July 17, 2014 at 20:44How to discuss money at the interview: negotiation strategy for the applicant
The article “How to discuss money with management or why do careers sometimes stop?” Unexpectedly scored +165 and under 100,000 views, and we decided to continue the negotiation-salary topic.
Today we publish an article by our colleague Dmitry Kotkin, who has already become fond of the Habrovsk citizens on the topic of resisting pressure in negotiations .
Frankly, we thought for a long time whether to publish this material, because the topic of money is extremely ambiguous, and always polarizes the audience. Moreover, the article was not written for IT professionals. But in the end, they decided to post the article, because the techniques outlined there, as it seemed to us, are quite universal, and in the end they are not invited to conduct themselves at the interview as here:
So, you decided to change the job. And you really want your salary to change with a change in the place of work. But how to competently negotiate with the employer on this issue? Some recommendations are below.
The first thing you will have to deal with is your internal attitude, that, asking for money is nasty, shameful and indecent. To ask - yes, to agree - no. You must be confident in yourself and in your positions. Your employer expects candidates to have a logical, balanced justification of their wishes. But in any negotiations there are a lot of tricks to keep in mind.
1. Until you receive an official job offer, don’t talk about your salary, especially if you are not asked about it. For the employer, the question about money from a candidate at the start of a relationship is a demonstration that a person will not be loyal to the company and if someone else offers 100 cu. more, he will immediately leave this organization.
2. If you are asked to fill out a questionnaire in which is the column “Indicate the desired salary”, feel free to write: “under discussion”. If you do not require an exact figure, write the interval (add 10% to the latter, add 20% to achieve an acceptable result and there was an opportunity for bargaining). Personnel officers have a simple scheme to understand how much you are worth. Usually they ask: “What is the minimum amount below which you will not work?” Suppose you call a figure of 1000 cu, the personnel officer, writes something in the questionnaire and asks the question again: “And if the salary is 950 cu “Will you agree?” You begin to think feverishly, but such a figure will suit you or not, if you have pledged 20% for bidding, then you can easily “give it back” - these 50 cu and agree. But the personnel officer does not relent: “And if it is 900 cu
If possible, get away from salary questions until you receive a job offer from your future manager. It is in his interest that you be motivated and ready to work in this position for as long as possible. No one is happy with the staff turnover; at least it is not economically profitable. (We don’t take examples of organizations that build their economy on deceiving employees, when they promise you a lot, you believe, but only after a trial period, you become like Papa Carlo, and they tell you three months later that you did not pass the trial period and you get fired, to find the next gullible citizen.)
Constantly monitor how much specialists of your level in the labor market cost. Even if everything suits you at your workplace, go for interviews. At a minimum, you will be aware of the requirements that the market places on your position, which is offered in return.
When you receive an offer indicating salary, take a break. Not for long, for one day. Remember, professionals are expensive because they do not fuss and know their worth.
Professionals do not bargain, they simply do not need it, since they do not stand in line for work, but organizations persuade them. Show that you are a professional. But do not delay your decision for more than one day, professionals think fast.
Study carefully the compensation package that the employer offers you.
What is important:
Get ready! Believe me, at the meeting itself you will never be able to clearly defend your interests if you have not prepared a certain line of behavior, arguments, ways of moving away.
Stay with dignity. Remember your strengths, professional, personal. Prepare vivid, beautiful examples from your work experience in advance. Remember, you are taken to the organization so that you benefit, so tell us what benefits your previous company received from your activities, how you helped save it from the crisis, how you led it into leaders, etc. Do not be afraid to exaggerate your merits. Remember, you are in the labor market, it is important to teach yourself correctly. And explain the reason for leaving with your desire to develop, that you have grown out of the scope of a position, department, company, you need new horizons.
And now you did receive a concrete proposal from your future leader, you took a break, thought and agreed ... to the second round of negotiations. Now you need to fix your relationship with the company at the level of an oral agreement in order to turn it into a written one in the future. Remember that they continue to evaluate you, and by the way you defend your interests, your manager will assume that you will also defend the interests of his unit.
So, you have done all the preliminary research work, received a formal job offer, stood the necessary pause, weighed all the pros and cons and met again with the employer in the second round of negotiations. When negotiating wages, pay attention to the following points.
