Negotiate Your Salary: Tips To Get The Salary You Deserve

Job-offer negotiations are rarely easy. If you’d like to get a better starting salary offer, you have to negotiate your salary. Job seekers too often accept the first number that’s put on the table. But whether the economy is strong or uncertain, employers are eager to bring on team members with specialized skills and expertise that can help them the most.

Tips on how to negotiate your salary

The first step is to clearly understand what the market rate for your skills, experience, and title is in your area, then focus on beating it. Pay attention to the following key pieces of advice from salary negotiation pros.

• State your value—and state it clearly. So many candidates are so focused on negotiating their worth that they forget to communicate how desirable they are to an employer. A majority of candidates will be disqualified during salary negotiation because they don’t articulate how valuable they are. That lack of self-knowledge can make it harder for them to improve their offer.
• Make your demand directly. Once you understand the market value for your skills, experience, and title, focus on the kinds of compensation packages that are out there.

Salary negotiation for the right reasons

Here are the four things you need to do to get the salary you deserve and the best job offers in the process.

1. Focus on the value you bring to your company. How does your skill set, knowledge, and experience help your employer succeed in their business and the market? And do you bring enough value to the table to warrant what they’re willing to offer you?
2. Take action. Pick up the phone and call the human resources or head of the business development office at your company. Ask for a meeting. Talk it out with the person who will be leading the salary negotiation.
3. Get the facts. Where does your company fall on the Compensation Survey? What would it take to get the next tier up to where your company is right now?
4. Never be afraid to ask. You’re ready to negotiate.

Negotiating a higher salary offer at a new company

Step 1: Know what you’re worth. If you’ve done your research, and you have understood what employers are paying at competing companies, then you should be able to confidently negotiate for a salary above that. Even if you’re well below the median, if the employer values your specialized skill set and thinks you’re worth more, you can take a stab at a higher salary. This isn’t about impressing them with an expensive car or a fancy vacation. It’s about laying out what you bring to the table and what you’re prepared to do for the company.

Step 2: Don’t let them look bad by negotiating more. Most employers want to hire the best candidate for the job. And they know their employee salary ranges have changed over the years. A recruiter may ask you for a salary you’re not comfortable with.

With hard work, persistence and good negotiating skills, you should be able to get that salary that will help you reach your career goals. Just remember, negotiating for more isn’t always about getting the best deal. Often times, you get the best deal when you add something to the deal, such as increasing your start date or requesting more vacation time. Just don’t accept the first offer you get from an employer because no matter how low it may be, you’re going to be more unhappy at your job if you have to continue accepting an offer that’s a good deal for the employer but not good for you.