Resources for Job Seekers
How to negotiate salary in an interview
Negotiating salary needn't be a nerve-wracking experience if you remember a few key points
How to negotiate salary in an interview
Salary is, and should be, an important part of the discussion during a recruitment process.
It’s not only a question about terms of financial compensation but also about potential challenges, perks and other key information (such as holiday entitlement) to have before deciding whether to accept a new job.
Research the market
You can find lots of statistics on market wages just by googling it. Compare your own salary with others in the same profession to get a greater understanding of what is reasonable, in both directions.
Evaluate what you have to offer
Write down what you do, and keep track of your projects. Don’t rely on your boss to remember all of your achievements and be prepared to remind him or her of all your new tasks and responsibilities.
Prepare a brag sheet
Following on from the previous point, once you’ve evaluated what you have to offer it is worth putting that information into an easy to digest, 1 pager, that will help you to remember and share your strengths with the recruiter.
If you’re really looking to impress, you can take our Joy at Work quiz and complete the free personality test, you will then be sent a Personal Feedback Report that shows your strengths and work based preferences, which you can then give to the recruiter during your interview.
Find the right timing
If your company is going through a rough time financially, it might not be the perfect time to bring up you salary claims. Wait until things are going in the right directions and you will have better odds to negotiate the salary you want.
However, just because their financial health is looking good , this doesn’t automatically means you will get a raise. And also, even if your company is not doing so well but you’ve just reached an impressive milestone or exceeded an important goal, then this could be a convenient occasion to talk about your compensation.
If you’ve earned it, it will probably go your way.
Give a range and not a specific number
Often it can be more helpful to give a range for your expected salary rather than an exact amount. When setting your expectations make sure the minimum in that range is something you would be happy with as your salary.
Have the discussion on a Thursday or Friday
You are more likely to get a salary raise if you ask on a Thursday or Friday. One psychological study found that we get more agreeable as the working week progresses, meaning you will have more chance of success if you ask later in the week.
Pay isn’t everything
It’s important to remember that while your salary is vitally important, it’s not everything.
Obviously being well paid is a great aspiration to have, but if you’re not happy in your role to begin with then will more money really make that much of a difference? Sometimes it can be more beneficial long-term to take a lower salary in a job that meets your needs in other ways (such as role responsibility or the type of work you will be doing).
We all want to feel that our salary reflects our performance, but when having a salary discussion, coming across as ‘money hungry’ can actually have more of a negative effect on your chances of getting that pay rise.
So, if you do have a salary discussion coming up, then it is best to prepare and make sure that you can justify any increase you’re asking for.
