Last Updated on September 20, 2024
Negotiating salary might be the most challenging part of the interview process for some people. While you want to be valued and paid fairly, the fear of you losing a job offer because of salary negotiating is daunting.
For hiring managers, salary negotiation questions are normal and expected. However, if you suggest unreasonable changes to the offer or do it repulsively, you might risk losing a job offer.
Our recruiters at Hire Integrated have been helping job seekers for many years, and we want to share our perspective on how you can negotiate salary on the job offer without losing it.
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What Part Of The Interview Process Is It Appropriate to Negotiate Salary?
First Interviews
This stage is inappropriate for negotiations since the hiring manager is still getting to know you and is unsure whether you’re the right fit. You can definitely lose a potential job offer by negotiating your salary during the first interviews.
Asking the salary range for the position at the end of the interview is as far as you can go. It would be appropriate if the job posting didn’t specify that number already.
Job Offer Extended
Typically, the salary negotiations don’t start until the job offer has been extended. It is best not to start talking numbers in earlier stages of the interview process, as you will only get leverage after you’ve proven that you’re the best candidate for the job.
You will only know how much the company wants to offer you during the offer state. From there, you can see if you need to negotiate the salary or if you are happy with what’s the company offers.
If you need more time to prepare for the salary negotiations, ask for some time to think over the job offer.
After you accepted the job
It might be too late for salary negotiations if you have already accepted the initial offer and have a start date. In that case, your best bet would be to bring tangible value to the company within the next 3-6 months and bring up a potential raise then.
Focus on bringing results in these months, outwork and outperform the rest of the team to show that you deserve a raise.
Is there risk in negotiating salary?
Again, most companies expect job seekers to negotiate salary after extending a job offer. And if you prove your worth to the company or have some other leverage like another offer on a table, they can seriously consider granting you higher pay.
Other companies, however, don’t have any wiggle room when it comes to salaries. We are not talking about small companies only; even big, corporate jobs can have specific salary ranges they can’t go above.
You can always ask if there is room for negotiations, which is very safe. But if you approach negotiating salary with an arrogant and demanding attitude, hiring managers might rethink their decision and withdraw the job offer.
We also wanted to add that no companies worth working for will take the job offer back because of salary negotiations (unless you’re being unreasonable and demanding). Think twice before getting upset at the lost opportunity, as the culture within such a company could be very toxic.
8 ways to negotiate salary to not lose job offer
Some people might feel uncomfortable negotiating salary, but that should stop you from getting paid more when you deserve it. To boost up your confidence, we have put together 8 ways to negotiate salary to not lose job offer:
1. Know the industry trends
Complete and accurate information about the industry norms can hint at what you can ask for during negotiations. You can use Glassdoor to take a peek inside that company’s pay scale even before receiving the offer.
It might be a good idea to learn what skills are required and optional for the role. If you have a wider-than-usual array of skills that you can apply on the job and bring value, you should use it as one of your talking points.
The more information you gather about the company, the role, and what it takes to succeed, the more chances you will have for a positive response from the company.
2. Prepare your points before negotiating
Coming unprepared to negotiate salary is a bad idea. Hiring managers are used to job seekers trying to negotiate their pay, so you need strong arguments that will sway them in your favor to impress them.
Hiring managers will go back to the decision-makers to see if your request is reasonable, but they won’t do that unless you have convinced them that you can bring value beyond what they’ve learned initially.
You can bring up results from previous jobs (show quantitative results when you can), years of experience, certifications or unique skills, other higher offers you currently have, etc.
3. Practice your way to confidence
Practice your delivery as you prepare your counter-offer and why you should get it. You don’t want to be unconfident in your own abilities, as it might be a red flag for hiring managers.
Suppose you have a friend to practice with – even better. Try role-playing with your friend until you feel confident. If a friend is busy, you can practice the old way – in front of a mirror.
Just like during an actual interview, avoid filler words like “you know,” “like,” “I mean,” “I guess,” “ugh,” etc. Being professional during a salary negotiation is essential.
4. Be ready to answer more tough questions
If you expect to impress hiring managers into increasing your compensation, be ready that they will have more questions about why you deserve it. You are trying to achieve a win-win situation, so be prepared to show them how they win by agreeing to pay you more.
