Negotiating salary causes a lot of trouble for most job hunters, simply because many do not know how to play the negotiation game. For starters, that is precisely how you should think of negotiating a salary — as a strategic game.
The organization with whom you are interviewing has as much at stake when it comes to finding out how much you earn as you have in withholding this information.
However, far too often, when pressured to provide salary information early in the interviewing process, many job hunters make the mistake and cave in.
A Basic Rule of the Game
Remember our mantra: Do not negotiate salary until after you get the job offer.
The reason for this is simple. If you know they want you, you’ll have more leverage. If you meet with other people involved in the hiring decision, you’ll have more allies who will advocate for the salary you ask for. Otherwise it’s just you and HR, and if they think your range is too high, you won’t have the resources within the company to counter the sentiment.
This, of course, can be tricky. Because making connections in the company can lead to a job offer and the support you need during your salary negotiations, you do not want to alienate the HR department. On the other hand, you do not want to sabotage your efforts to get the best offer.
The Four-Step Solution
At GetFive, we’ve developed a method known as the “Four-Step Salary Negotiation Method.” This is a technique that guides you through how to negotiate for a job, eliminate your competition, get the offer, and then negotiate the salary.
One of the things you learn, for example, is that most hiring managers are looking for the value you can add to their department. If you can convince them you are the best person for the job, they can influence HR to make a more competitive offer.
To repeat: Negotiating salary is a game. Many of the reasons a company has for asking about your salary history have nothing to do with the job for which you are interviewing. Take heart in knowing that almost everyone has struggled with the salary issue at one time or another, but with help from GetFive, you can get the salary you deserve.
