After you’ve aced the interview, you get a call from the hiring manager who wants to offer you a job! The only problem? The offer isn’t exactly what you were hoping for.
Your options are to take it, leave it or try to negotiate. What are you going to do?
RELATED: Career expert reveals 9 secrets to resume success
More than half of workers don’t negotiate job offers
According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 56% of workers don’t negotiate for better pay when they’re offered a job. Here are a few reasons why:
- Don’t feel comfortable asking for more money
- Afraid the employer will decide not to hire them
- Don’t want to appear greedy
Those who don’t ask for more money could be missing out. CareerBuilder found that more than half of employers are willing to negotiate salaries on initial job offers for entry-level workers.
In addition, 52% of hiring managers typically offer a lower salary at first so there’s room to negotiate.
More than a quarter of employers who offer a lower salary said their initial offer is at least $5,000 less than what they’re willing to offer — so they’re expecting a counteroffer.
How to negotiate a better job offer
Think you have the courage to negotiate a better job offer? Here are the strategies recommended by Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder:
Ask all of your questions: It’s important to have all information on the table before you accept or reject an offer. It’s OK to ask questions such as: Is this base only? When would you like an answer? Will there be a sign-on bonus? How will I be evaluated, and will there be an increase based on that evaluation?
Treat negotiation like a job interview: Remind the employer of the experience and education you have and why you are worth more, but understand the employer’s restraints. There may be a salary cap that no amount of negotiation can loosen.
Consider more than the salary: Negotiating a job offer and negotiating a salary are not synonymous; consider the other factors you can negotiate that greatly impact your role and overall happiness with it, such as responsibilities, location, travel, flexibility, opportunities for development and perks.
Although the negotiation process can be stressful, approaching it with a positive attitude is key, according to experts.
Do your research to improve negotiating ability
When you first receive a job offer, don’t immediately accept it. By asking for a day or two to think it over, you can buy yourself some time to decide if you want to counter it or not.
One helpful resource is Glassdoor’s Know Your Worth tool, a personalized salary calculator.
After entering your job title, company, location and experience, the tool provides a free custom salary estimate that you can compare with any job offers.
RELATED: 10 job interview mistakes you’ll most likely regret
[anvplayer video=”4073671″]
