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Don’t Settle for Less: 3 Tips for Negotiating a Salary and Benefits

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When you get a job offer, your eyes will automatically zero in on the compensation and benefits package attached to it. And even if it makes you do a happy dance, know that you can probably get more. This doesn’t mean you’re greedy, delusional or narcissistic in any way … in fact, employers expect negotiation to happen. They weren’t born yesterday.

Here’s another tidbit to consider if the idea of negotiating is intimidating: Doing so in a professional manner will only enhance your value in the eyes of your new boss. It shows your professionalism, confidence, and ability to perform and succeed under pressure. So there.

Knowing how to negotiate salary and benefits is a valuable strength to make sure you get exactly what you deserve and are worth. And like any skill, it takes preparation and practice to get it right. Here are three tips that may ease any stress you’re feeling about it:

Be familiar with relevant salary trends.

Enter negotiations as informed as possible. This will be a strong bargaining chip.

  • Get a current, realistic view of what compensation looks like for the specific position you’ve been offered. Factor in your experience level and other qualifications, as well as the geographic area where you’d be working. Having this data gives you a good baseline for your request and can be used to justify it. Your statements may focus on successful results you’ve achieved in previous roles, goals you’ve met, revenue you’ve driven, or awards or recognitions you’ve earned. If possible, support your case with clear-cut facts and numbers.

Build a strong case.

Set the right expectations early on in the process. Be prepared to clearly explain not only what you deserve, but also why you deserve it.

  • Highlight your strengths without regurgitating exactly what’s on your resume. They’ve already seen that. But, do return to those same basic message points. Jot them down ahead of time and practice your delivery with a trusted friend or in front of a mirror, so you can go in strong and confident without sounding rehearsed.

Salary only tells part of the story.

Benefits and perks like bonuses, additional vacation or other paid time off, educational assistance, and better professional development opportunities are also negotiable – and if you were to put a price tag on them, it would clearly illustrate that they mean just as much, if not more, than a bump in salary.

  • Consider what’s most valuable to you. It’s your job, your life, and your Your new employer is not going to send you packing. They like you, they want you, and they need you on their team. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be at this point, right? So congrats, and go for it!

As a talent acquisition professional, it’s part of your job to help others negotiate the best deals possible as they transition into new career opportunities. But start by taking care of yourself as you grow your own successful future. If you need more tips, insight, resources, and last but not least, contacts in the recruitment world, contact Search Wizards. Our sole focus is matching recruiting pros with outstanding employers, and we’d love to talk and welcome you into our vast client network. So, shout out to us today!

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