Should I negotiate my job offer?
When I think back to the many clients I’ve worked with who’ve landed new jobs, there is one question that always remains before we’re signed, sealed, and delivered… and that is “Should I negotiate my job offer?”
As much as I’m all about “ask for more” the answer is not as simple as yes or no. It really depends on a few factors which I’m going to discuss in this post…
Yes, you should negotiate your offer if…
During the interview process, you discussed what your salary expectations were, the recruiter or Hiring Manager didn’t tell you that was unrealistic, and the offer didn’t meet those expectations.
If you find yourself in this situation, you should absolutely negotiate. You can very politely say “during the interview process, we discussed a salary in the range of $X-$Y. If we could get there, I would be happy to accept the offer.”
You didn’t discuss compensation at all during the interview process, and the offer doesn’t meet your expectations because…
- You’re currently earning more than what is outlined in the offer and you’d like to see an increase in order to make a move – If that’s the case, you should bring this point into your negotiation and be transparent about your current compensation.
- The offer is out of line with the market – If you’ve done your research on what the market is paying for a certain type of role (more on this here) and the offer doesn’t meet that $, that is another good reason to negotiate.
- Lots of other reasons - If you didn’t have a prior discussion on salary and don’t feel the offer is fair for any number of reasons, you can definitely negotiate. The worst they can say is no.
A few things to remember before you negotiate:
- Always be gracious first – show your appreciation for the offer and excitement for the job. No one hiring you wants to feel like it’s only about the money.
- Be informed – Don’t negotiate with nothing to back it up. Making a strong case for why you’re asking for a certain salary will increase your likelihood of getting it.
- Don’t make it personal – Don’t bring personal aspects into a negotiation with a new employer. If you can’t pay your rent, or your gym membership, that’s not your employer’s issue, and it’s not going to help you make your case.
- Go phone over email – This stuff can be sensitive. You don’t want to leave room for any misinterpretation which can happen in email.
- They want to hire you! Don’t be nervous. If you approach respectfully and have good rationale to back up your ask, it’s highly unlikely the offer is going to disappear. Remember, they gave you an offer! Their goal is to hire you!
You may not want to negotiate your offer if…
You already agreed on compensation with the recruiter or hiring manager and the offer reflects that.
There are exceptions here of course but it doesn’t look great to go back on your word. The reason why recruiters sometimes want to discuss these details ahead of time, is to make sure they have the budget to give you an offer before they waste more of their time or yours. I’m not saying you can’t change your mind about what you want, but it may not reflect positively.
The offer is generous
Not all companies are trying to pay you as little as possible to get you on board. That’s actually a pretty bad strategy because it makes you poachable to other companies. Best in class companies will bring their A game and pay you what you’re worth on the first shot. If you feel like the offer is generous, you don’t need to negotiate just for the sake of it. Companies who take this approach also have very little wiggle room.
The offer is in line with the market, even if it’s less than what you’re currently making
Maybe you’re taking a lateral move or even a step back to get into your dream company and/or job. In this case, an increase in salary may not be in the cards. That being said, unless that expectation was already set, you may still want to open the discussion.
Hope this post helped you with this tricky question. If you’re willing to share your negotiation story in the comments, I’d love to hear about your own experiences too!
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