Negotiating Offers

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.

When you receive an offer of employment from a hiring manager, follow these initial guidelines:

Never accept an offer on the spot.
Most employers expect you to negotiate! You should take a reasonable amount of time to consider and respond to the offer.

Reiterate your interest and show gratitude.
Thank the employer for the offer, and remind them that you are excited about the opportunity.

Ask for a timeline for responding to the offer.
Because most employers expect candidates to negotiate, this should not be unanticipated. Typical reasonable timelines for candidates to respond to offers range from about 24-48 hours, up to a week or so.

When reviewing an offer, it is important to consider all aspects of the offer, as well as what is typical for the market context. Follow these steps when analyzing an offer:

Look at the full compensation package.
Salary is only one part of your total compensation. Consider additional benefits included, such as time off, health benefits, professional development opportunities, etc.

Understand the market.
Is this offer in line with similar positions in the same industry? Do your research on compensation trends and norms based on the position type, company/industry, and your qualifications as a candidate.

Reflect on your trade-offs and non-negotiables.
It generally isn’t possible to find a job that will fulfill every single preference you have for a role; you will likely have to compromise in some areas. Make a list for yourself ranking what you value most, what you are unwilling to compromise on, and where you can make concessions.

Some examples of priorities to consider:

• Salary
• Work-Life Balance
• Modality (In-Person, Hybrid, Remote)
• Geographic Location
• Industry

Besides salary, the following aspects of a job may be negotiable:

*Note: You won’t negotiate for everything on this list, of course, but consider 2-3 priorities that you might want to ask for.

Effective negotiation requires you to know and communicate your value as a candidate. This requires you to do market research, reflect on your unique skills, and construct an argument for yourself clearly and diplomatically.

Do your research:

• Look at websites like Glassdoor, Salary.com, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and others to get a sense of typical compensation for this and similar roles.

Reiterate your value:

• What sets you apart from other candidates? Do you bring any experience or perspective they don’t currently have on their team?
• How does your level of experience or education match up against average candidates for this type of role?

Keep in mind for yourself:

• Have an ideal number or range in mind to communicate during the negotiation.
• Know your walk-away figure — and be willing to walk away if you can’t meet it (or approximate it through other aspects of compensation).

Depending on the modality of how you receive the initial offer, try to follow up with the employer in the same way. (For instance, if you receive the initial offer over the phone, we suggest responding via phone, and then following up in writing via email.)

Below are a couple of email templates you can reference to help you organize your negotiations.

Requesting to Negotiate

Dear [Hiring Manager],

Thank you so much for this offer. I am excited at the prospect of joining your team, and I feel that I learned a great deal through the interview process. Regarding the terms of the offer, I am confident that my experience in [X], and my additional training in [Y] makes me a candidate who will be a benefit to the team. For this reason, I’d like to know if there is any flexibility in negotiating the outlined compensation. If so, I would like to request a timeline of [Z] to respond to this initial offer.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,
[Your Name]

Sample Negotiation Email

Dear [Hiring Manager],

Thank you for your flexibility for me to review and respond to this offer. I would like to propose the following:

• [Proposal 1]
• [Proposal 2]

I believe that I can benefit your team in the following unique/impactful ways:

• [Value Add Statement 1]
• [Value Add Statement 2]

These proposals also align with market research and trends for similar positions/industries.

I appreciate your consideration of these proposals, and I look forward to hearing from you. Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.

Best,
[Your Name]

As you enter into an offer negotiation with an employer, keep in mind the following:

• The 3 P’s: Be patient, persistent, and professional.
• Confidence: Don’t apologize for negotiating or asking for what you believe you are worth.
• Written Offer: Get the offer (and any updates) in writing.
• Other Benefits: Don’t focus only on the salary figure.
• Negotiate in Good Faith: Only spend time negotiating positions you’re invested in accepting. If you do not plan to accept the offer, regardless of any updates from the employer, you should not initiate a negotiation conversation.