How to negotiate a better salary?

This is the age of specialization. Although in some companies the authorities shift persons from one department to another one, normally employees prefer to work in the posts as per their qualification, experience and specialized area. For instance if the production manager is given the delegation of authority to work as a senior manager in marketing for some time, he would not feel happy with this for long.

Keep in your mind some of the most essential things for a professional career-

• When you appear at an interview, first try to know what would be your designation and gradation in the pay roll of the organization.
• What would be your job profile?
• What would be your cost to the company (CTC) as salary and perks?

The above three are vital while you join an organization with a lot of great expectations in your heart. The unfortunate matter is employers commit a lot of deviations by obviously not giving what is stated in the offer letter. For instance, the human resource department of an organization conducts interview for the post of sales officer for one state but ultimately assigns three states, showing the cause of lack of good manpower. But the business concern does not give salary and perks of three persons. Ultimately the officer gets salary of one man but does the work of three persons. Many times it is seen that three people belonging to one grade on the pay roll of the company gets three different salaries.

Why salary negotiation is an important part in your new job?

Salary negotiation is an important part in a new job because whatever you are receiving in your present job does not give you enough job satisfaction. The new salary must be at least 20% more than the present one. Not only salary but the associated perks such as traveling allowances, house rent allowances, bonus, leave travel encashment and leave encashment need to be clearly stated in the appointment offer.

What you need to clearly understand other than your salary?

• Make best efforts to know what would be your designation in the new post. What are your additional responsibilities in the new job and how much authority and power you would be assigned to handle the responsibilities?
• Seek clarification from the authorities about the organizational hierarchy and line of command. Ensure your position and who else would be assigned to assist you to execute the job responsibilities smoothly.
• You need to understand the entire structure of your salary with cent percent clarity about allowances, perks and taxation systems.

7 Tips to negotiate a better salary

Be reasonable and sincere when negotiating- The salary negotiation usually comes at the end of interview. Although it is the most exciting part of it, any immaturity shows by you can cost your new opportunity. Make maximum efforts to stay off from anxiety and frustrated behavior. In such negotiations, even experienced professionals lose their cool. In salary negotiations, be most reasonable while putting your demands for the extra in the salary and perks. Try to put before the interviewers that how logical and justified you are with your demand.

For instance if you want five thousand bucks more than your current salary, you can negotiate on the following grounds. Number one is negotiating your wages showing the cause of your experience. Show off therein your achievements and accomplishments in the present job. Abide sincerely with the arguments given by the employer. Keep nodding at the reasons shown by the employer by saying…”I do agree with you sir, but…”

Make use of diplomatic language without any sharp reaction in your behavior.

Avoid premature income discussions- The green signal for salary negotiation comes only from the employer. Usually he asks for your present salary structure and that initiates the process for salary negotiation. Never make the blunder of starting the negotiation from your side. That will simply spoil the impression painstakingly built by you before the employer.

Avoid any kind of premature discussion about money before interviewer comes to that point from his side.

The reason is he will get an idea that you are most interested in the money part least in the work.

Never commit when you get an offer- Avoid giving any sure idea about your date of joining, in the case you get their offer. It is because you need time to study the offer letter in detail. Shifting to another organization needs rethinking.

You might be getting lower pay in your present organization but the work atmosphere could have been more fitting for you.

Your sincerity and hard work might have been recognized by the management of the present job. They might be thinking in terms of giving you a promotion or hike in the salary and perks. You have to make an analysis in terms of job satisfaction; you are going to get in your new job. Shifting of job has many pitfalls, which might jeopardize the prospects of your entire family.

Take enough time to think about the new job offer and finally if you decide to change then communicate the decision to the management of your new place of work. While leaving the present organization, write to the present organization appreciating their valuable contribution to your career without a hint of the bitter things for which you have to leave their organization. This is definitely helpful in building up a healthy career.

Learn how to use vulnerability- Find out how badly the employer needs you without getting carried away by your own need for the job. You need to be very calculative while doing this.

Employer’s ideas about expansion,investment in his new projects and interest in hiring new man power expose his vulnerable side.

• Make polite, yet tactful inquiries about his interest in the new ventures and the facts for which he wants to hire fresh manpower. Show your appreciation in the things he is going to do. This will naturally impress him.
• Avoid saying the bitter facts behind your decision to change your job. That will totally expose your weaker side resulting in rejection.
• In case you are a fresher, never say about the poor things in your family for which you need to work.
• Present your positive side and explain how your qualification and exposure and experience can benefit him in his new ventures.

This will help you in negotiating a higher pay along with perks.

Negotiate job responsibilities- Know thoroughly about the new job responsibilities without getting carried away by the sense of new achievement and success. It is cent percent possible that a complete disaster may be unfolding in this new prospect. There are organizations which do not have any kind of human resource development plans or employee benefit schemes.

Those keep on hiring, tiring and firing with a very high employee turnover ratio. Work atmosphere in such organizations is such that you get forced to leave it within a short time.

The point here is you need to know completely about your responsibilities in the new job. Make sure that the organization pays you for every bit of extra responsibility.

Introduce new things on which you can negotiate better- Innovativeness is a fitting term for salary negotiation. You may have many qualities for deserving a better pay, such as

• Your extra-qualification
• Good family background
• Exposure to a better technical environment i.e. your organization has fully implemented SAP administered computerized work atmosphere.
• Your training and exposure
• Your present organization is an ISO certified one for its quality
• Your good track record in work experience

Make yourself prepared by keeping all these things ready as proofs of your candidature in deserving better salary and perks.

Use your enthusiasm throughout the process- Your body language is the most important thing in your salary negotiation. While negotiating throughout the process;

• Keep smiling.
• Keep a happy expression on your face without irritation.
• Make use of your logic and confidence.
• Appreciate the good things that your new employer says during the interaction.
• Thank the interviewer for every courtesy extended to you during the conversation.

Srikant Mohanty