Negotiating Your Job Offer
If one or more aspects of the offer are less than ideal or not what you expected, you must approach the negotiation points of your job offer carefully. Negotiate only those “make or break” points in the offer because there is a chance the employer could respond negatively. (Employers often have a “runner-up” candidate in mind, in case their top choice candidate does not work out.)
If you do decide that you must address some aspect of an offer, carefully consider the following points before you begin the negotiation process:
Clarify What You Want & Why
Before you speak with a representative of the organization, clarify the issues that are critical to your satisfaction with the offer. There are three questions to ask yourself:
What exactly do I want? Why is it important to me?
Does this employer have the ability to meet my needs?
Will I refuse the offer if I cannot get what I want?
Make All Requests At Once
You do not want to put the employer in the position of meeting one demand only to have you come up with another. Do not come across as a moving target.
Don't Revisit Established Policies
If the issues you are negotiating have already been explained to you during the interview process, do not try to renegotiate them unless you are willing to take the risk that the offer will be withdrawn. Most employers (especially larger organizations) set their compensation scales and other policies with the needs of their entire workforce in mind. Deviating from those policies for one person will have the effect of skewing their system for other employees and could set a bad precedent.
Example: A law firm employer has already explained that all fifth-year associates receive three weeks of vacation, so asking for more will most likely be fruitless – and the employer may become frustrated.
On the other hand, if you were told a salary range for a position and then were given the lowest number in the range, it is appropriate to ask for a clarification of the factors on which your salary offer was based and, depending on that answer, to request consideration at a higher place within the range.
Approach the Employer With Respect
Negotiating a job offer is a bit like telling someone that a gift they gave you was not nice enough. It is a delicate situation that requires preparation and tact, so it is important to think through the conversation:
Plan what you are going to say.
Have points outlined that support your position. Give reasons for your request(s).
Be prepared to listen to what the employer has to say.
Remind the employer how excited you are about the prospect of working with the firm, and say that you want only to clear up these final details.
Discuss these negotiation points verbally. You can confirm the final agreement in writing afterwards.
Example: “Ms. Hiring Partner, Thank you for your offer. Your firm is definitely my first choice, but I see that the salary you offered is below the range we discussed in the interview process. I remain interested in the position, but I would very much appreciate some further clarification of the firm’s compensation policies.”
Example: “Mr. Human Resources Professional or Hiring Manager, I am excited to get your offer, and I would love to work for the ____ group. When we spoke, I understood that there was a fairly wide salary range for the position, and the offer that you gave me falls on the low end of the range. I know that the salary for this position must fall within a specific band/grade, but I was hoping we might be able to talk about possibly moving the salary offer to a higher step within that band/grade, given my experience level.”
Example: “Ms. Hiring Manager, Thank you very much for the offer. I am excited about your company, and I appreciate your confidence in me. I know that your offer contemplates a start date of July 1, and I was wondering how much latitude you have regarding that date. I was planning to be away at that time on vacation with my family, and, if at all possible, I would be grateful if we could push the start date back by two weeks, to July 15.” [NOTE: It is also a good idea to tell the employer when you accept your offer about any commitments or vacation that you have pre-planned (or pre-paid) within the first six months and to respectfully request that you be allowed to take that as vacation time.]
Expect No Change
Be prepared to be told that no changes can be made, so plan ahead of time how you will respond.
Confirm In Writing
If any changes are agreed upon in the negotiation process, make certain that they are confirmed in writing (by you or the employer) so that everyone involved is aware of the modifications to the offer.
Thank the Employer
Send a thank you note in writing – no matter the outcome. The legal world is a small one.