How To Discuss Salary Issue

 

How To Discuss Salary IssueIt is always uncomfortable, awkward and worrying to speak about money, especially with an employer. Some jobseekers and employees try to avoid this issue or to finish with it as much fast as possible, remaining dissatisfied with the salary.

Having discussed your salary during the recruitment process or having discussed the question on its increase at the present position, you can achieve quite positive result. This issue is pretty important for both sides of negotiations, that is why your approach to it should be very responsible and serious. “Forbes” editor Susan Adams, having talked to the HR experts, has created a list of rules, which jobseekers and employees should follow during the negotiations about the salary to achieve an acceptable for them amount of money. Our executive resume writer service publishes this list of recommendations.

Once Susan has told her friend, who is a top manager of the advertising company, that she is going to write about how to discuss the salary issue at the interview. The friend, who is more than 50 years old (we will call him Don), has been inspired very much and created his own list of ten points. It should be said that he prefers to play by strict rules.

Don’s tips were like that, for example: “If they liked you, it means that they are already under your thumb”. Or another example: “Lie them as much as possible about your previous salary”. Don advices to go directly to the employer and tell him that you have another job offer. “Lie about how much you will be paid at new workplace. Maybe you will manage to ”squeeze” out of him more money. Conduct negotiations in both companies, taking into account what place you like more and how many boats you are ready to burn”.

Don could manipulated the employers so well, that in the same year he managed to get two severance pay in two different companies, each severance pay in six months. “I got salary for the year, but I worked for 5 months only”, – he writes. But at the ends he makes a remark: “Of course, I used to do that when I was young. Now I have to ask, eat humble pie, I get as much as they give me. I lick the dust that much, that others are shocked by this. I thank all the time, hide my age or tell that I am younger and tell about nine sick children with one purpose only – not to be fired”.

Having listened to him, Susan interviewed experts on employment and discovered that Don’s ancient tricks were not that much outdated. No one from her sources does not like the idea to lie to an employer, but they all agree that some of the above mentioned tips have their pluses. For example, it may be useful to demonstrate your employer that other employers also appreciate you, and it is also useful to discuss the salary issue in advance.

The author of the book “Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business” and former head of such HR services as PepsiCo and Electronic Arts Rusty Rueff says that jobseekers should explain clearly why they need exactly this salary they ask. “This is the same as if you apply for a mortgage or student loan, – he says. – A manager, who hires you, wants to hear reasonable explanation for your demands”. For example, if a company wants you to move to other city, and you have two kids, who study at a private school, in this case you should not hesitate and say that you need certain amount of money to cover the costs of their education.

However, Rueff adds that salary discussing is a kind of negotiations and it is useful to position yourself as a valuable employee, whom other employers also want to hire. Roy Cohen, the author of the book “The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide: Success Secrets of a Career Coach”, also says that it is good to have competitive offers or at least to have an interview at prospective employers and to let everyone know about this.

At the same time Rueff advises not to overdo: “You should be self-confident, but not impudent”, says Rueff. He gives an advice to pass the interviews only having prepared in advance. First of all, think thoroughly what is the most important for you – salary, or personal and professional growth, or great goal? What are you ready to refuse? For some employees the salary is not as important as holiday periods. Severance pay for dismissal is also a good subject for discussion.

Besides, make sure that you have gathered information about your employer, tat you know what privileges the position gives you, what policy company has towards employees, what wages they get. All this can be done by studying the profiles of your future colleagues and former workers of the company in the social networks.

Finally, everywhere it is possible try to negotiate personally. If you are sitting in the employer’s office, Cohen says, “he starts to feel somewhat more obligated to you than if you are talking on the phone”. It is much easier to get rid of a person, having hung up the phone, than to drive out a perspective employee of the office.

Our professional resume writing service reviews the main methods of the salary negotiations. So, let’s enumerate these methods and figure out how they may help to get increase in wages.

Negotiate in person

It is easier to make an impression face to face than on the phone. People feel more obligated when you are physically present in their office.

Clearly realize what you are ready to refuse

What is crucial for you? Salary? Severance pay? Statement about the absence of competition? Good office? Before the beginning of negotiations think it over what you are going to discuss, what you are ready to sacrifice?

Use the offers of other employers

Tell your employer about interviews with other companies and about any other offers that you have. If you manage to present this information in a delicate way, it will only strengthen your position during the negotiations.

Learn everything about the possible salary

Read the actual data about the level of salaries in your field and your region, or even at your potential employer if he, for example, has vacancies on the employment sites with open information about salary. Try to learn as much as possible about the fact what payment you are going to expect. Probably, the employees of the company mentioned it on the Internet or at least hinted at its size.

Offer to perform a joint project before accepting the job offer

If an HR manager does not give you’re the salary you ask, offer him to perform a joint project on a contractual basis. As soon as you are inside the company and demonstrate yourself from the best side, employer will probably meet your requirements.

Prove your usefulness

Keep selling yourself constantly. Suggest your own ideas and strategies for solving the problems in the new position. The more employer appreciates you, the bigger salary you will get.