Negotiating is what potential employers expect from you. You should conduct this part of the negotiations as professionally as when discussing your functional skills. Always remember that this part of the negotiations is of fundamental importance. For example, if you intend to engage in trade and sales and do not even try to negotiate wages, this may be the last test in your interview. The employer may have a very logical suspicion: if you cannot discuss your salary, how are you going to negotiate multi-million dollar contracts for the company?
Even if you do not apply for positions related to trade, employers may alert you to incompetence when discussing the issue of wages. Therefore, do not rush, act thoughtfully and reasonedly. After all, this question also demonstrates your market knowledge. For example, when buying a used car, don’t you ask yourself: “What is happening?”, “Is this price normal?” - if the first proposal will be accepted immediately, without any discussion? In a hiring situation, do not allow yourself to be an excellent candidate, for whom the company has doubts because of its easy accommodatingness.
Make sure that negotiations are conducted on an equal footing with the interests of both parties.It is important to achieve mutual understanding. When a company offers you a certain amount, it is more reliable than having half of it. Not the best time to stand your ground, because you have to work with these people if you accept the offer. It’s better to fall to the ground than to adhere to a tactic that sounds like “I, I, I”. Think about it from the position of belonging to a team and perceiving the principles of loyalty to the corporate culture of this company. Analyze for yourself the following typical cases that arise when negotiating wages, as well as possible reactions to them.
Possible reaction: “I carefully read your offer. I must admit that it is quite competitive. However, your proposed monthly salary is 10% lower than what I currently earn. Although bonuses will help improve the situation, I would suggest revising the base salary. Is it possible to change the size of the proposed salary? ”
Possible reaction: “Definitely, my expectations are almost met. However, I was hoping for a slightly larger amount ranging from ... to ... How great are our opportunities for further discussion of salaries? ”
Possible reaction: “I really like you, and the work seems appropriate. The successes of management and organizational strategy also look significant. The only thing we need to talk about, and the only thing that holds me back is the initial offer of a compensation package. Frankly, the salary is less than I expected. I am really interested in this position, and, to my knowledge, $ X is an approximate level of salary. In other companies with whom I am negotiating, about the same is offered. Can you do something in this direction? ”
Find out if there are alternatives.If your efforts at the salary negotiations were unsuccessful and the company did not offer an acceptable salary for you, but you still want to get this job, postpone the conversation for the future. Discuss with your employer the possibility of future salary increases.
Discuss the planned results of your work in 60, 90 or 120 days. Discuss the possibility of a minimum percentage increase in salaries.
Discuss the size of the bonus you receive at the end of the year.
Discuss the possibility of signing a one-time bonus agreement .
Being well prepared and confident, you will easily master the art of negotiating salary. You will feel comfortable and will be able to agree on a compensation package acceptable to you. Do not hesitate, employers understand your point of view, because once they were also in your place. Remember that you must know the size of salaries in the industry, be persistent in what suits you or not, and be open to discuss other forms of compensation. If you pay attention to the advice outlined here, conduct some preliminary research of the salary market in your profession and industry, then be sure that everything will end not only in getting the position that you want, but also the salary that you deserve.
We do not call right now to drop everything and go look for a new job. Moreover, we believe that at your current place of work you have several obvious advantages + with a high probability there are unused opportunities, which we recommended discussing with management.
But if now you are in an active job search, we hope that the recommendations will be useful to you.
In any case, we will be grateful for the comments and feedback.
PS Special thanks for the numerous comments on the article “How to discuss money with management or why do careers sometimes stop?”
Unfortunately, now we do not have time to answer everyone. On Monday, July 20, we will try to publish explanations for the article and answers to the most common questions + we’ll talk about how to discuss money issues with the applicant during the interview so that the issue will be
addressed from all sides :) PPS Stratoplan’s blog moved to a separate site: http: // blog.stratoplan.ru - see you there!
Today we publish an article by our colleague Dmitry Kotkin, who has already become fond of the Habrovsk citizens on the topic of resisting pressure in negotiations .
