At Top Applicant, we believe in keeping a bright future within reach for everyone. To finance that future, you’ll need to get paid. From picket lines to interviews all over the nation, we’ve got your back when it comes to how to negotiate salary.
There are 2 crucial stages to getting the salary you deserve. During and after the interview, effective strategies are crucial to financing your future. We’ll break down each crucial step to make sure you know how to negotiate salary effectively and efficiently. Let’s start by identifying five steps to negotiating in your interview.
How to Negotiate Salary in an Interview
While it may feel like you hit the jackpot just by getting an interview, successful careers aren’t based on luck. By building a great resume and looking great to employers, you deserve that interview! Let’s go over how to hit the right number to go with the right position for you.
1. Know When to Hold ‘Em
First things first, never let them know where you have to be. Let them know where you want to be. Get to know the employer’s starting point during salary negotiations. This can give you a key advantage when fielding multiple offers.
If they won’t tell you before you tell them, that’s where this step gets interesting. We recommend providing a range based on regional averages for your role. Most often, employers will let you know how much they value their employees by how close they are to your regional average. To get down to the nitty-gritty without having to dance around in this stage, here are three things to say to differ back to the employer you’re interviewing:
A Respectful Response:
“I’d rather not focus on money at this stage in the process.”
This allows you to seem more interested in the role than the money. Not only will you look more appealing and engaged, you’ll buy more time to build a case for the salary you want. Calculated responses are key when it comes to knowing how to negotiate salary.
An Indifferent Deferral
“I’d like to understand more about your role and company to make sure I’m a good fit.”
This is a great deferral because it reflects the responsibility of providing information to the employer. That responsibility is important to instill from the first round of interviews to the final decision for employers and employees equally. As you get the employer more comfortable talking to you, you’ll have the leverage to ask the big question.
After Their Response
“May I ask your salary range for this position?”
Holding your cards close throughout the interview process is crucial to getting the pay you deserve. As any cardshark can tell you, knowing when to hold ‘em and fold ‘em are equally important. We’re all for handshakes and onboarding emails, but don’t fool yourself. Even if you’ve been offered the job, that doesn’t mean negotiations end.
2. When to Fold ‘Em
If the salary they offer doesn’t meet your expectations, you have the right to know why. We recommend asking the employer’s hiring board about how they came to that number. Using the first two questions as before, here are two rebuttals that can work to your advantage.
“I’d like to further understand your expectations and payscale.”
This is a perfect opportunity to understand the expectations of the role you’re taking on and how to leverage that role into a lucrative salary. It’s also a great way to use the employer’s own words in your case for a higher salary. The more information you can get, the better.
“I’d like to revisit the salary before I accept this offer.”
After you build your case for a higher salary, you’re in an opportunity to move to the final stage of your negotiation. This lets the employer know exactly where you stand without knowing your exact number.
Recent studies show that 55% of career builders looking for a new role are looking for a higher salary. Employers understand that optimizing how to negotiate salaries can improve their chances of hiring top applicants. With the right questions, you’ll get the right information to understand your pay. To use that information effectively, it’s important to know what to discuss with your future employer.
3. Wait to Strike
Above all else, avoid opening up negotiations in your cover letter or during the initial phone evaluation. You should also avoid bringing it up during your first interview. Instead, we recommend using these opportunities to show your suitability for the role and let the employer get to know you. Talk about the same topics you discuss in your Top Applicant profile, and always remain professional.
Share Your Story
Our video-sharing integration allows you to share your personality and professional story with your future employer. This breaks down the biggest barrier most applicants face in their first interview. With fewer hurdles, you can get straight to the conversations that matter.
By the second interview, you can expect to start negotiating salary. This can be exciting, but the more tact you show, the more effective your negotiations will be. If an employer feels confident you’re there for more than just the paycheck, they’ll likely open up negotiations. This is where you’ll want to agree on a range that leaves room for negotiation. Showing that you’re flexible is the key toward working out a compensation package that’s acceptable to both you and the employer. It’s also key to making it to the short list and then to the final round of interviews.
