After all that preparation, interviews and scanning your resume for typos, the company wants you!
They also want to negotiate salary! This might be new territory as far as your employment luck is concerned. However, there are critical details to know when negotiating a salary.
Firstly though, are you even expected to negotiate your salary?
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Do employers expect you to negotiate salary?
In many cases, compensation may not be confirmed when candidates are shortlisted. Salary may be listed as ‘negotiable’ on the job description.
If salary is fixed, you can for your own assurance, tactfully ask if salary is open to negotiations by suggesting, “I understand what the salary is for this job, is that negotiable in any way”? The employer will then explain if negotiations are still open or not. However, it is critical that you only ask this question at the right time.
Like many things in life, timing is everything. Therefore, you must be aware of the right time to be discussing your salary expectations.
When should you negotiate salary?
One of the golden rules of job hunting is only bring up salary when prompted by the interviewer. Your job during the interview process is to sell them your value. Once, they have decided to hire you, then salary negotiations should begin. The best time to discuss your salary is at the end of the interviewing process.
If you are already an employee who wants to negotiate a higher salary, you best opportunity is during your performance review. However, you must be assured your performance is top-level. You can’t expect to pitch the idea of your employer paying you more, if your performance is sub-standard.
How do you negotiate salary after a job offer?
Remember money is a sensitive issue and when requesting more, you should:
Take a holistic look
Based on your standard of living, decide what is appropriate. If you negotiate too high, your employer would expect more from you. If you negotiate too low, you can become disgruntled.
Work together
A negotiation is a compromise. Keep an open and flexible mind. Be willing to listen to your employer, just as much as you speak, if not more. It is important that they see you workable, as opposed to arrogant and demanding.
Don’t throw away your needs
At the same time, don’t be too much of a pacifist. If there is a particular amount you have in mind, be sure to voice it. The employer then knows where to meet you and you just may end up getting what you want!
Top 5 tips on negotiating salary after a job offer
There are other important steps to consider after you’ve received a job offer.
1. Remember facts, not feelings
Think of salary negotiations as presenting a court case before a judge. You need evidence! Persuade your employer how you have directly achieved increased sales, led successful projects and saved a specific amount of revenue. If you’re saying you deserve more, be prepared to also say why!
2. Maintain a sense of calm
Be too aggressive and you’re an arrogant mule of a person. Be too passive and you’re the company’s doormat! When working with your employer, maintain your confidence and speak in a calm demeanor.
3. Do your homework
Don’t anticipate your undergraduate degree and three years of work experience will command a six-figure salary. Reach out to headhunters or persons within the same industry with the same qualifications and experience. Find out what they’re receiving and how much job market value you currently hold.
4. Watch your words
Instead of saying, “I feel like I should”, “I want”, or “I deserve”, use neutral language to avoid coming across arrogant or needy. Instead use, “I would be more comfortable with”, “Can we look at the possibility of” or “Is there any flexibility with that”. These terms maintain an assertive, professional confidence and engages the employer to work with you.
5. Leverage opportunities in your favour
As a last resort, if you are a top performer and have multiple offers from other organisations, you can leverage those opportunities to indicate your scarcity and persuade them to work with you.
However, this tactic should only be used in the circumstance you are a top performing industry player and you indeed have multiple offers coming your way. It should not be used to boast, throw in your employer’s face or bluff. Such actions can circle back to haunt you down the road.
How much can you negotiate on a salary?
Don’t present a range of salary figures. It makes you look uncertain as to your worth. Identify two values – your ideal number and a settling number. Your ideal number is the salary amount that would make you the most satisfied if you were to actually get it. You settling figure is what you’re happy receiving which is fair and what the market will pay for a candidate like you. You should not be negotiating for anything less than your settling figure. Present your ideal figure to the employer during your negotiations. Truthfully, they may find it too high and may decide to meet you at your settling number or slightly above it.
Negotiating by email or phone?
Salary negotiations should only occur face-to-face or through phone conversations. Never negotiate with an employer about salary through email for several reasons:
- It makes you look as if you lack confidence
- Email messages are more likely to be misinterpreted the wrong way. An email can come across aggressive to an employer without that being the intent.
- Email lacks the emotional cues which are vital for successful negotiations such as voice tone, non-verbal body language – facial expressions, eye contact and hand gestures.
How long do negotiations take?
Many organisations after both parties have laid down their final offers and requirements would provide a timeframe for the candidate to get back to them with feedback or a final answer. This could range from a few business days to two weeks.
Can you lose the job offer over salary negotiations?
The mere fact that an employer is discussing salary with you means they have identified you as an ideal candidate and wish for you to join their team. However, a job offer can be lost if during the negotiation, you:
- Become overly aggressive or unprofessional
- Using the ‘greedy language’
- Quoting amounts that exceed the company’s budget or market value
- Seeking to discuss salary negotiations at the wrong time – before the end of the interviewing process.
