Interview Questions

How do you begin negotiating your salary?

Now that you have made it through the interview process and offered the position with the company, it’s time to talk about what your market value is. You can get an idea of the base pay for the job online, according to your skills and experience. If you are unable to find the exact job description, try and find something that is close enough to compare. This is a good place to start planning with your negotiations. With the right attitude and techniques, negotiating your salary can be a pleasant and stress free experience.

You do not have to, nor do you want to, accept the first offer from the company.

Do your research so you will be armed with facts and figures to make a proper decision on a fair salary. Remember that employers have access to the same information that you find online too. Don’t be unrealistic. Most companies will hire above the minimum and agree to pay somewhere in the middle of the pay scale. You have to be flexible. This is no time to demand a large salary and storm out of the room if you are not offered it. There are no amounts of qualifications that can make up for acting like a jerk.
Do not use your “need” for the job as a part of your negotiation. A prospective employer does not need to hear how you are in dire straights and need as much money as possible to pay for your mortgage or send the children to college. This would be something they definitely do not want to hear.

Hopefully you have not previously discussed pay with an interviewer before or listed a specific amount on your application. Do not expect to be able to increase your pay figure if you have previously stated it either in person, or on paper, without looking greedy. If the figure was too low, they expect you to stick by your statement. You will have to live with an amount that is most likely less than you really wanted. Stating a lower pay in hopes of getting the job is just a bad idea. Chances are that if you put a high figure on the application you would not even be here negotiating the salary for the job. Most interviewers would have screened out those applicants with high figures before they even had the opportunity to interview for the position.

Once the offer is on the table and the amount has been announced, repeat the figure out loud. Then take a moment to let it soak in. Do not assume that the first offer given is written in stone. Even if you are told that it is a firm offer and there is no negotiating it, rarely that is the case. This is a negotiating process after all! Add another 10% on top of their offer, in your mind, and counter with it. State that you are interested in the position but you would like to be compensated for your extraordinary skills, education and the experience that you are bringing to their organization.

This is your moment to shine and show how valuable you are to the employer. Bear in mind that sometimes companies have set pay structures and often cannot negotiate a beginning salary. If that is the case, see what the benchmarks are for future increases in your salary. As long as the employer pays a fair market value for your responsibilities, there should be no problem in making this a win-win situation.

If you are offered pay that is below the median, ask why. Keep asking questions until you are completely satisfied. It could be because you are also going to be compensated additionally for your work by bonuses, stock options, health benefits, retirement, continuing education courses or childcare. Find out what the total benefit package that is included at this time. Even with a below average pay rate, the job may well be worth taking for all the extra benefits. You have to consider the whole picture before turning down an offer of below average pay.

If this job requires you to work in a different city, consider including that fact in your negotiations. Travel time or transplanting from one city to another should be factored in so that it works in your favor. Make sure this is an issue that you are willing to be flexible with. Decide ahead of time, that if this request is turned down, whether or not you are still interested in taking the job.

Once you and the employer have agreed on a reasonable offer that you both can live with, get it in writing! Most employers will offer you a confirmation in writing. If they don’t, request that it be sent out after the meeting.

Ask if you can take some time to review the details of the offer before you decide to accept. Sometimes people rush to accept the offer. Most employers expect you to take some time to reflect on the offer. When you are ready to accept, do it as timely as possible. The best response would be within 24 hours of your meeting.

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