5 Tips for Negotiating a Higher Salary

As marketing and account management headhunters, we understand that negotiating salary for many interviewees can be perplexing and, when done incorrectly can have adverse effects on one’s ability to earn a substantial living.

Effects of poor salary negotiation go deeper than money.   They can hinder one’s tenure at a job. So, not only is your paycheck lower, but you find yourself under-appreciated  with low motivation.

When Salary is Negotiated Correctly

On the flip side, when salary negotiation is executed correctly, our recruiters have seen that job seekers tend to enjoy more job security, have a heightened focus and ability to execute on necessary tasks.

Unfortunately, many employees go into the negotiation process misinformed and unprepared.  They pay for it.

How Do You Prevent Getting Underpaid?

To prevent getting much less than you’re worth from happening, our executive search experts listed a few tips.

1. Negotiation should be approached logically, not emotionally. Always remain professional.  Emotion is a very self-defeating component if brought into salary negotiation. Even though it’s hard to separate, remember that if you keep emotions and ego in check, you can’t lose.  Things may not work out.  However, you will always leave that salary negotiation feeling like a winner.

2. Attempt to analyze the situation from the employer’s point of view. The basis of persuasion is knowing the motivations of the other party.  Prior to formulating a negotiation strategy, try to understand the reason behind doing so.  It’s easy to judge, though it’s not helpful.

Take a deep breath and you’ll soon some to a logical conclusion. Sometimes, an employer expects you to negotiate.  Other times, it may be budgetary. The one trick is to always assume positive intent.

3. When counter offering, think risk, reward. If you really want a job, it may not be the best idea to attempt to negotiate that extra bit of compensation as a few thousand dollars isn’t worth a recinded offer.

4. Justify your desired pay on what you can achieve for the employer. If a hiring manager or recruitment professional senses you are negotiating out of self-interest, they are much less likely to be agreeable.  After all, people who are self-interested turn us all off.  Employers are no different.

5. Never take a job strictly for the money.  In the same manner you want to understand the employers’ motivations, you need to understand yours, too. Whether you’re negotiating with a large company or in the recruiting process with a small business point of view matters.

Sometimes, we want to negotiate out of ego or because we think it’s the right thing to do. However, simply taking a job and saying you’re accepting the job offer because you believe in the company long-term is just as respectable.