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Negotiating Salaries


  • DateMay 22, 2015
  • MediumNewsletter Article

Negotiating Salaries

 

Even in a difficult job market, the subject of salary is negotiable. If you have been offered a job, this means the employer has chosen you above others and believes you to be a worthwhile employee. If you feel the salary being offered to you is below what you would like, then you may find yourself in the position of having to negotiate an increase. These tips may help you with this process.

  1. Don’t reveal your current salary, or what you expect or desire. A certain amount has been budgeted for you role, if your previous salary exceeds this then the employer may eliminate you as a promising candidate for the role. If you salary is lower then the amount set aside for the role then you may be offered less then what the company initially decided was the starting salary for the position.
  2. When broaching negotiation, ask don’t demand. Negotiation should be a joint effort to gain a fair value for what you have to offer to the company. Argue logically and be flexible, even the slighted increase in salary can result in a big increase in income over a period of years.
  3. Do not talk about salary in the first interview and do not try to negotiate before you get an offer. You may find yourself without the job altogether.
  4. Be patient when negotiation, don’t expect an agreement and results straight away.
  5. If you settle on a base salary that is below par then negotiate benefits based your personal performance and targets. Be creative, factor in extras such a laptop, car, housing etc.
  6. If the employer is being inflexible and not entering negotiation but you still want the role, try and settle on an early review of your performance, if you have demonstrated your worth by then, you may be able to negotiate an increase in pay.
  7. If the offer is not up to your standard, go back to the job description and the responsibilities of the role, highlight why you would be important to the company.
  8. Make sure to keep calm and professional. Be friendly, not abrasive
  9. Remember, do not look purely at the monetary value of a role; look at the quality of life, the work/life balance, the ethos of the company and the atmosphere and feel of the workplace. This may have a bigger impact on your work then the amount of money you are paid.

 

Negotiations can happen later on in your career in a company, for example, at a review. If you have a review coming up and you feel you deserve a raise then make sure you are prepared with solid evidence to support this claim. Do your research, find salary comparison sites, make lists and be prepared to negotiate using the tips above

Reasons you may be in a position to negotiate a raise in salary;

  • You now have more responsibilities then before
  • You have met and exceeded all targets
  • You have saved the company money or made the company money
  • Your work in the industry has increased in value since you first joined the company
  • Economic events have decreased the monetary value of your salary.

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