Frankly, we thought for a long time whether to publish this material, because the topic of money is extremely ambiguous, and always polarizes the audience. Moreover, the article was not written for IT professionals. But in the end, they decided to post the article, because the techniques outlined there, as it seemed to us, are quite universal, and in the end they are not invited to conduct themselves at the interview as here:
Dmitry Kotkin “Salary negotiations. Practical recommendations. ”
So, you decided to change the job. And you really want your salary to change with a change in the place of work. But how to competently negotiate with the employer on this issue? Some recommendations are below.
The first thing you will have to deal with is your internal attitude, that, asking for money is nasty, shameful and indecent. To ask - yes, to agree - no. You must be confident in yourself and in your positions. Your employer expects candidates to have a logical, balanced justification of their wishes. But in any negotiations there are a lot of tricks to keep in mind.
Practical tips
1. Until you receive an official job offer, don’t talk about your salary, especially if you are not asked about it. For the employer, the question about money from a candidate at the start of a relationship is a demonstration that a person will not be loyal to the company and if someone else offers 100 cu. more, he will immediately leave this organization.
2. If you are asked to fill out a questionnaire in which is the column “Indicate the desired salary”, feel free to write: “under discussion”. If you do not require an exact figure, write the interval (add 10% to the latter, add 20% to achieve an acceptable result and there was an opportunity for bargaining). Personnel officers have a simple scheme to understand how much you are worth. Usually they ask: “What is the minimum amount below which you will not work?” Suppose you call a figure of 1000 cu, the personnel officer, writes something in the questionnaire and asks the question again: “And if the salary is 950 cu “Will you agree?” You begin to think feverishly, but such a figure will suit you or not, if you have pledged 20% for bidding, then you can easily “give it back” - these 50 cu and agree. But the personnel officer does not relent: “And if it is 900 cu
If possible, get away from salary questions until you receive a job offer from your future manager. It is in his interest that you be motivated and ready to work in this position for as long as possible. No one is happy with the staff turnover; at least it is not economically profitable. (We don’t take examples of organizations that build their economy on deceiving employees, when they promise you a lot, you believe, but only after a trial period, you become like Papa Carlo, and they tell you three months later that you did not pass the trial period and you get fired, to find the next gullible citizen.)
Competent wording for salary answers:
- “I would like to discuss this issue later, when you will definitely understand that I am suitable for this position.”
- “I believe your company that it only hires highly qualified specialists, providing them with a decent salary.”
- “I suppose that the salaries in your company have already been approved for all posts, I’m ready to accept them if you voice them etc.”
Constantly monitor how much specialists of your level in the labor market cost. Even if everything suits you at your workplace, go for interviews. At a minimum, you will be aware of the requirements that the market places on your position, which is offered in return.
When you receive an offer indicating salary, take a break. Not for long, for one day. Remember, professionals are expensive because they do not fuss and know their worth.
Professionals do not bargain, they simply do not need it, since they do not stand in line for work, but organizations persuade them. Show that you are a professional. But do not delay your decision for more than one day, professionals think fast.
Study carefully the compensation package that the employer offers you.
What is important:
- Indexation of wages, its frequency and size
- Holidays, as granted, time off and sick leave
- Is there any material incentive for your training?
- What kind of training is there in the company - only in-house or does the company send you somewhere
- What about health insurance, its scope, what it includes, what is considered as an insured event, what is not considered
Salary Negotiation Strategy
Get ready! Believe me, at the meeting itself you will never be able to clearly defend your interests if you have not prepared a certain line of behavior, arguments, ways of moving away.
Stay with dignity. Remember your strengths, professional, personal. Prepare vivid, beautiful examples from your work experience in advance. Remember, you are taken to the organization so that you benefit, so tell us what benefits your previous company received from your activities, how you helped save it from the crisis, how you led it into leaders, etc. Do not be afraid to exaggerate your merits. Remember, you are in the labor market, it is important to teach yourself correctly. And explain the reason for leaving with your desire to develop, that you have grown out of the scope of a position, department, company, you need new horizons.
And now you did receive a concrete proposal from your future leader, you took a break, thought and agreed ... to the second round of negotiations. Now you need to fix your relationship with the company at the level of an oral agreement in order to turn it into a written one in the future. Remember that they continue to evaluate you, and by the way you defend your interests, your manager will assume that you will also defend the interests of his unit.