They might want to ask direct questions that might put you in a tough spot. For instance, they might ask, “Are you accepting the offer immediately after increasing the amount?” or “Do you have another offer you’re considering? How much is it for?”
5. Avoid ultimatums
Giving employers ultimatums is a fast way to lose your job offer when negotiating. While you might have another offer that you can accept if this doesn’t work, you don’t want to leave the company with a bad taste in their mouth.
Instead of saying, “either you accept my counter-offer, or I go to X company,” you can say something like, “Thank you for such a generous offer. However, I received another offer with $xx,xxx. I would still love to work in this role. I hope we can discuss your offer again to see if we can find something that would work for us.”
6. schedule a time to talk (email or phone is OK, but in person is better)
While it is acceptable to do it over email, the negotiations move very slowly, one email at a time. Instead, you can schedule a short meeting where you can show why you deserve higher pay.
Negotiating salary in person gives you several advantages:
- You can see the reaction to your counter-offer and act accordingly (it’s hard to see emotion through an email response)
- It is less likely that you can lose your job offer by negotiating salary in person
- If appropriate, you can bring additional resources to back up your claims (certifications, experience, graphs, etc.)
7. Understand their constraints
While most desire higher pay, some companies simply can’t pay you more than offered. If the company can’t increase the initial offer, don’t keep pushing this question, as this negotiation style might cause you to lose your job offer.
Instead, you can accept or reject the offer. If the salary offered is unacceptable, keep searching for the right company that can satisfy your needs.
8. Be truthful
Lying your way to an increased salary or promotion will only harm the long run. While it might be tempting to inflate your previous salary or add a couple of skills that you don’t have, that’s one of the ways you can lose your job offer by negotiating.
Be genuine with your intentions and answers, and it won’t daunt you as you move up the company.
4 Common salary negotiating mistakes that might cost you your job offer
It might be tempting to jump right into negotiating when you hear the offer. Thinking of good negotiation leverage and strategy on your feet is hard. Impatient job seekers often make these mistakes:
1. Not showing gratitude or excitement
After hearing the offer, you don’t want to come off demanding or ungrateful. It doesn’t matter how small the initial offer might be; show gratitude and professionalism.
If you are not ready to negotiate on the spot, ask if you can think about the offer overnight. Use this time to prepare a counter offer and your negotiation strategy.
2. Jumping the gun
While salary is the main thing job seekers look at, there might be other perks offered by the company. Instead of rushing into negotiations, gather all the information about bonuses, insurance, perks, and not just salary.
After you get the whole picture, the initial offer could seem more attractive and not require drastic changes as you might have thought.
3. Declining offer without negotiating
It would be comical to lose a potentially good job offer without negotiating. While the initial offer might be disappointing, you should always see if there is room for negotiating before declining the offer altogether.
Hiring managers might be lowballing the offer on purpose, as they expect job seekers to negotiate. You need to be well aware of the industry norms to see through a job offer quality.
4. Not getting the offer in writing
Once you and the hiring manager reach the acceptable compensation, ask to put the offer in writing. Any legitimate company will not oppose this request. If you don’t get your offer in writing, you risk losing the final job offer you agreed to.
Once you receive it in writing, make sure that everything is correct, as mistakes happen easily.
Final Thoughts
While it is possible to lose a job offer by negotiating salary, it is relatively uncommon. Be genuine, professional, and grateful to avoid that happening to you.Â
- It is absolutely fine to negotiate compensation. Most companies expect you to do that. The worst that can happen if you ask – is they will tell you that they don’t negotiate.
- Don’t start negotiating salary on your first interview. Wait until the company extends you an offer.
- Prepare for negotiations thoroughly and practice your delivery. Your confidence can help you a great deal.
- In-person negotiations are better than email or over the phone. You can see the hiring manager’s reaction on the spot instead of waiting for the response or just hearing a vocal response.
The chances of you losing a job offer when negotiating salary will be slim if you follow the suggestions in this article. Good luck in your negotiations!
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Emily Rushton, Founder and CEO of Hire Integrated, has over a decade of experience in recruitment, helping companies solve high-volume hiring challenges. Her unique, storytelling approach has made her a trusted leader in the industry, helping both businesses and candidates succeed.
