October 2021 - Jooble Blog

Unobvious reasons to negotiate a higher salary

How does the whole process look like? When is the best moment to bring up this question? Apart from crafting a good pitch about their skills and experience, job seekers need to prepare different salary negotiation tactics. If you managed to catch the hiring manager’s attention and the company seriously considers you as a potential employee, don’t be afraid to clear things up on the spot.

In case you’re not happy with some terms and conditions of the contract, don’t brush this concern off. Otherwise, your dissatisfaction will be accumulating and building on. As a result, various doubts distract you from performing assigned tasks as good as you can. Thus, your productivity and engagement with the new position may dramatically decrease.
No one is going to read your mind unless you openly say what you want. Jooble specialists have prepared some tips on how to do salary negotiation successfully.

Is it too late to negotiate salary after accepting an offer?

The short answer is no. Think about the whole process this way. Once you have been chosen among many candidates, potential employers are very aware of your knowledge and skills. They appreciate them and want to apply to new and already existing projects. The company has already gone far in searching for the most suitable person. It spent a lot of time on multiple interview stages with many people, and so did you. Understanding this background should boost your decisiveness to discuss salary expectations.

However, the timing of your demand is crucial. It’s too late to ask for an immediate raise once you have already started the job. If the person signed up the contract and all the related data went to the system, such a request wouldn’t look serious in the least. Experts say a good time to ask is either during the final interview or after accepting the offer but before the work starts. Thus, you get the highest chance to increase your base salary.

Key factors to crack the crafty salary negotiation in interviews

Let’s not rest on the laurels too early. No one is irreplaceable, especially for the human resources and hiring managers with tight budgets. That’s why it is so crucial to master your negotiation skills. Without a profound and clear-cut explanation of why you’re worth more, no one will take your request seriously. Here is a fearless salary negotiation strategy you could use.

Back your proposal with facts and figures

Research to figure out the salary range for the offered position

Start with your geographic location and then switch to nationwide mode. If you’re about to work in the international and highly competitive niche, look over the salary range in the leading companies across the world. It is necessary to find up-to-date information on how much companies from your industry are ready to pay for the tasks you are offered to perform.

Align collected information with your education and experience

Keep in mind that company representatives have already heard about your brilliant achievements. Therefore, don’t repeat yourself entirely. Give the potential employers a clear understanding that you can help them achieve business goals easier and faster. How? By providing specific examples when your expertise, connections, skills, and background played a crucial role for the company. Make them as relevant to the current needs of future employers as possible. Don’t miss the chance to show you’re already aware of the business processes and challenges of the company. Show your interest to contribute to its growth. Prepare some unique selling points, such as fast-learning skills and creative approaches to problem-solving.

Research the current economic situation

We are not living in a vacuum. Even if your sphere is now thriving, the whole economy might not. Your offered salary can soon become insufficient in the wake of inflation or exchange fluctuations. Numerous Covid restrictions (that might not disappear entirely in the foreseeable future) also affect our expenses. Have a look at the market trends in your industry. If the overall demand for your skills is rising, it’s also a good argument why your paying rate should be higher. Figures always sound more plausible than words. Also, the new company will see your proposals are well-prepared. Thus, you also gain the reputation of a person who appreciates other people’s time.

Be ready to bargain

Figure out how much the company is ready to pay

There is no perfect moment to communicate money questions with potential employers. The irony is, you still have to find one. Sure, the best-case scenario is when the other side raises the point itself. Thus, you get information about its readiness to negotiate and current financial capacities. To make the conversation more fruitful, try to figure out how much the company pays to its current employees on average. Get in touch with them via LinkedIn or try other networking methods to obtain some first-hand experience.

Get in touch with the companies from the same niche

If this idea doesn’t seem to be plausible, talk to recruiters from other companies operating in the same niche as yours. They know what candidates with your background can count on. Recruiters often call first, so this time don’t roll the eyes. Ask them questions about the position’s tasks and payment. If you managed to figure out what salary the company expects to pay for your job – kudos! You nailed this stage. If a potential employer gave you at least a rough idea about the budgeted money, consider that as a win too.

Consider alternatives

If a salary offer is not the only thing bothering you, better discuss all your concerns at once. Otherwise, the hiring manager can get an impression you’re inconsistent. Prioritize demands and prepare to sacrifice some of them if necessary.

It’s also good to be open to alternatives. If the company can compensate you for certain extra expenditures instead of raising the salary, don’t say ‘’no’’ immediately. Ask potential employers more questions about possible alternatives. They will also help you understand the inner processes better and decide if this company is a good fit for you. More flexible vacation time? Great. Is the company ready to cover some moving expenses? Awesome. Does your potential employer encourage learning in the workplace? Perfect. Don’t refuse to consider these unobvious perks.

On the other hand, make sure to anchor them in your contract. Salary caps are still here, so sometimes the other side isn’t deadly stubborn. It simply can’t offer you exactly what you need. Consider side hustles and how to balance them with the primary job until things get clear.

