What is one tip for a job candidate when negotiating a salary counter offer?
To help you negotiate a salary counter offer as a job candidate, we asked hiring managers and business leaders this question for their best advice. From asking your worth without fear to researching salaries in your industry, there are a number of tips that may help you negotiate for a salary that truly reflects your experience and skills.
Here are six recommendations for negotiating a salary counter offer:
- Ask Your Worth Without Fear
- Back Up Your Counter Offer With Tangible Evidence
- Prepare To Walk Away
- Think About Other Benefits Too
- Make Your Talking Points Ready
- Research Salaries in Your Industry
Ask Your Worth Without Fear
When negotiating a salary counter offer, it is important to be aware of your worth and not be afraid to ask for what you are worth. Begin by calculating your base salary and adding any bonuses or other incentives that you are eligible for.
Be firm but respectful while negotiating, and remember that you are not the only candidate vying for the position. The goal is to come to an agreement that is fair for both parties.
Paw Vej, Financer.com Ltd
Back Up Your Counter Offer With Tangible Evidence
One of the best tips for a job candidate who’s negotiating a salary counter offer is to always back up your counter offer with some form of tangible evidence. Make sure to bring statistics and research about an average salary for the position (from a reputable online source) which can help you to justify your counter offer if the initial offer is too low. One key aspect you should also bring up is the value you want to bring to the company and in what way you will contribute. Never make it about the salary you got before. Another method you can do is to show the employer your paycheck from the last job (if you were earning more in your last job), and say you do not want to earn less. However, this third and final option should only be used as a last resort. It’s always key to show just how and why you deserve to win that salary counter offer with tangible evidence.
James Burati, 1-800-PackRat
Prepare To Walk Away
Whenever you are in a negotiation, you have to be prepared to walk away from the deal. Otherwise, you could get pushed into accepting a job offer that isn’t ideal. When this happens, you might find yourself dissatisfied with your pay. That could impact your performance, or you could end up on a job search after you’re hired, which isn’t good for you or the hiring firm. So, pick a number ahead of time that is the absolute lowest amount that you would be happy with, and don’t accept anything less than that. Counter the offer with something higher than this amount, and be prepared to walk away if they can’t come back at you with something that’s in range. You may lose the opportunity today, but you’ll be happier when you do find something that pays what you believe you’re worth.
Dennis Consorte, Snackable Solutions
Think About Other Benefits Too
Think about the other benefits as well. While the salary may not meet your standards, determine what else the package has to offer. Maybe you can negotiate additional PTO days or remote work. If the salary does not match, you should still be sure you’re satisfied with the rest of the package.
Natália Sadowski, Nourishing Biologicals
Make Your Talking Points Ready
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. You cannot negotiate a salary counteroffer without good preparation and reflection on what you want to say. So if you know that such a conversation is coming, prepare your talking points. Think about why you deserve a higher salary, your strengths and unique features, and what results you’ve achieved in previous roles. Show your employer what they will gain by hiring you. Use numbers. Be concise and specific. Mention also some market data on average salaries for your position.
Agata Szczepanek, MyPerfectResume
Research Salaries in Your Industry
Research what your prospective salary should be given your field, experience, and what competitors offer. When you bring this knowledge into your interview, you will have objective leverage for raising your price to meet your standards. Depending on the company size and resources, not all businesses will be able to match competitive offers for your experience in a role. If you find yourself negotiating a pay cut, try asking for other benefits that would theoretically help increase your salary to a desirable level. Employees should recognize the value they have to offer from their skills and experiences. The best way to fight for yourself sometimes is to have your own number in mind and bring objective evidence that you deserve that level of compensation.
Tom Mohr, Tom Mohr
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