Your work isn’t over once you’ve received an offer. Now it’s time to talk about money. Negotiating salary has evolved, becoming more equitable for job seekers, though change is often slow. Researching and creating a plan before negotiations will help you get the best possible offer. Here are some things to consider when negotiating your salary.
Best Way to Negotiate Your Salary
Timing is Everything
Step one is determining the best time to have these conversations. And it’s not in the initial interviews. As long as you understand that the salary range matches your expectations, you can skip this step until the end. Many, but not all, companies are embracing salary transparency, and it would be helpful for you to find out the range as early as possible, but that’s not the same as negotiating. Once you have the offer, you can begin negotiating.
Determine Your Worth
You also want to have a number in mind equal to the lowest you would accept. This way, when you begin negotiating, you can walk away if the company isn’t willing to meet you in an equitable place. Find out the salary ranges in your area that match the job and experience. That will give you a number to work with. Know that you don’t have to disclose your previous salary and the pay for this job shouldn’t reflect what you made before.
Negotiate More Than Salary
Salary isn’t the only thing you can negotiate. While there may be a standard benefits package, you can increase the value of accepting this job in other ways. You can ask about flexible schedules, work-from-home opportunities, additional PTO, and more.
Get it In Writing
Always get your offer in writing. If you don’t do this step, you have no recourse if something changes. You want everything in writing so you can be assured that the things you’ve been promised will be provided, and you have recourse if they say it does not.
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