Use this community to review tips and tricks proven to provide the best tools when negotiating an offer!
Salary negotiation can be intimidating but it doesn’t have to be if you prepare! Use this guide as you interview and know what to expect and how to negotiate.
Always negotiate!
Salary negotiation usually comes after you’ve made it through the final interview and they have offered you the position. Normally this happens over the phone. Most employers have built in some wiggle room and expect negotiation before finalizing their offer.
Timing is Everything
Let the employer bring up salary first. Delay this conversation as long as possible. The more time you have to show your worth the better. Sometimes your salary expectation will be included in the application process – be vague, consider using a range and do your research when possible.
Never accept on the spot
Even if you know you want to accept, give it a day or two to prepare to negotiate, research salary info, think about how you want to sell yourself and know what you’re being offered. You don’t know what money is on the table yet so you don’t want to accept something lower than they were willing to pay, it’s worth asking.
Remind them of your interest
Thank the employer and let them know you’re very interested or this is your top choice but you need some time to think about it, ask when can I let you know by?
Ask about timeline
Most employers will give you a few days or until the end of the week but they are interviewing other candidates and will need to move the process along so be mindful of everyone’s time.
Do your research
Use the following sites to determine salaries with your experience level and in your location for the best idea of what is realistic.
- Glassdoor Salaries – Glassdoor provides salary information, company reviews, and interview insights shared by employees. It offers salary estimates based on job title, location, and experience level.
- Salary.com – Salary.com offers salary information for various industries and job roles. It provides salary reports, personalized salary estimates, and tools for salary negotiation.
- Talent.com – Find out what the average salary is for your position
- America’s Career InfoNet
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – The BLS provides comprehensive data on employment, wages, and occupations in the United States. While it may not offer personalized salary estimates, it provides valuable industry-wide data.
- Payscale – Payscale offers salary and compensation data based on job title, location, experience, and skills. It also provides tools for salary negotiation and benchmarking.
- Job Search Intelligence
- Indeed – Explore which careers have the highest job satisfaction, best salaries, and more
Think about what unique attributes you bring to the table and if you have any preferred qualifications to leverage. You should have a target range in mind. Also, budget and think about what payments you have and what would be comfortable to live off of. Remember taxes and benefits can play into this too.
If a company can’t offer more money they may be able to offer other things such as:
- Job Title
- Start Date
- Vacation/Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Reporting relationships/Level of Authority
- Relocation/Mileage Reimbursement
- Signing bonus
- Laptop, phone, home office technology
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Working remote
- Training certifications
- Flex-time
This is not a list of demands, choose 2-3 top items that are most important to you and prioritize that way.
If you decide to accept the offer, ask first if there is room for negotiation
Take a look at the whole package. Ask if they would be willing to negotiate or if there is room for negotiation. Certain roles or employers may not have the budget or ability to offer more – be prepared for this. Know your bottom line, would you still be ok working for this company if they cannot offer more? Are there other things they can offer? The worst they can say is no!
Know your Worth
Be aware of your strengths, achievements and the value you bring to the workplace. What sets you apart from other candidates? What experiences are you bringing that they don’t yet have on the team? Do not settle if you are unhappy or uncomfortable, know what is unacceptable for you and ask about additional benefits.
Final Thoughts
They have room to negotiate and you are going to accept the offer, here is an example of what you might say: “Thank you so much for the opportunity – I am confident that my experience in X, and my additional training in Y makes me a unique candidate who will benefit the team.” Include as much detail as you can about achievements, strengths and unique skills you want to highlight.
- Be patient, persistent and professional throughout
- Don’t apologize for the figure you came up with
- Thank the employer for their offer – make sure your contract has the right salary in writing
- If they cannot offer more money push for other benefits
- Do not accept or reject positions solely on the salary listed there is more to a job, the entire package should be a good fit
- Only spend time negotiating positions you’re invested in accepting
