Career Success Center: Follow Up

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Follow-Up

Negotiating: Guidelines

Negotiating in and of itself does not get relationships off to a bad start, but a poorly managed negotiation can cause unnecessary conflict. There is a protocol for negotiating that needs to be adhered to during the process.

Here are the guidelines to follow:

Do not accept the first offer immediately. Request that you be given time to consider the offer and discuss it with family. Ask how much time they can permit.
Do not expect them to give you a lot of time but do not offer to get back to them in a day if they will give you four days. Let them define the timeframe you have rather than imposing one on yourself.
Do not negotiate over the phone if at all possible. It is more difficult to judge the other party’s response to your negotiating tactics over the phone. Being able to read and react to non-verbal language is very beneficial in negotiation. When you call to schedule a negotiation meeting, say that you are pleased to have received the offer and reiterate your confidence in being able to make a significant impact on the organization. State that you have several items you would like to discuss in person.
Do not position your negotiation strategy on past compensation if your salary history is not reflective of the new salary you are trying to obtain. Instead, position your negotiation to address the value of what you can do for the employer and the value you place on your abilities. If your past salary has been confined to standard incremental raises that are not reflective of your actual performance, discuss your salary requirements as they relate to ability to outperform and exceed expectations. Request a slightly higher salary than the one offered (typically 10-15% higher) and offer justification for this adjustment.
Do not negotiate more than once. If an employer meets your stated salary requirements, it is considered inappropriate to push for more. If the employer is unable to meet your stated salary requirements, inquire about possible adjustments that may be affordable in other areas of compensation. For example, if salary is non-negotiable, can they be flexible regarding vacation, continued training, benefits or perks. Another way to reposition the negotiation process if your salary requests are not met is to request increased responsibilities to justify a higher salary or ask for a performance review within six months instead of waiting a full year.

There are certainly exceptions to the above guidelines. Some employers do not negotiate offers at all. When this is the case, employers will typically state this up front. They will also be forthright with the budgeted salary parameters. Some employers adhere to hiring procedures that prohibit negotiation for equal employment reasons. When you receive an offer from one of these employers, it is considered inappropriate to engage in negotiation strategies. The good news is that these employers will almost always make their policies known up front.

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