Research shows that nearly four out of five employers are willing to negotiate base salary for new employees, yet 49 percent of candidates never negotiate their initial offer. You may not always get exactly what you want in a salary negotiation, but consider this: a $5,000 increase in base pay can lead to an additional $650,000 in lifetime earnings. It is worth your effort to at least try your hand at negotiation if you are not quite satisfied with the employer’s initial offer. Use these tips to gain confidence and negotiate a salary that will set you up for long-term earnings success.
Don’t Come Out Of Left Field
Make sure you discuss salary throughout the course of the hiring process. If you expect $50,000, but the position does not pay any more than $40,000, you will never get what you are looking for, and you will have wasted your time trying to land the job. Make sure you are clear on your needs and how they fit into the employer’s range before you ever reach the offer stage.
Do Your Research
If you say, “This is how much I am worth,” you’ve got to be able to back it up with supporting documentation. Spend time researching salaries on Indeed, Glassdoor and Salary.com. These sites pull data from employers, and you can determine the average going rates for your specific job title and the geographic location in which you reside.
By using data from all three, you can get a feel for a realistic salary range. Always remember that the size of the company and your unique skills and experience impact salary. If you’ve only been in your field for a few years, you should not expect to command the same rate as someone with ten or more years of experience.
Think Beyond Salary
If an employer isn’t willing to budge on salary, you can negotiate benefits like paid time off, expense reimbursement, flexible scheduling, sign-on bonuses or other perks. Again, make sure you are realistic in what you ask. If you have accrued three weeks of annual vacation at your current job, you can realistically ask for more if the employer offers only two.
Set Yourself up for the Salary You Deserve
Negotiating salary is difficult for many people. Asking for more can feel awkward or even greedy. If negotiating salary isn’t your forte, consider an option where you will get paid what you are worth, without negotiation. How do you achieve this? By working with an expert recruiter in your field. When you work with a recruiter, you’ll discuss your salary requirements at length before you ever go on a single interview. That way you know when you find the right job, you’ll be earning exactly what you want and deserve.
If you are a professional in IT, accounting, finance or healthcare information technology, and you’re looking for new challenges and career opportunities, contact the recruiters at Systems Personnel in West Seneca, New York today. We can connect you with positions that will help you achieve your goals and reach your earning potential.
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