Negotiation: Why, When, and How

Salary negotiation can be an uncomfortable prospect. Will I come across as only caring about money? What if my offer gets retracted? How do I know if I should negotiate? I’ve been coaching students on this topic for 15+ years, and I’m confident that with a professional approach, you don’t have to worry about an employer taking your offer back. Nor should you worry about being seen as greedy—most companies expect salary negotiation from savvy full-time job seekers. Today I’m sharing WHEN you should negotiate—but also HOW—so that you can ensure your financial stability is secured before starting your future career. It’s also important to note that salary negotiation begins AFTER you receive the job offer and early in the decision-making process, so that there’s time for your employer to consider adjustments.

There are essentially 3 steps to salary negotiation:

1. Research: What evidence do you have to support a case for salary negotiation?
2. Prepare your script: Put research to use by creating an evidenced-based argument for why you deserve a higher salary.
3. Have the conversation: Talk (not email) through your salary concerns using the script you’ve created.

Now that you know the steps, how do you know if you have a case for asking for more?

If you answer “yes” to any of the questions below, you should consider salary negotiation.

• Have you evaluated your worth and found credible sources that show others with your qualifications earning more? Resources like ECS Hiring Data, the NACE Salary Calculator, Glassdoor, and Salary.com are great places to assess your market value.
• Do you have a stronger competing offer? Additional job offers create value and leveraging them can help you command a higher starting salary. Be prepared to share these offers during the negotiation process as employers may ask to see them.
• Do you have something unique or special to offer? This scenario typically applies to grad students and comes in the form of having patents, publications, or specialized research. If a skillset or knowledge area is hard to come by, employers will pay more for it.
• Is the cost-of-living noticeably higher, and the offer doesn’t account for it? Use CNN Money’s Cost-of-Living Calculator to determine this. Note that a more desirable geography doesn’t always equate to complete cost-of-living adjustments because there are perks to living in places with beautiful scenery, great weather, and ample activities, but you should be able to have some upward movement if there’s a drastic difference.

Now that you have a reason (or several) for negotiation, create your script.

Start with reminding the employer what you love about this company and what assets you are bringing to the job. Then state your concern and reason(s) for why you feel a higher salary is warranted. Specify the figure that you are asking for and back it up with the research you have done—stating concrete evidence, sources for where you found your information, and specific numerical figures. Take a positive, but factual, approach.

Upon completion of the script, think through what you will say if they grant your full request.

What will you do if they say no? (Having a backup request for a “no” response is a good idea—how about a signing bonus, flexible work schedule, or help with relocation?) What if they meet you in the middle? Go through these scenarios, and think through what your responses will be for each. Then PRACTICE! Have the conversation out loud numerous times with someone to get comfortable with it. When the time comes for the real conversation, your nerves will be lessened, and you’ll be ready to professionally negotiate for a higher starting salary.

There is a LOT more that goes into negotiation, but this is a great foundation! ECS Advisors can dig a lot deeper on this topic one-on-one, as well as help craft your case and practice it with you. We’ll also prioritize appointments on this topic since they are typically time sensitive, schedule an appointment with us.