So, you have done all the preliminary research work, received a formal job offer, stood the necessary pause, weighed all the pros and cons and met again with the employer in the second round of negotiations. When negotiating wages, pay attention to the following points.
Negotiating is what potential employers expect from you. You should conduct this part of the negotiations as professionally as when discussing your functional skills. Always remember that this part of the negotiations is of fundamental importance. For example, if you intend to engage in trade and sales and do not even try to negotiate wages, this may be the last test in your interview. The employer may have a very logical suspicion: if you cannot discuss your salary, how are you going to negotiate multi-million dollar contracts for the company?
Even if you do not apply for positions related to trade, employers may alert you to incompetence when discussing the issue of wages. Therefore, do not rush, act thoughtfully and reasonedly. After all, this question also demonstrates your market knowledge. For example, when buying a used car, don’t you ask yourself: “What is happening?”, “Is this price normal?” - if the first proposal will be accepted immediately, without any discussion? In a hiring situation, do not allow yourself to be an excellent candidate, for whom the company has doubts because of its easy accommodatingness.
Make sure that negotiations are conducted on an equal footing with the interests of both parties.It is important to achieve mutual understanding. When a company offers you a certain amount, it is more reliable than having half of it. Not the best time to stand your ground, because you have to work with these people if you accept the offer. It’s better to fall to the ground than to adhere to a tactic that sounds like “I, I, I”. Think about it from the position of belonging to a team and perceiving the principles of loyalty to the corporate culture of this company. Analyze for yourself the following typical cases that arise when negotiating wages, as well as possible reactions to them.
You made a great offer
Possible reaction: “I carefully read your offer. I must admit that it is quite competitive. However, your proposed monthly salary is 10% lower than what I currently earn. Although bonuses will help improve the situation, I would suggest revising the base salary. Is it possible to change the size of the proposed salary? ”
You have made a good offer
Possible reaction: “Definitely, my expectations are almost met. However, I was hoping for a slightly larger amount ranging from ... to ... How great are our opportunities for further discussion of salaries? ”
You were offered a low salary
Possible reaction: “I really like you, and the work seems appropriate. The successes of management and organizational strategy also look significant. The only thing we need to talk about, and the only thing that holds me back is the initial offer of a compensation package. Frankly, the salary is less than I expected. I am really interested in this position, and, to my knowledge, $ X is an approximate level of salary. In other companies with whom I am negotiating, about the same is offered. Can you do something in this direction? ”
Find out if there are alternatives.If your efforts at the salary negotiations were unsuccessful and the company did not offer an acceptable salary for you, but you still want to get this job, postpone the conversation for the future. Discuss with your employer the possibility of future salary increases.
Discuss the planned results of your work in 60, 90 or 120 days. Discuss the possibility of a minimum percentage increase in salaries.
Discuss the size of the bonus you receive at the end of the year.
Discuss the possibility of signing a one-time bonus agreement .
Being well prepared and confident, you will easily master the art of negotiating salary. You will feel comfortable and will be able to agree on a compensation package acceptable to you. Do not hesitate, employers understand your point of view, because once they were also in your place. Remember that you must know the size of salaries in the industry, be persistent in what suits you or not, and be open to discuss other forms of compensation. If you pay attention to the advice outlined here, conduct some preliminary research of the salary market in your profession and industry, then be sure that everything will end not only in getting the position that you want, but also the salary that you deserve.
Instead of a conclusion
We do not call right now to drop everything and go look for a new job. Moreover, we believe that at your current place of work you have several obvious advantages + with a high probability there are unused opportunities, which we recommended discussing with management.
But if now you are in an active job search, we hope that the recommendations will be useful to you.
In any case, we will be grateful for the comments and feedback.
PS Special thanks for the numerous comments on the article “How to discuss money with management or why do careers sometimes stop?”
Unfortunately, now we do not have time to answer everyone. On Monday, July 20, we will try to publish explanations for the article and answers to the most common questions + we’ll talk about how to discuss money issues with the applicant during the interview so that the issue will be
addressed from all sides :) PPS Stratoplan’s blog moved to a separate site: http: // blog.stratoplan.ru - see you there!