Hey ... I was wondering if you guys could share some ideas on how to negotiate a better salary? Should I only talk about that after getting the job offer?
It feels like if I went until the final stage of the selection, knowing the salary, I already lost my chance of negotiating.
I would really appreciate your thoughts on this subject!
I've been reading a bit about this recently and can share a couple of links that I've found useful: - https://hbr.org/podcast/2021/05/the-essentials-negotiating-strategically - https://haseebq.com/how-not-to-bomb-your-offer-negotiation/
The latter may skew toward techie jobs, but hopefully still useful.
I agree with what’s been said by others. Proactively bringing up salary early on in the interview process is regarded negatively, in my experience. But asking what is the salary range is a good question to ask once the subject is raised by the company. Definitely don’t get into detailed negotiation until you have a WRITTEN offer. I’ve had two verbal offers rescinded, and I never knew for sure if it was because I was negotiating too soon.
In my experience, the first person to throw out the salary range is at a slight disadvantage because the first number thrown out is often used to mentally anchor all future negotiations as a limit. I've navigated this by taking initiative to ask recruiters what range they're offering before they ask me for what I'm seeking, which is usually at the end of the call.
One of my previous employers didn't negotiate at all and stated that at the beginning, along with clear info on how they sourced the numbers for equitable salaries in the area. It was a relief to have the money numbers up front, and to know that if offered I'd receive 80-100% of market value for my role and responsibilities. Made everything much easier and I wish others would consider a similar approach.
I was asked by the recruiter what my salary needs were yesterday. I felt that by answering w a number I would either underbid, or overbid stalemating the conversation. I replied “ Given X’s reputation, I feel the offer will be competitive, and fair. I rather focus on my skillsets that I can contribute to this role, and if we are a great fit for each other.” She did tell me their starting offer, but I feel that I left room for negotiation.
Great question Raquel!
To answer your second question - You should have a sense of the salary RANGE of a role before you get too involved in the interview process. Don't ask for an exact number.
Some tips:
1. Always research average salaries for the position. Include geography, as that can change the averages.
- https://www.salary.com/ (US based example site)
2. Be able to articulate and be confident on what you bring to the table that makes you the best candidate for the role / company. eg skills, experience, mindset, ways of working, culture etc. (You can learn more on how to articulate this through Peppercorn Discovery)
3. Talk to people in the function or industry you are going into.
4. Create a relationship with a recruiter in your function / industry that you can use as a sounding board to understand salary ranges.
5. You can negotiate more than salary. It's important to know what compensation + benefits is the most ideal for you. Know why and what is important to you. This will make you a stronger negotiator.
I'd ask our community to also provide any additional tips that they may have used to be a stronger negotiator for salary and benefits!