Negotiating your salary after a job offer

Salary negotiation is an essential step when you are about to accept a job offer. We encourage professionals to negotiate their salaries before entering a job to ensure that the job at hand will be worth the time and effort they put into it.

So, instead of accepting your job offer as it comes, consider making a salary negotiation to fit your interests. Let’s look at how you can make a successful salary negotiation.

Acknowledge the offer

You will receive a call or an email from the employer saying that they are making a job offer. Often, these calls are engaging and luring. Most employers attach a fear-inducing clause to the end of the offer like, “This offer is only valid for the next 24 hours,” or “We need an answer by the end of the day.” This is a trick used by employers to avoid negotiations. Instead of rushing your decision, respond to the employer saying that you are considering the offer and will get back to them soon. Any employer truly interested in hiring you will wait for your answer. But don’t take too long to start your salary negotiations.

Use the middleman

If you are going through a recruiter, you will almost never get to speak to the hiring manager directly about the salary negotiation. The recruiter will try to get you to accept the initial offer. Before you begin negotiating your salary with the recruiter you should do some research and identify the low, mid, and high salary ranges for the target position in your area, industry, and profession. The recruiter will be given a maximum amount by the employer. You have to negotiate your salary to get close to that value.

Give your value

Since you have taken the time to learn about the salary ranges for your position, you are in a good place to lead a negotiation with the recruiter. One thing you must keep in mind is to not oversell yourself. Understand that you are not the only candidate they have spoken to, but also keep your worth in mind when negotiating the salary. Don’t tell a salary range to the recruiter because they will almost always decide to go with the lower value. When telling them a number, tell them that you are willing to go for X+15% to 20%.

Ask for a signing bonus

Many employers offer a signing bonus to attract talent. It is a way of sweetening the deal, especially when the base salary is lower than the candidate’s expectations. So, when you negotiate your salary with the recruiter, tell them that you are looking for an X amount of base salary with an X amount of signing bonus. Usually, you can ask for a signing bonus of up to 2% to 5% of your total salary. If you don’t ask for a signing bonus, you might never be offered one, so try it out the next time.