Tips on Salary Negotiation

Whether you understand the ins and outs of negotiation, it is always a thing that companies will use against you. Most people get an offer and accept it because it sounds really nice. That is great, but how would you feel if you found out that you could have received even more money? Knowing your worth is very important, and companies will try their very best to offer you less and expect you to do more.

Here are a few tips on how to negotiate your job offer to increase your stating salary.

1) Already have multiple offers in hand (If possible).

Most people don’t think to interview with other companies. As soon as people receive an offer, they are usually content. I saw that a lot of people wouldn’t even interview with a company because it was in a city that they didn’t like. You should still interview with as many companies as you can to get interviewing reps and offers if possible. If you already have offers from other companies, it shows that you are very valuable. It also let the company know that they are not the only option. Just like everything else in the world, people really crave someone that everybody else want. If you have multiple offers before hand, you already have numbers you can compare to the current offer you are receiving. If you receive an offer lower than your other offers, you can simply reply by saying, “Company name offered me $XX, XXX dollars annually.” This forces the recruiter to either match the offer, or give you a better deal. Now the ball is back on your court. Depending on how bad they need a fill for the position, companies are willing to offer more money for the right candidate.

What if this offer is my only offer?

Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIN all have tools that can calculate your average salary based off of years of experience. You can use these tools to figure out what number you would like to use as your starting pay.

This is an example of the tool used on Glassdoor for the average pay for an Entry Level Software Engineer in Huntsville, AL.

2) Make the recruiter or manager give you the first offer.

Some recruiters will ask you, “What is your expecting salary?” You should respond by saying, “Any reasonable offer will be considered.” This applies a little more pressure on the recruiter or manager to give you an offer first.

There are reasons behind this.

Hiring managers and recruiters have a max rate in mind, and if you go over that rate, you might not get considered.. If you are the perfect candidate, they will say something like, “That is over our budget, but this is what we can offer.” In this case, you want to see if they can offer incentives such as bonuses for joining the company.When you let the recruiter give you the first offer, you put yourself in a better position to give a counter offer.You won’t seem like you are all about the money. You always want to show that you are in it for the experience and the opportunity, not the money. If you are proficient at what you do, money will come over time.

3) Even if the salary is a good one, remain unimpressed

When you act unimpressed by the offer, but still maintain a professional, enthused, and polite persona, recruiters will probably question themselves on the offer that they put on the table.

4) Tell the recruiter that you need time to think on the offer.

Most managers or recruiters will tell you that the current offer is what is in the company’s budget, or they need approval from a person that is higher up the food chain.

The best way to respond is simple. Just tell the recruiter to give you a few days to think about it at home. You don’t have to worry about the recruiter asking personal questions such as “Who are you going to talk to?” Now the recruiter or manager have no idea what other people or factors that is involved in your decision.

5) Ask questions in person or over the phone. Not by email.

The recruiter or manager is excited to see that you are interested when you reached back out to them after a few days. Now you are in a position to ask for a higher salary. Remember, it is not what you say, but how you say it. It is best to talk over the phone or in person because it is hard to read someone over email or text-messages.

You always want to ask open-ended and smart questions. Instead of asking for $6,000 more, you can simply ask “Is there anything else you can do for me?” When you give them a number, you will never know what the max rate that you could have received.

6) When it is time, ask for more than you are expecting to receive.

Once the recruiter made one or two offers, you are in a position to ask. To get more money for your starting salary, you must ask for more than you are expecting. You never know what might happen. It also allows you to get a higher salary without seeming greedy. You will be surprised by how much bandwidth companies have financially for the right candidate.

Let’s use an example.

Let’s say you are expecting $75,000, but was offered $68,000. The number you should ask for should be between $82-$85,000. When you ask for more money, you give recruiters and managers the opportunity to meet you in the middle for a more reasonable offer. Always be able to back yourself up as well. You can do this by providing information that shows that the work you have done is higher than the amount that was offered. You also can demonstrate how valuable your skill set is. If you show that you have the skill set needed for the job, soft-skills, and the ability to work well with a team, recruiters and managers will be more willing to give you a better offer. Not giving recruiters a reason will only make you seem like you are greedy.

7) Talk more about what you can do for the company vs talking about yourself

Just being honest, the other side doesn’t care about what you did in the past or what you are currently doing at this point. They care more about what you can do for them. Be sure to bring up your strengths regarding the position so you show them how valuable you are.

Conclusion

Take your time to put a plan together on all the open-ended questions you want to ask. Do research on your job and figure out the average rate in the area where the job offer is located. Show enthusiasm and interest in the company while showcasing your skills, and you will be in a good position to receive an offer. Always find ways that you can demonstrate and talk about your value towards the company.

My final things is this. Even after you received a good offer, always keep your options open. Ever since the pension plan ended, there is no such thing as company loyalty anymore, and these companies do not care at the end of the day. Continue to learn new skills, and stay up to date with the most recent trends in your field. Always keep your resume and LinkedIN up to date as you continue to grow in your career. You never know who is watching. A recruiter from your dream job might reach out to you one day, unless you are already working at your dream job .