How to Negotiate Your Salary with HR: Tips and Advice

According to a study, only 25% of employees are satisfied with their salary. Hence, it is crucial to address the concept of salary negotiation.

Salary is the first thing that comes to the mind of a job seeker and is one of the major deciding factors while accepting a job offer. To avoid disappointment it is necessary to address the concept of salary negotiation. Often people hesitate toward salary negotiation in case of dissatisfaction. Still, if you are aware that you deserve more than what you are currently earning, then definitely it is worth giving a try.

Normally the question, “What is your expected salary?” appears in the final stage of the recruitment process. It’s important to understand that by that stage, the employer is positively interested in you as an employee, and is willing to hire your services, therefore, the employer will be open to the idea of salary negotiation.

Do your homework

It is essential to get familiar with the lowest, average, and highest salary for the position offered in the market. While doing this, remember to account for factors like occasion, region, education, experience, and certifications. While doing the research, use more than one resource to determine your expected salary, use multiple sources, and evaluate an average number for yourself, and what you can reasonably expect while looking for a  new career option. Negotiation is a conversation about giving and taking, about knowing what you want while also knowing where the person is coming from.

Talk about your value

To justify a bump in your salary, you need to know what your value is and how you are going to explain that to an employer. That means bringing up any portfolio that proves your worth. Talk about your values and accomplishments and what makes you different from other potential candidates. Be assertive and tactful, when you explain yourself, but at the same time be calm and confident.

Also Read : How To Impress An Employer Before A Job Interview

Stay flexible

A fair way to start the salary negotiation is by asking for slightly more than your goal, yet staying flexible. It is important to understand that if you give a range, the employer is likely to go towards the lower number, so give two numbers, one being your ‘ideal number’ and the second, being ‘willing to settle a number’. In this case, the bottom of your range will still be something that you are comfortable accepting.

Don’t rush

The only time when you want to mention your salary expectations is when the employer asks you, and try not to bring it up on your own because it makes you look money orientated, and this is not the impression you want to be setting. Never talk about it in the initial stages as you would want to talk about it when your chance is the highest, which is not before the time when they have interviewed you. Furthermore, initially, you know little about them so it’s inadequate to ask for higher pay at that time.

Practice

Negotiating can be tricky at times, and if you are new to this then practice will make you better. Practice your key arguments and points before going in for the actual meeting. It will give you confidence and will also help you find loopholes if any.

Never undersell yourself

While negotiating, people often end up underselling themselves and that needs to be avoided. While quoting your previous salary, never forget to mention the additional perks and non-financial incentives.

Don’t jump at the first offer

The ultimate goal of salary negotiation is reaching the level of maximum satisfaction. You must take your time to assess the offer, and if not satisfactory, you must further try to negotiate it in your favor.

Go in with leverage

Whenever you are trying to justify a higher salary for yourself, you must make sure that you can leverage anything and everything in your favor. Let the employer know that you might be considering multiple offers at the moment. This can work in your favor, it will enhance the lack of reasoning of the employer. If they like you, and they know that you can easily be hired by other organizations, in that case, they will be willing to increase your salary.

Be confident yet, humble and polite

The whole salary negotiation process is simply a process where you are communicating the value and worth of your talent to an employer. It is not about being aggressive or greedy. It is just naturally about justifying why you are worth what you are claiming, and when you can go in with positive intentions, it will only help to increase your chances of getting a positive result.

Salary negotiation is not a very difficult process to understand, practice can make you master the art. Though every time it may not give you the desired results, giving it a try is what will make you successful in your career. Be sure to keep in mind the above-mentioned salary negotiation tips during your next job interview.