Negotiating salary for a new job can be complicated and stressful. How do you know how much to ask for? What if you ask for too much and the employer pulls the offer? When do you even bring it up and what do you say?
Read on for answers to these and more common questions about how to negotiate salary.
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Should you always negotiate salary? You might have heard people say things like, “You should always try to negotiate salary because otherwise you might be leaving money on the table.” But while it’s true that you should often try to negotiate, there are times when it doesn’t makes sense. If you asked for $X and the employer offers you that amount or even more, asking for more will make you look like you’re operating in bad faith. And if the employer makes you an unusually generous offer that’s above the market rate for the work, and you’re happy with that offer, you may look out of touch if you ask for more. But in most other cases, it’s true that it’s a smart move to see if there’s any room for an offer to increase.
At what point should you start trying to negotiate salary? Wait until you have a job offer, so that you have a number to respond to. Plus, once an employer offers you a job, they’ve decided that they want you. You have more standing to negotiate, and they have more interest in agreeing on terms, than before an offer is on the table.
What exactly should you say when you negotiate? People often think they have to present a detailed case to back up a request for more money, but generally it’s enough to just say something like, “I’m really excited about the job, but I was hoping that you might be able to do something closer to $X on the salary.” Another way to say it: “Do you have any flexibility on the salary? The number I had in mind was $X, based on the responsibilities of the position and the experience I’d be bringing to it.” Or: “If you’re able to go up to $X, I’d be thrilled to accept.” (Important: After you say this, stop talking, even if it feels awkward. Sometimes people get nervous, keep talking and end up undercutting themselves.)
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What if the employer doesn’t give you an opening to negotiate? They might not! But you don’t have to wait for an explicit opening. Before you accept the job, jump in with the sort of language above.
How much more money should you ask for? This is where you really need to know the market rate for this type of job in your geographic area. You don’t want to just guess or ask for a random amount. You could end up wildly overshooting or undercutting yourself. Make sure that you’ve researched market salaries long before you get to the negotiation conversation.
Can you ever negotiate through email? Negotiating salary can be uncomfortable, so you might be tempted to try to do it over email — but resist the temptation. Having a real-time conversation over the phone (or in person) allows you to hear the other person’s tone and how she’s reacting to what you say, which means you’ll be able to negotiate more effectively.
What if you try to negotiate and the employer won’t budge? Negotiations don’t always work! If they have a set salary range for the position, they may not be willing to increase the offer. Or they genuinely may not believe there’s justification for offering you more. If they won’t budge, at that point you’ll need to decide if you’re willing to accept the offer as is. If you are, you can say something like, “I understand. I’m excited about the job and I’d like to accept it.”
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If you already accepted the offer and now regret not negotiating, can you go back and try to negotiate now? Unfortunately, no. The employer took you at your word when you accepted the offer, and you’ll look like you’re operating in bad faith if you try to reopen negotiations once they’ve closed. (Try reversing this and it might become more clear. Imagine if they came back after everything was finalized and tried to get you to accept less money!)
Is there any danger that the employer will rescind the offer? As long as you’re polite and professional when you try to negotiate — and as long as you’re not asking for something wildly out of sync with market norms — a reasonable employer will not pull an offer simply because you tried to negotiate. That doesn’t mean that it never happens — occasionally it does — but the chances are very low. Plus, any employer who does pull an offer just because you engaged in normal, commonly accepted behavior is almost certainly going to be a dysfunctional place to work — so on the off chance that it does happen, you may have dodged a bullet.
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Everything You Ever Wondered About Negotiating Salary, Answered originally appeared on usnews.com
