SECURING YOUR DREAM JOB IS ONE THING, BEING PAID FAIRLY FOR IT IS ANOTHER

LEARN NEGOTIATION TIPS HERE

If you are negotiating your salary with a current employer

1. Review your employment contract, there may be terms in the contract that outline how often performance and salaries are reviewed. You can use this information to jump start a conversation with your manager.
2. If you have received written feedback, work-related awards or accolates, use that information in your negotiation discussion to emphasise the value you bring, which should help you to secure a higher salary.
3. Benchmark your salary against industry and company norms, and use that information to your advantage as you discuss a raise. There are various websites available online including Glassdoor where you can view public data about salaries at specific companies, which has been posted directly by company employees.
4. Sometimes the most powerful thing to do in a salary negotiation is to keep quiet! It is not uncommon for people to feel guilty for asking for a payrise. This can result in asking for a lower payrise than we may otherwise have been offered! Sometimes, it's better to wait to see what your boss offers. If necessary, you can then suggest an alternative salary amount along with reasons that justify your salary request.

If you are negotiating a salary package with a new employer

1. Before you start negotiating a salary, review and document the work you have done that showcases your skills and that has offered tangible benefits to your employers.
2. If you are negotiating a salary with a new employer, be prepared to outline the skills and experience you have that back-up your salary request.
3. You are perfectly justified in asking an employer whether they have a budgeted salary range that they can share with you.
4. If the salary range doesn't meet your financial expectations, you can ask the company if they have flexibility on a higher salary - often firms will have 'targeted' salary ranges, but regularly have some flexibility in offering a higher salary package than what they have advertised or budgeted.
5. Don't forget to consider other benefits like pension contributions, number of holiday days per year, private medical, dental or vision benefits, and other benefits apart from salary,  that add value to you as an employee - these can also be negotiated! If you are unable to negotiate a higher base salary, you may be successful in negotiating higher bonuses, commission, or improved company benefits.

In all salary negotiations, be prepared to walk away and reject an offer that does not fairly compensate you for your skills and experience. However, if this is done with a current employer we strongly recommend you have an alternative job offer in hand!

If you would like help to showcase your skills with a well formatted and updated CV, please review the range of CV Services that we offer.