Find out more about salary negotiation, salary negotiation tips, how to negotiate salary at a job interview, how to negotiate your salary, how to increase salary on careerkeg.com
One of the most important elements of landing that dream job is negotiating salary. But, you’re a little nervous about it. You don’t want to look too eager, or greedy, or a trouble maker. Well, have no fear! Here’s some tips and strategies on how to negotiate salary at a job interview.
With the rise of the gig economy and the fact that more people are working remotely, it’s more important than ever to know how to negotiate salary at a job interview.
It can be intimidating to ask for more money or benefits in an interview, but it’s important to remember that you’re not asking for charity—you’re asking for things that are valuable to you and your career.
If you’ve done your research into what other people in your field make, then you should have some idea of what your skills are worth on the market. If not, check out Glassdoor or Salary.com. The next step is figuring out how much money you need to make in order to achieve the kind of life balance that will allow you to focus on this job without worrying about money all the time.
Once you have those numbers, practice saying them out loud so they become real words in your head instead of just numbers on a page or screen. Then prepare yourself emotionally before going into an interview by thinking about how much better off financially (and emotionally) your family will be if this job comes through for you—and decide that it’s worth asking for what’s fair.
How to negotiate salary at a job interview
At the moment money comes up, respond with something like, ‘I’m sure you’ll be fair.’
Even if you know the salary range for your job, you should not just tell the employer what number you want. Instead, emphasize your interest in the job and explain that you are interested in exploring a fair salary. This statement shows your enthusiasm for working at this company and may prompt them to offer more money than they had originally planned on offering. If they do not offer a range, then ask them what they generally pay people with similar skills and experience levels who work in their industry or field of study.
Focus on a range instead of a specific number.
One of the most common mistakes that job seekers make during a salary negotiation is not having a specific number in mind before their interview. You should always have a range of salaries that you would be satisfied with, as well as the lowest and highest number that you would accept. This gives you some flexibility if your interviewer offers a salary below what you were expecting but still within your desired range.
If they don’t ask for your desired salary, be sure to give them one anyway! And keep in mind: even if they do ask, they probably won’t take the number literally and won’t just give it to you if it’s too high or low (unless it’s absurdly far off). If there are other factors like location or benefits packages that affect how much money matters most to them then mentioning those will help guide where negotiations go next as well!
Go in with a number in mind.
When it comes to negotiating salary at a job interview, you can’t go wrong if you have a number in mind. Your number should be based on the value you provide to the company and its market value. Research your market value using Glassdoor or other sites—the average salaries for jobs similar to yours will give you an idea of your worth in today’s competitive job market.
Once you’ve done that, think about what makes YOU stand out from the crowd. Think of qualities that make YOU valuable to this company (e.g., being bilingual). Think about how far along your career path are; if it’s just started then perhaps offer less than someone with 15 years’ experience would ask for; but if it’s near completion then go ahead and ask for something higher as well! Think about how much money this company has set aside for salaries: if they’re cash-strapped but still want new talent on board then maybe offer less than expected; but if they’re flush with cash thanks to investors who believe their product idea is brilliant then don’t let fear stop you from asking for more salary!
Consider how you’re going to value your work.
Before you go into any negotiation, you should have a good idea of how much your work is worth. If you don’t know this, it’s impossible to negotiate effectively and get the best possible deal for yourself. The good news is that it’s not hard—a little research can go a long way toward helping you figure out your value in the marketplace.
You may find some jobs are far more lucrative than others. For example, if one company’s product costs $100 per unit but another company’s costs $1 million per unit (and they’re both looking at hiring an engineer), then the second company will likely be able to pay more for similar work because there’s simply more money available for salaries and benefits at that level of business; there are fewer competing offers on the table so they can afford to make offers that would never be made in other industries where competition is fierce (like retail).
There are other factors besides industry or position type that affect salary expectations: race/gender bias is real! For example: studies show women earn less than men regardless of experience level or job title
Take stock of what really matters to you.
