Negotiating A Good Salary

The concluding component of an interview process - Arriving at the magical figure

Negotiation is an art to discuss a subject in order to arrive at a mutual agreement and not to confront it. Negotiating salary is one of the most stressful components of finding a new job. For some, it could be quite an unpleasant experience. The best strategy is to do our homework well and be honest and confident of our salary needs in the interview.

The degree of salary negotiation depends on the position in question, the interviewer and the organization. Generally there is not much room for negotiation for an entry-level position. For a middle level position the range could vary from 10 to 20 percent. The recruiter generally negotiates within this range, unless the candidate is exceptionally good. But definitely there is great opportunity to negotiate for a higher-level position.

It is a fact that the manager hiring us is more proficient in negotiating. Therefore it becomes all the more important to play the right cards at the right time. It is advisable not to bring up the "issue of salary" on our own. Wait for the interviewer to make an offer and start the negotiations. Savvy jobseeker prepares for some basic questions well in advance. The questions could be :

What is the salary range of the job that the employer is offering?

What is the lowest salary to be considered?

What makes a jobseeker worth a higher salary?

Preparedness for these negotiations would reduce jobseeker's anxiety and would increase his/her success rate. It is therefore important to know our skills and current worth in the job market.

Salary Negotiating Strategies

Determine the salary range for that position in that particular company or industry. It could be through magazines, journals, internet, friends, relatives or future coworkers.

Evaluate your salary needs and develop an understanding of the worth of your skills in the current job market.

Always negotiate the compensation package in person & never on the telephone. It is easier to read the recruiter's mind by looking at his face expressions and inferring from his body language.

Be reasonable. Don't be a tough negotiator. Be willing to adjust your expectations based on your market worth.

Don't lie about your past salary history because the interviewer has his ways of cross checking.

When asked to tell about the salary requirements or the past salary history, avoid giving a figure. Instead ask the interviewer to summarize the job responsibilities, to have a thorough understanding of the current position before discussing the compensation package. After getting an insight about the current position and the company, ask the interviewer to quote a salary figure that is most appropriate for a person with your kind of skills.

Even if you are required to tell the expected salary, mention a range. If the interviewer offers a salary range given by the company for the current position and seeks your response. And if it comes close to your expectations, then quote a range, which places the top of the interviewer's range into the bottom of your range.

Don't be exited or disappointed about the offer made to you by the interviewer. Take some time to respond to the offer. Don't jump to accept the offer. The recruiter generally starts with a lower range to make a room for negotiations. At times your silence may prompt the interviewer to increase the offer. Or if you repeat the offer and be silent for some time it could also leave some room for negotiations. If you say O.K. it connotes that you have accepted the offer but if you change O.K. to Hmmm watch the difference.

Prepare for most likely objections from the interviewer, for example: you don't have enough experience, our budget won't permit us for that, that's what we pay to our new hires.

Show the recruiter that you are worth much more. If your interview has gone off well, don't worry you have already won half the battle. Don't be afraid to ask for a higher salary, don't think that the recruiter may not hire you. Because it costs a great deal of time and money to the interviewer as well to start the selection process afresh

But always remember that if you are being paid higher to your market worth, you will be the first one to be shown the door in case the organization is downsizing.

Determine the opportunities for promotion. Job progression is an important factor for salary decisions. Ask how promotions and salary reviews are handled.

The bottom line is that always weigh your growth potential in the company with your salary when comparing offers.