How to Negotiate Bacon Later on a Chore Offering: vi Tips to Get More Coin

Photo-Illustration: by Stevie Remsberg

Get That Money  is an exploration of the many ways we think about our finances — what we earn, what we have, and what nosotros want.

I recently wrote about how to ask for a enhance, just truth be told, the easiest fourth dimension to get more money is before you've been hired, while yous're still negotiating a salary later a task offer. Hither's how to do it.

Before your outset interview for any job, make sure you've researched the market place rate for this type of job, in this industry, and in your detail geographic area. Information technology'southward crucial to do that considering the employer could ask you lot what bacon yous're looking for at any bespeak, including as early on as the initial phone screen. You don't want to be caught off guard and cease up winging information technology, because if you do, there's too much chance that you'll inadvertently lowball yourself or name a number so unrealistically high that it takes you out of the running.

Researching salary can exist fourth dimension-consuming and frustrating, because in that location'south rarely one single, easily accessible source that will give you lot the info you need. Considering the same job title can mean very different things from visitor to company, bacon websites are generally more of a rough starting signal than a definitive answer to what a job should pay. You lot'll frequently get more than precise numbers by talking to people in your field and asking, "What would you expect a job like X at a visitor similar Y to pay?" Recruiters and professional organizations in your field tin also be good sources of information.

One time y'all have a good feel for the market rate, recall about the factors that might motility you up or downward inside that range — how much experience you have, whether y'all have additional qualifications that the employer seems excited virtually, and whether there'south any special hardship attached to the task, like a lot of travel. Those can also factor into the salary for a given position.

Assume that at some betoken in the interview process, you might get asked what salary range yous're looking for. At that place's a lot of advice out at that place recommending that y'all duck the question and respond with something like, "I'm seeking a off-white salary that's in line with the market" or "I'd like to acquire more nearly the task and your benefits package before I answer that." But I've got to tell yous — an awful lot of interviewers aren't going to permit those answers stand. You're very likely to become pushed to name a number, considering employers don't desire to waste their time if you're wildly outside of their ballpark. (If you're thinking, "Well, and then they should name their salary range showtime and we can both figure that out," you're absolutely correct. And in fact there'southward a movement toward more companies being up-front nearly their salary ranges. But it's still very, very common for companies to play coy and insist you proper noun a number first.)

You lot tin effort maxim, "Tin can yous tell me what the range for the position is?" And some interviewers will tell you, so it's worth request. But in other cases, you'll need to be prepared to name a number yourself if you want to motion forward in their process.

That'due south why yous did your enquiry beforehand! Ideally you've come with a range that yous think reflects the market rate for this kind of work in your geographic area. If you're pressed to name the range you take in listen, one choice is to say, "I'm nevertheless learning about the task, of course, but based on what I sympathize so far, I'd be looking for a salary in the range of $X–$10. Are we in the same ballpark?" (And yes, this is infuriating! The company knows what it plans to pay, and could but tell you instead of making y'all go through this guessing game. Just often this is how information technology goes.)

Sometimes the employer might not bring up salary at all, and you might discover yourself wishing for some idea of how much the job pays, especially if the interview process is a lengthy one. In that location's a long-standing — and inexplicable — tradition of frowning on candidates who ask about salary, specially at early stages of a hiring process. This is ridiculous, as evidently you piece of work for money and what a job pays is highly relevant information that might touch on your decision to go on on in a hiring process of not. And notwithstanding, the convention persists.

That said, this is starting to change, and information technology's condign more accepted for candidates to ask about bacon. Be aware, though, that if you lot bring up the topic yourself, some old-school interviewers may agree it confronting y'all.

The safest time to bring upwards bacon yourself is when information technology's clear that you're asking to spare both y'all and the employer from investing fourth dimension or coin if you're too far apart on salary — like if yous're being asked to fly in from out-of-town for an interview, or if information technology'southward articulate that the interview process will be lengthy with many steps to it. In a case like that, you lot can say, "Before I wing in, can we make certain we're in the same ballpark on salary?" Or, "Since information technology sounds like this is a multi-step process, I wonder if you tin can give me a sense of the salary range since I want to respect your time if nosotros're non in the same ballpark?"

Of course, if you do this, be prepared for the interviewer to turn information technology effectually on you and say something like, "Permit me know what you lot're looking for and I can tell y'all if information technology's in our range." So once more, you'll want to have done your research beforehand and exist prepared with an answer.

Once you receive an offer, and y'all want to ask for more than coin, the biggest thing to know is that most of the time, yous don't need to nowadays an elaborate justification for why y'all're request for a college salary. In most cases, you lot can simply say one or 2 sentences: "Any run a risk you could go up to $X?" Or, "Do you lot have any room on the salary? I was hoping you'd be able to do $X." Truly, that'southward it! I've fabricated many chore offers, and the majority of candidates who negotiate are merely doing it with one or two curt sentences.

One time you say that, stop talking. You've fabricated your asking, and now you're waiting for an answer. It might take the person a minute, and during that minute y'all might experience uncomfortable and exist tempted to fill the silence. Don't do that! You risk undercutting the asking you just made.

If you're wondering whether or not to ask for more money when you go an offer, well-nigh of the time the answer is yes. Employers oftentimes take a bit of jerk room when they make an offer, and at this indicate in the process, getting more money in your bacon is often as like shooting fish in a barrel as just asking for it.

Simply in that location are times when yous generally shouldn't effort to negotiate. For example, if you lot and the employer had discussed salary earlier in the process and the offering meets or exceeds what you said you asked for, by and large it'due south going to be seen equally bad faith if y'all inquire for more at present (unless the job has changed in some significant way since and so). Similarly, if the offer is unusually generous for the market, you might await out of impact if you ask for more. Only in most cases, it makes sense to run across if in that location's room to bump the offering up.

If your market place research has left you withal uncertain about how much is reasonable to ask for, you're generally non going to look unreasonable if you ask for a bump of around ten per centum more. In that location might be room to ask for even more than that, depending on what you learned from your market research. But if you're unsure, consider 10 percent. (Don't say "10 pct" — utilise the actual dollar figure you're asking for — merely that'south a decent guideline for your thinking.)

If you ask for more money and the answer is no, you can still accept the job if you want it! People sometimes worry they'll look foolish accepting at this point, but you won't; people have offers afterward thwarted negotiations all the fourth dimension. All y'all demand to say is, "I appreciate you lot considering it! I'm interested enough in the job that I'd love to take regardless."

And remember, negotiating salary is very normal! Sometimes information technology works and other times it doesn't, just don't take a "no" as reason not to try in the future.

Order Alison Green's book,Ask a Manager: Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-Stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life at Work, here. Got a question for her? Email askaboss@nymag.com. Her advice cavalcade appears here every Tuesday.

How to Negotiate a Salary After a Job Offering