Salary negotiation do’s and don’ts

Congratulations! You got a job offer! If you’re already on cloud nine, opening a champagne bottle, there is no need to read this article till the end. If job conditions are currently meeting your expectations, don’t get plagued with the idea to bargain things just for the sake of bargaining. Interacting with colleagues and bosses are unthinkable without flexibility and negotiating. So, you will have plenty of occasions to practice these skills.

Salary negotiation is a good idea if you see room for further discussion and have a list of telling arguments. Otherwise, don’t outwear the patience of your potential employers. As we mentioned before, no one will guess what you want unless you tell it openly and clearly. Consider different salary negotiation role-play scenarios. How would you behave under various circumstances? Make a plan B. What if you will have to write a salary negotiation email? Expressing your thoughts in the letter may be easier, but what if it’s not your case?

Take into account cultural differences. People talk about money in various ways. Some of them are more straightforward, while the others are meandering and tricky. Successful salary negotiation is a sophisticated art. However, thanks to a well-prepared strategy, you will get what you want at your new workplace.

Why is asking interviewers important?

“We are done with our part. Do you have any questions?” Technically, this sentence marks the end of an interview. However, everything is not as easy as it seems.

Having questions to ask an employer during the job interview is a crucial indicator of your interest in the offered position. People love feedback and appreciate curiosity. They would eagerly answer reasonable questions related to the vacancy and the day-to-day responsibilities it includes.

Candidates also get additional opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. They may impress interviewers with awareness of company activities and mission. Preparing a list of questions to ask the interviewer shows that you are determined. Eventually, they help understand if the company is a good fit for the candidate.

This final part is always stressful because you are tired and want to breathe freely after the examination. Yet, good power statements and questions at the end of the job interview increase candidates’ chances to be remembered. They are more likely to be chosen for the position.

So, what do you need to ask? Jooble specialists have prepared some takeaways. Disclaimer: we didn’t cover questions about salary. It will be the topic for our next material.

What are good questions to ask an employer during the job interview?

What do you personally find exciting about working here?

People like talking about themselves. Use this trick to win the employer’s favour. You don’t manipulate (or maybe just a bit), rather ask for sincere feedback from more experienced people. Here are some examples of such questions:

What does inspire people working here?
Why did you choose this workplace back in the day?
How does the company align its goals with employees’ aspirations?
What defined your career path in this company?

These are killer interview questions to ask employers because you directly address their human side. Thus, candidates can show respect to the professional path of their potential colleagues. Furthermore, they figure out how favourable the working environment is in the company.

How can I grow professionally here?

Among all candidates, ambitious ones stand out and attract more attention. To show that you’re serious about working here, don’t hesitate to specify the next career steps.

How do employees get promoted in the company?
Are there any restrictions on how long people should work before getting a raise?
What are the key factors for a horizontal/vertical promotion?

Thanks to these questions, you’ll easier notice the red flags of the potential workplace. What if the culture of promotion and professional development is weak here? As a result, people don’t get enough recognition for their hard job. It may indirectly point at the high employee turnover. So, if you search for something long-lasting, don’t waste your time in the workplace with little to no appreciation.

What are your strategy and internal policy?

A successful company must have a strategy and an internal policy. Candidates should pay attention to these aspects since they inevitably deal with them carrying out day-to-day tasks. In case you don’t share company goals and rules, we would recommend considering another workplace. What if your potential employers encourage the high power distance culture? Would you feel comfortable with it?

The same goes for the company goals. Are they relevant to you? Would you eagerly contribute to achieving them? Sort these things out during the interview.

What goals is an organisation pursuing nowadays?
How flexible are the working hours?
How would you describe company management style?
Does the company cultivate a collaborative and supportive environment?
If an employee comes up with a fresh and good idea, who could help her implement it?

This one and similar questions show that the candidate cares about the long-term perspectives and takes internal policy seriously.

….and a bit more ideas

There are tons of questions you may ask before leaving the office. Some of them can break the ice at the beginning of the conversation. Others should show your commitment to performance and put you in a positive light. Here you can find examples of both categories:

Ice-breaker questions to ask an employer during the job interview:

What kind of attire is better at this workplace?
Are there any outdoor or indoor activities for employees?
How does my typical day will look like?
How do you encourage work-life balance among employees?
May I organize a hobby club?
Are employees allowed make small parties on Friday nights in the office?
Do you organize company parties?
How would you describe a company culture?

Is it ok to ask a lot of questions in an interview?

To sum up, there are dozens of questions you may raise. We don’t recommend using all of them. Otherwise, you will turn into the interviewer yourself. Specialists advise preparing 3-5 standing questions that fit all situations. Therefore, you won’t feel stressed and confused about this part of the conversation. Act accordingly and remember that recruiters and potential employers enjoy and appreciate fruitful interaction. Experts also emphasize that any interview should be a two-way street. Both parties have to make efforts to represent themselves in a positive light. The times when a hiring manager was an overwhelming favourite are in the distant past.

Some questions cross your mind in the middle of the conversation. Feel free to clarify your concerns on the spot. The amount of questions depends on the stage of the interview process. The nearer you are to the final boss, the more questions are ok to ask. A positive sign if they become more specific. Thus, your potential employers understand that you are already deep in the context know a lot about the company.