5 Principles For Negotiating Your Salary After A Job Offer
Ginny Hogan, Forbes 217 Times 144 People

I don’t know you personally, but I know this—you deserve to make more money.

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Why? Because we all do. One easy trick for making money is to get a job. So let’s say you just got an offer. Congratulations! This is an accomplishment under any and all circumstances. It may or may not be your dream job, but one thing’s for sure—you’ll be happier with it if you get paid more. Indeed, 59% of people said salary was the most important factor in choosing a job. The other 41% weren’t asked. Jokes aside—the point of a job is to make money. And you deserve to make more.

The good news is that after receiving a job offer, you still have wiggle room on the salary. It can be scary to negotiate a job offer, since you don’t want to look ungrateful. However, if you follow these five principles, you’ll have a better chance of getting a higher compensation package.


Research

Before negotiating your salary, research the industry standards. Websites like Glassdoor can be particularly helpful with this. This will give you an idea of what’s reasonable to ask for. Come in with examples of companies that are paying more for the same work. Anyone who’s ever dated a man knows that jealousy and comparison can be powerful motivators. And make sure you’re citing up-to-date numbers for your specific job title, since the market changes so often.

Confidence

They offered you the job—they want you to do it. So be confident in the value you bring to the company. During negotiations, highlight your past achievements, education, experience, and successes. They know all this already; they hired you. Sometimes, you have to hit them over the head with it. Anyone who’s ever dated a man knows that, too.


Specificity

The person you’re negotiating with likely doesn’t have final say in the job offer. They need to run it by their boss, who runs it by HR, who runs it by finance, who runs it by upper management, etc. Therefore, the more specific you can be, the easier you make it for them. Likely, the person who wants to hire you also wants to get you the compensation you’ve asked for—so help them help you.

This also will help avoid any misunderstandings. I know the hard way how confusing it can get when you say, “I’d like more money, but it’s not really that big of a deal” (I didn’t read Lean In that closely). Get specific about exactly how much money you would like. Give a range, if not an exact number.


Flexibility

If this is a job you want, you should be open to counter-offers—even ones that don’t include a salary bump. Maybe, because of current budget woes, the company can’t raise your base salary, but they can offer flexible work hours, more stock options, additional vacation time, or the promise of a hefty bonus instead. Maybe you’d trade some salary for the ability to work remotely on Fridays and Mondays. Maybe you’re open to their current salary if you can revisit the topic in three months. This is a personal choice—it’s possible you only care about salary, and that’s okay. But if you’re open to being flexible, it may ameliorate the negotiation.


Professionalism

Throughout the negotiation process, remain professional, grateful, and polite. This is a business conversation—there’s no need to be confrontational. Remember that job offers can be rescinded, and it’s better to turn down a job than to ruin your reputation with an employer. End every email with “thank you”—even if you don’t feel grateful. There’s nothing wrong with lying!

Just remember that you don’t have to take a job you don’t want, so if you negotiate and it still doesn’t meet your standards, there are other jobs out there. I wish you the best of luck in negotiating you job offer!


Originally Published On: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ginnyhogan/2023/05/15/5-principles-for-negotiating-your-salary-after-a-job-offer/



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