4. The Final Round
At this stage of the interview process, providing solid reasons for your position is the highest priority. Talk specifically about your skills, experience, and prior successes, especially those that have had a measurable effect on a company’s bottom line. Our hiring experts recommend sharing measurable, tangible details that can be easily corroborated with your references.
In the final round of your interviews, you should be able to come to terms with dollar amounts. However, emerging studies show a deficit of skilled professionals driving up salaries. To respond to this, many employers are factoring in planned raises, benefits, and perks to their negotiation strategies.
5. Perks Beyond the Paper
While you’re negotiating your salary, it’s also important to evaluate your compensation package. Even if a job has a lower starting salary, it could have an excellent employee benefits package or future possibilities to grow and improve your position. While payment is paramount, we always recommend getting the whole picture. Make sure to iron out details about everything from health insurance to retirement plans, and don’t forget vacation days! If an employer can’t beat a competing offer, they may include sweeter perks to get you on board.
“Welcome Aboard!”
There are no sweeter words than these when accepting a job with a salary you deserve. Our roadmap for how to negotiate salary is built around putting communication first. The better you build your knowledge, the closer you get to that final offer. Finding a job you’ll love is easy with the tools and resources of Top Applicant; however, negotiations are entirely between you and the employer. Sometimes it can be hard to find common ground. That’s why our hiring experts have you covered when it comes to negotiating after a job offer.
How to Negotiate Salary After a Job Offer
Even now that you know the five steps to landing that offer, you’re not out of the woods yet! Even if it’s a sweet deal, you should always do your homework to see if that offer is as good as it gets. To find out how to negotiate salary and benefits effectively, you need the right information. Here’s how to get what you deserve.
1. Become Familiar With Industry Salary Trends
To get an up-to-date, realistic view of the compensation landscape in your field, we recommend the Robert Half Salary Guide. This guide shows the current rate for many positions and experience levels. There you can find national averages and information for your specific region.
As you familiarize yourself, it’s important to keep the employer in mind as well. Many employers face a tough time finding someone with enough skills and experience. While that is unfortunate for them, it presents an opportunity for you to negotiate higher pay and truly know your worth.
2. Tell the Truth
There’s no profit in lies when negotiating salary. Just as you want your expectations met, so does your potential new employer. There’s no better way to see your offer withdrawn than having a hiring manager find out you invented a competing job offer or inflated your salaries from past jobs.
3. Stand and Deliver
Remember public speaking class? This is where it comes in handy. To get your delivery down, ask a friend or mentor to practice the conversations you’re likely to have with a hiring manager. Unlike your public speaking course, Mom shouldn’t be here to hype you up. Instead, find a trusted professional who can coach you on instilling confidence and expecting unexpected questions. Running through your delivery several times with a coach or trusted colleague can help you feel more surefooted when navigating how to negotiate the salary you deserve.
4. Wrap It Up
Any employer worth working for won’t withdraw an offer just because you opened up negotiations. However, lengthy salary negotiations can frustrate both you and the hiring manager! Focus on starting your relationship on a good foot. If a company can’t meet your requirements after a few rounds of negotiations, it may be time to withdraw. Even in this job market, every applicant should feel confident to focus on opportunities that exceed their needs.
5. Stay Positive
Your ideal employer is not your rival. That’s why staying positive while negotiating your salary and benefits will benefit you throughout these difficult conversations. If you’d like to get a better starting salary, you absolutely need to ask for it. Don’t fall for the first number, no matter what’s put on the table. Instead, stay in step with the economy and the job market. Positivity breeds positivity, so to put your best foot forward, start with a positive career-building platform.
Related: “How do I ask for a raise?”
The Right Way to Negotiate
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With Top Applicant’s expertly designed features, you get every advantage when it comes to your next salary negotiation. Take a tour of them below!
