When you are trying to negotiate a higher salary, it always helps to have more than one offer when negotiations happen. This gives you leverage and can be the difference in getting a bigger paycheck or missing out. Here’s how to negotiate salary with two offers and get the salary you deserve.
When you have two offers from different companies, it can be hard to know how to negotiate salary. The first thing you need to do is figure out exactly what each offer entails, and compare them.
The next step is to decide where you want to work! Are there more opportunities for advancement with one company than the other? Is one company closer to your family or friends? Is one company in a location that appeals to you more than the other? These are all things that could affect your decision.
Once you know where you want to work and have a sense of what they’re offering, it’s time to start negotiating! When negotiating salary, it’s important not only that you ask for an increase in pay but also why. You should explain why you deserve more money than what they’re offering—think about how much hours you put into your current job versus how much time it takes up in your life overall, as well as what skills and experience will translate into higher pay at a new company. If possible, try reaching out directly with these reasons so that they can see that they’ll get more value from hiring someone like YOU rather than someone else who might make less money but requires less time investment (which means they’ll have more
How to negotiate salary with two offers
Introduction
If you’re on the market for a new job, you know that it can be stressful. Maybe you’ve been working hard to expand your network and get interviews with new companies. Maybe you’ve been polishing up your online presence so that hiring managers will take notice. Whatever the case may be, applying for jobs takes time and energy. So when you finally receive multiple offers, it feels like a huge accomplishment! But this is only the first step: now it’s time to negotiate salary with two offers. The following tips will help you make sure that the process goes smoothly:
choose the job you actually want
- Choose the job you actually want.
- Forget about the money for a second.
- Think about what you want to learn, and what you want to have accomplished in 5 years.
know your worth
You’ll want to know what you’re worth and be able to prove it. Use a salary calculator like Payscale or Glassdoor to get an idea of how much people in your position are making in your area, then compare that number with the offers you have on the table. If you want to get more specific, look up job listings for the same position and see how they list salaries. Another option is asking recruiters (if they aren’t working on behalf of one company). Lastly, if there’s a particularly large difference between what you’re being offered and what people are making in similar jobs, it helps to point this out during negotiations.
research the company and position
If you’re in a situation like mine and have two offers, it’s important to do your research before you start negotiating. The most important thing is to learn as much as possible about the company, position, and other candidates who’ve held it before you.
You want to find out:
- What is their financial situation? Is this a new product or service launched by a growing company? Or will they be cutting back employee hours at your office because of slower sales?
- What are their goals for this position? How does it fit into their overall plan? Are they looking for someone with certain skills or experience who can help reach those goals faster than they would otherwise? Do they want someone who can take over from an outgoing employee or build from scratch (with training)? Knowing these things will make it easier for you to price yourself appropriately and prove why hiring you makes sense for them.
- What kind of culture do people work in at this organization? Is it relaxed or hardworking; casual or formal; highly collaborative or individualized—or somewhere in between all of those things (and more)? You’ll need time on the job before making any judgments about whether one type better suits your style than another, so try not to let any preconceived notions influence your decision too strongly here; instead focus on what interviews reveal about what kind of place this really is!
decide which offer you’ll use for negotiation
You need to be prepared for both companies to find out about each other’s offers. This is a big deal, so you’ll want to follow our guide on how to handle this situation before going in for the negotiation.
The decision needs to be something that is comfortable for you and something that aligns with your personal goals. You also need to understand what’s important to the company and what they value so that it can help you make an informed decision about which offer will give you more leverage in negotiations.
It’s important not only that they pay well, but also that they’re offering benefits like flexible work hours (if applicable) and job security as well as making sure everyone has good morale at work by focusing on employee happiness rather than profit margins alone.
create a case for why you’re worth more
To create a case for why you’re worth more, you’ll need to start by making a list of all your skills, experience, and future contributions. Don’t just list your technical expertise—that won’t help as much as including information about how you’ve improved the company’s profits or revenues in the past. If there are any potential projects or changes that could occur over the next year that would benefit from your specific skill set, make sure to note them on this list as well.
Once you’ve created this list, try researching what other companies in your industry are paying for employees with comparable skill sets and years of experience—and use those figures when formulating arguments about why someone should pay more than market value for your services (but not so much more that it seems unreasonable). For example: “The average salary for someone with my skillset is $50K per year; however, given my unique expertise and demonstrated ability to increase revenue streams by 20% annually over five consecutive years at Company X (where they offered me $53K per year), I believe it’s reasonable that this company would offer me closer to $60K.”
be prepared to walk away
Now that you are prepared to walk away, what will you do if the two offers are similar? In this case, it’s a good idea to let one of the offers sit for a few days before responding. This will allow other opportunities to materialize and give you time to think about your overall options.
There are also times when companies may be willing to sweeten their offer in order for you to accept their job—if this happens, don’t hesitate!
It can be difficult for many people to turn down something that is presented as a done deal; however, if an employer has offered you an unreasonable salary or simply doesn’t seem like a good fit anymore after interviewing with other companies, then it’s okay (and even advisable) to say no. Be sure not only that they understand why but also that they won’t hold any ill will against
you later on down the road when considering future opportunities with them or other businesses they might work closely with.
leverage perks not salary
- Vacation days
- Health benefits
- Start date
- Job location
- Bonus, stock options, flexible schedules (for example working from home on Fridays) and tuition reimbursement can be more important than salary. You should negotiate these perks before you even think about compensation. If your offer doesn’t include them, then it’s time to ask for them!
be prepared!
Before you accept either offer, be prepared to negotiate. If you want to ask for more money, it’s important to have a strategy in place. That means knowing how much more you want and why you deserve it. And that’s only the first step — if you’re planning on negotiating salary with two offers on the table, there are a few things you need to do first:
Think about what kind of person they want
What will make them decide yes?
Conclusion
There are a lot of variables at play when you’re negotiating, and it’s impossible to plan for every scenario. Knowing how to handle each stage in the negotiation process will help you feel more confident about what you want. Remember that the first offer isn’t always the best one, and don’t be afraid to negotiate if there is extra room in their budget—you deserve it! And finally, make sure that they know why they should hire you. If you’re still unsure as to whether or not your salary request is reasonable or worth getting into a negotiation over, use our free salary estimator tool below!
