Negotiating Job Offers and Salaries
How to Negotiate a Job Offer and Salary
Let's start by acknowledging that some job offers don't leave much room for negotiation. However, the salary and benefits of many job offers are definitely negotiable! It is estimated that about 70% of employers expect people to negotiate aspects of a job offer. Ironically though, more than 50% of people who receive job offers are afraid that if they try to negotiate the salary and benefits, they'll irritate their prospective new employer and possibly jeopardize the offer they just received.
Here's some helpful information:
1) Often, people only think about salary when they ponder what might be worth negotiating. But remember that jobs have many different components: salary, vacation time, hours, opportunities to work remotely, transportation reimbursements, insurance benefits, etc.
Quick Tip #1: When you think about negotiating an offer, think about not only salary, but other things that might make the job more appealing.
Quick Tip #2: KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES! For some people, salary might be the most important aspect of a job. For other people, the chance to work from home a few days a week might be more important. Decide on the job elements that are most vital to you.
2) It's very important to do research before you even reach the interview stage for a job, so that you know the average salary for the type of job you're seeking, as well as the average salary for that job in the area where you live. This will help you if a prospective employer asks about your salary expectations during an interview. It will also help you know if the salary you're being offered is reasonable.
There are many Internet sites where you can get salary information:
Glassdoor offers free information about salary ranges, employee ratings of their employers, etc. Note that you will have to set up a free account in order to use Glassdoor.
Payscale also offers free salary reports and a career path planner, but for some types of information, you'll need to set up an account.
Indeed Salaries is another site that offers free salary information.
3) MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE JOB OFFER: What are the components and hours of the job? What will be your responsibilities? What specifically have you been offered in terms of salary and benefits? Don't be afraid to politely ask for clarifications if certain things are unclear.
Quick Tip #3: You don't need to immediately accept or decline the offer. It's common to ask for a day or so to think about a job offer. It's also important to find out by when the employer needs to know your decision.
4) If you decide that you want to negotiate certain aspects of the offer, you have to KNOW YOUR WORTH. In other words, WHY should the employer give you more money or a longer vacation benefit or opportunities to work remotely? Think about your skills and experience as they relate to the position being offered, and be prepared to talk about your value relative to the compensation that you're seeking. If you want more than what's initially offered, you have to show that you're worth the additional money and/or benefits.
Quick Tip #4: Be appreciative, upbeat, confident, and professional throughout job negotiations. You may want to practice with a friend or family member so that you can confidently engage in a negotiation discussion.
Quick Tip #5: Don't negotiate salary or benefits during the interview process. Negotiation is only appropriate after receiving an offer.
Quick Tip #6: If you are proposing a higher salary, choose the highest part of the range that matches your skills and experience. You will likely have to compromise, and if you start too low, the end result will be too low.
Quick Tip #7: Don't prolong the process. The degree to which the employer is going to be flexible will quickly become clear. You then have to decide whether to accept or reject the final offer.
A Word about Women and Job Negotiations
Sadly, women are still being paid quite a bit less than men for performing the same jobs. In addition, women are often societally conditioned to undervalue their skills and experience. Thus, they also become hesitant to engage in job negotiations. Another truth is that assertive women are sometimes perceived to be "aggressive" -- whereas assertive men are often admired. And, some employers believe that women are less committed to their jobs. It's not unusual for women to be penalized for having children (or for their potential to have children at some future point).
Thus, women in particular need to:
*Know their value (skills, experience, etc);
*Become well informed about appropriate salaries and benefits;
*Be focused on building confidence; and
*Practice their capacity to effectively negotiate with prospective employers
Here's an article that discusses this topic:
Women, pay gaps, and job negotiations
SOME ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES ABOUT NEGOTIATING JOB OFFERS AND SALARIES
Note: By including the links below, we aren't endorsing every detail that the sites provide (and they may not fully agree with each other on some points). But each of the sites contains a lot of valuable information.