It’s important for you to know that the highest salary increases come when you move to a new employer and negotiate a new package.
Today’s employers are being tricky when they make a job offer. They often beginning with a low-ball salary offer, but many hiring managers do make a 2nd or 3rd offer if a candidate seems unwilling to accept the first one they put on the table. At the end of the day a few k more for the ‘right’ one is not a big deal, right?
A key thing for you to understand the employers situation, if the previous occupant of the job has already left, how long they have been looking, get a feel for the urgency and where it is hurting them most.
Employers are finding it much harder to find talented employees to hire. Why? The employer sees a lot of applicants that just aren’t qualified to do the job. When they do find a good fit, they worry the person won’t take the position. Numerous hiring managers are now saying they must pay more to get the right talent. Many are doing just that.
Here are some guidelines to go about asking for more salary.
Know what your skills are worth. Don’t guess, KNOW! People often exaggerate with their salaries. It is a big mistake to believe such talks. Yes, it can happen you were underpaid at your last or current job, often when you have been with the same employer over several years and mostly got small cost of living raises. You can check with your professional association – almost all publish salary ranges based on job title and experience level. Another online sites have pay scales though use this only as guide lines. Likewise, if relocation is a necessary part, use online tools to compare housing costs, and earnings levels in different regions, etc.
Whoever mentions money first loses. To preserve your negotiation power it’s critical to never reveal what your salary is (or was). Plan for these salary questions and arm yourself with appropriate answers that always keep an employer guessing. For example, an ambitious woman was too open in her interview and told the hiring manager her true salary, which was low because promises of raises had never materialized at her current job. As she found out later through her friend at that company, once the hiring manager heard the low figure of her current employer paid her, he changed his opinion of her and downgraded all of her achievements and abilities.
Not Trying is a BIG mistake. Some people never even try to negotiate at all. Women are particularly unskilled and most accept the 1st offer, which is one of the key factors in why women are still paid less than men. Too many people today simply accept the offer as given. Prepare in advance what you’ll say ONCE the offer has been made. Knowing what the average salary is for your job level should allow you to have a realistic idea of what range you are in. Asking for a bit more and then offering 4-5 good reasons why they need your talents, will help convince the employer that you would be a valuable addition to their team and are worth paying up for.
Drawn from an article by Robin Ryan
