How to Negotiate Salary in a Job Interview?

Discussing and negotiating for salary is a very crucial part of any job interview. Even the most seasoned of candidates often find it a nerve wracking task. However bungling on this aspect can hurt you in many ways. You ask for too much, and you lose the game. If you ask for less, you end up with the nagging feeling that you could have got more.

Here are some practical tips on negotiating your salary in interviews, which helps you to get the best package in the industry and your designation.

Decide your priorities

Decide on your priorities at the moment- what are you looking for in this new job? Is it more money, responsibility, a more comfortable balance between work and personal life, a workplace nearer home, a great company? This helps to decide on areas that you can compromise and areas where you have to hold fast. You can also esearch into the industry standards of pay for the job you are interviewing for. This can be done through the internet. You can also get the information from a dependable contact in the industry

Always Maintain a positive attitude

Always maintain a positive attitude towards the employer and the job/role. Make sure you acknowledge the opportunity and conduct these discussions professionally. At no point during these discussions should they think that they hired the wrong person for the position. There have been cases of employers revoking the offer.

Know and Ask at the Right Time

Avoid talking about salary at the start of the interview. Let the interviewer bring it up. Your first task is to convince the interviewer how you can add value to the organization. Give specific examples to support your line. In other words, you need to first sell your expertise to the company. Once this is accomplished, the interviewer will naturally be as flexible as can be in negotiating the salary.In case the interviewer brings up the question too early in the interview, stall the question for the time being. You can say something like “Money is of course important to me, but what matters most is to see how suitable I am for the position. I would like to explore that first and then come to the salary part, if that is alright with you”

Get Multiple offers

You would be in the best position to negotiate if you have multiple offers in hand. The hiring manager will treat you with a lot more respect if they feel that you are in demand elsewhere. They’ll also be worried that they’ll lose you to some other employer (or competitor). Even if you don’t have multiple offers, try not to come across as desperate. 

Having said this, it’s never a good idea to take up a job/role for the salary and benefits alone. There is no great loss in taking 15-20 per cent salary cut for a role/employer that you like.

 In abstract, preparation and the right tone are the deciding factors for successful salary negotiations. Behave like a thorough professional when talking about your salary. Your conduct at this juncture will remain with the interviewer and other important people involved and influence all future negotiations for a raise or other perks.