You can take a lot of the stress out of salary negotiations if you remember that money is only one factor in your decision. Before the interview, think about other things that matter to you in a job offer, such as:
- How much time and responsibility will be required to complete projects? (If you’re okay with this, then perhaps it’s not worth pushing for more money.)
- What kinds of people do you work with on a daily basis? Do they share similar work styles and values as yours? (The likelihood of having conflicts will increase if they don’t.)
- What kind of training programs are available at the company? Will there be opportunities to learn new skills or take on new responsibilities within six months or so after starting at this job?
Research shows that women who negotiate are often penalized for it, but you shouldn’t let this stop you from asking for what you deserve.
Research shows that women who negotiate are often penalized for it, but you shouldn’t let this stop you from asking for what you deserve.
In fact, a study by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever found that when asked to choose between two equally qualified candidates with the same objective qualifications (including comparable salaries), interviewers chose the male candidate over the female one 70% of the time. The researchers concluded that “these results indicate not only that there is bias against women in the workplace but also that this bias can be measured quantitatively.”
So why do employers seem to prefer hiring men? One possible reason is that companies often have quotas for how many people of each gender they need to hire—and if those quotas aren’t being met, it’s usually assumed that there aren’t enough qualified candidates on hand to fill them all so some positions will go unfilled. But if you’re at least as qualified as your male counterparts, then why should employers feel any less confident about hiring someone like yourself?
And even if a company doesn’t have such strict quotas in place—or even if it does have them but everyone knows those numbers because HR told them so—you should still speak up about what salary range would make sense based on your experience and skillset without fearing any negative consequences from doing so!
Don’t disclose the number you previously earned at another job.
It’s not necessary to disclose your previous salary. In fact, it’s best not to reveal this information as it doesn’t offer any real value in the negotiation process. Your previous salary is not an indication of your value to the current position, and you don’t want hiring managers thinking that you’re just going to be happy with whatever they offer because it’s more than what you made before. Instead of relying on an outdated number, focus on how much value you can add by having skills and experience relevant to the role.
When it’s your time to ask questions and get information, take advantage of that moment.
When it’s your time to ask questions and get information, take advantage of that moment. You should have some questions prepared for the interviewer, but if you don’t, think about what you want to know about the position and company before going in.
Start by asking about the role itself. Have a few questions in your back pocket regarding:
- What does a typical day on this job look like?
- How is this role evolving? Is there room for growth or advancement? Does someone with experience in this area have an opportunity to learn new skills and contribute more broadly within the organization?
- What is expected of someone who fills this position right out of college (or right out of school more generally)? And what happens after they’ve been here for a few years — do they gain additional responsibilities or move up into another role at some point down the road?
Demonstrate why you have the skills and passion for the job.
When you meet with a potential employer, you are selling yourself as much as you are selling your skills. You want to show that you have the necessary qualifications for the job and that you would be an asset to the company. You should also demonstrate that this job is something that excites and motivates you. If it doesn’t, then why would they hire someone who isn’t interested in doing it?
To do this, ask good questions about what they do and how they get things done. For example, if they said something like “I’m looking for someone who can help me with customer service,” ask questions like “What kind of customer service experience do I need?” or “How will I know when our clients are happy?” Showing interest in their business shows how invested in being successful at work is important to you.
Don’t make blind demands or requests.
- Don’t make blind demands or requests.
- Don’t ask for a raise without a good reason.
- Don’t make demands from your boss without a good reason, unless you are prepared to walk away from the job if they don’t meet them (and know how much money that might cost you).
Negotiating salary can be scary, but there are ways to prepare yourself
Negotiating salary can be scary, but there are ways to prepare yourself.
- Research the market. Before your interview, take time to research salaries for jobs similar to yours in the same field and location. It’s also worth researching what kind of benefits companies offer as well as their general salary ranges. This will give you a better idea of what kind of money they’re willing to budget for this position.
- Don’t underestimate yourself or be afraid to ask for what you deserve. Asking for more than your current salary is perfectly acceptable—and if it’s a great opportunity with a company that treats employees well, they’ll likely agree that they value your skills and experience at least as much as their competitors do!
