HOW TO NEGOTIATE SALARY OFFER DURING JOB INTERVIEWS

How to negotiate salary offer during an interview or even after a job offer is made, is one of those things most people want to know as far as employment negotiations are concerned.

In fact, for most people whenever one talks about negotiation in employment their minds go straight to compensation and benefits. Truth is money is just part of a big picture.

When learning how to negotiate salary offer, you should know that negotiating financial terms is good but you must learn to negotiate for tools and environment you need to become a fulfilled and well-compensated person over time

How about your happiness? Look truth is a good paycheck will only excite you up to a certain point if everything else about the job is not satisfactory.

So here is how to negotiate salary offer during job interviews:

1 NEGOTIATE FOR JOB SATISFACTION

The obvious question at this point is not how to negotiate salary offer but how do you go about negotiating for job satisfaction?

Start by understanding your job responsibilities

• How would you be spending your day?
• How many people would be working for you?
• Who would your superiors be?

Continue probing until you have a strong sense of your likely work process. Remember job interviews are not just about the candidate sitting there and answering questions

Next, negotiate the “fit.”

You may want to know if you can delegate some tasks to an assistant, if your position comes with an assistant, so as to free yourself up to take more interactive works

Besides, if a prospective employer is reluctant to relieve you of tasks you would not enjoy, this knowledge will help you avoid accepting a job you’d hate.

Find out about the organization’s political environment

At this point you want to find out things like;

• What happened to your predecessor?
• Were they let go, and if so, why?
• If they quit, why?

Remember there are stages in negotiations so it’s not just about agreement. If you realize that you’d be walking into a political minefield, you might want to consider other opportunities.

2 NEGOTIATE FOR YOUR LONG-TERM SUCCESS

Before you start throwing numbers you want to ask yourself “What are the tools I need to be a success three years from now?”

Negotiation is about leverage most of which you gain if you know how to increase your bargaining power.

Think of the job as a stepping stone to a better job so the question is what do you need from this job to make the next one even better.

Example

Let’s say you are negotiating for an accounting position. To ensure that you remain up-to-date on changes in accounting, rules, policies and procedures you could have this as your negotiating item.

Basically, have the organization agree to send you to industry conferences on these topics, a long-term benefit for you that also adds value to the organization.

Notice how this is in line with your long-term success

For the most part, employers should be indifferent about spending their money on your salary or on benefits you might value more.

If added schooling would enhance your on-the-job skills, your employer may be willing to pay your tuition with pre-tax dollars at a lower cost than you would pay out of pocket.

3 CONSIDER THE ORGANIZATION WHEN NEGOTIATING NUMBERS

All the benefits you want from this job won’t be available if the company is not able to meet your demands, this is why you have to research the organization.

Start by figuring out what pay category someone with your education and experience would receive, then build a case for a salary at the high end of that range.

If an interviewer asks you to name your price, how should you respond?

This is why doing your research is important. You want to start by making a “non-offer offer,”

Basically, a statement that could turn the discussion in your favour without seeming extreme.

Suppose your research suggests that you would mostly likely fall into the $70,000 to $80,000 pay range, but the next-highest category seems within reach since you have seen the company to have the potential to pay. Rather than saying, “I think I deserve $80,000,” consider saying, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve heard that people like me typically earn $80,000 to $90,000.”

Notice that this statement is not a demand.

But all in all, remember you have to know the organization

CONCLUSION

You can and should negotiate for a number of immediate concerns during job interviews, including, enjoyment, Status, Compensation and benefits.  It is also important to find creative ways to gain marketable expertise.