Salary negotiation is an element of the interview process. Timing and proper planning are essential. Without either of these items, negotiations can go awry quickly and lead to mutual unhappiness between the veteran and potential employer. In the realm of salary negotiating, tread lightly and carry a big game plan.
However, the negotiation process has its fair share of pitfalls that are easy to fall into. So here are four no-no's Monster.com recommends veterans use when negotiating salary.
Initiating Negotiations Too Soon
Timing is important. The appropriate time to negotiate is when a formal offer is made. If the offer meets your needs, accept it. It's a mistake to negotiate just for the sake of negotiating, but don't assume you can't negotiate at all. There's nothing wrong with asking for time to consider the offer or outright asking whether the offer is negotiable.
Only Negotiating Salary
While money is the most frequently negotiated piece of the compensation package, it's not the only one. It's also true that many employers have benefits such as vacation time and health insurance coverage that are established by company policy and are therefore nonnegotiable.
But other parts of the package may be negotiable. They include signing bonuses, unpaid leave, relocation expenses, flex time, severance and predetermined time frames for salary reviews.
In the end, it's important to maintain some salary flexibility until you've seen the whole package, including benefits. For instance, the job you're seeking may have a built-in, profit-sharing plan; a great company-funded health insurance program; or a bonus or incentive program, which all have real dollar value.
Mistrusting the System
Many job seekers operate under the assumption that employers will, without exception, try to lowball them, no matter how well-qualified they are for a position. While there are employers who pay employees below industry standard, you should never enter a negotiation with a them-versus-me mentality.
And don't assume that just because you've researched a job's market value, you'll get an offer within that range. While market averages are good barometers of pay averages, they're just that -- averages.
The fact is, many companies have a predetermined budget for every position and have pay ranges and benefit packages based on their established compensation hierarchies. An offer may boil down to a take-it-or-leave-it proposition, only because that's all the budget allows for the position, not because the employer is trying to take advantage of you.
Believing Every Negotiation Will End in Your Favor
No matter what you bring to the negotiating table, it's naive to assume you'll always get what you want. Negotiating isn't a win-lose proposition; it's a compromise, and you should expect that going into discussions.
Very few of us are in such demand that we can write our own tickets. That doesn't mean you should settle for any offer that comes your way, but sometimes an agreement won't be made.
And accepting a job just for the sake of a paycheck could lead to mutual dissatisfaction. Ultimately, it could be better for you to continue your job search.
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