15 negotiation rules to help you get your dream job on your terms
Miscellaneous / / November 17, 2021
Be prepared to not only correctly present your requirements, but also to make compromises.
Deepak Malhotra
Job negotiations are never easy. Let's look at three common scenarios.
You have reached the third stage of selection for a company that you like. But suddenly you were invited for an interview at another company that you value even more. All of a sudden, the recruiter of the first company asks you a direct question: “As you know, we are considering several candidates. We like you and I hope the feeling is mutual. If we make you a competitive offer, would you agree? "
Situation number two. You have received a job offer that will definitely captivate you, but the salary will be less than you think you deserve. You ask a potential boss if it is possible to change the amount, and you hear: “We usually do not hire people with your experience, and besides, we have another
corporate culture. This work is not only about money. Do you mean to say that you will not get a job with us if we do not raise the salary? "And the last example. You have been working for your company for three years with great pleasure. And then an HR specialist from a third party contacts you and insists that you can get much more elsewhere. You don't want to quit your job, but decide to ask for a raise. Unfortunately, the company’s budget is limited, and your boss doesn’t like to be told about outside offers when asking for a pay raise. What to do?
Each of these situations is complex in its own way. And each one proves how difficult labor negotiations can be. Some companies do not have a transparent bonus system, while others are based on KPI, and thirdly, in general, everything depends on the general work of the department: someone made a mistake, and the whole team pays for it.
As a professor who studies and teaches the art of negotiation, I often advise my students to understand the subject well. Of course, each case is individual, but there are simple rules that help you achieve your goal at various stages of negotiations.
1. Make a good impression
This seemingly elementary rule is one of the most important. People won't fight for you if they don't like you. Any negative qualities you display during negotiations reduce your chances of getting what you want.
It's not just about being polite. It is important to be able to talk about your desires and not seem greedy at the same time, indicate not the disadvantages of a vacancy and not look petty, be persistent, but not boring.
You can ask your friends for help. Let them play the recruiter, and you will defend your interests. A look from the outside will help you choose the right tactics of behavior.
2. Explain why you deserve what you ask for.
Sympathy is only a few percent of success. Company representatives also need to be sure that you are worth the salary, which you ask. Never formulate your money requests just like that, but tell us why you want to receive exactly that amount of money.
For example, suppose you want to make 15% more than the standard rate or work from home one day a week. In the first case, it is important to explain why you deserve a higher salary than other employees in the same position. The second is to explain why you need to work at home so much: Let's say your kids come home early from school on Fridays.
Unless you have a clear reason, it's best not to name the condition. Remember the first rule - you have to be liked by the employer. A monologue about your exceptional value is more likely to present you as an arrogant person, especially if you have nothing to back up your desires.
3. Make it clear that you are interested in the offer
Employees of the hiring company will not revise the budget and agree with the management of your terms, if in the end you can say “Thank you, no”. So make it clear that you are serious and really want to work for this organization.
Often, the interest of a potential employer can be increased by hinting at your demand in the labor market. But the more you use this technique, the more the recruiter will be inclined to believe that you will not choose their company.
If you do decide to take a chance and mention it, balance your statement. For example, mention that you are willing to reject all other offers if you are definitely going to be hired.
4. Find out who will be negotiating with
It is not companies that are involved in the negotiations, but people. To convince the person across from you, you first need to understand their interests. For example, negotiating with your boss will be different from negotiating with an HR manager.
You can discuss the proposal in detail with the recruiter, and it is better not to pester the boss with small questions. HR managers are often responsible for hiring multiple people at the same time, and the sooner they find suitable candidates, the better. On the other hand, bosses directly benefit from hiring a new employee, which means they may well respond positively to your conditions.
5. Understand the limitations of the company
The company representatives may like you. They can be sure that you are worth every dollar you ask for. But they still won't propose to you. Why? Because they have a certain “ceiling” on salaries or other restrictions that cannot be removed even by the most skillful negotiating tactics.
It is important to define flexible and inflexible working conditions in advance. For example, if you try your hand at a company that hires 20 more employees for the same position, you are unlikely to be paid more than others. However, the terms of work, vacation and bonuses are likely to be negotiated.
But a small company that has never hired an employee of your specialization will be open to discussing salaries, your job title, and other important points.
The better you understand the employer's limitations, the more user-friendly solutions you can offer.
6. Be prepared for tough questions
Most of us have been asked uncomfortable interview questions at least once. For example: "Do you have any other options?" Or: "If we offer you a job tomorrow, will you agree?"
Without prior preparation in response to them, you run the risk of saying something wrong or even lying. I advise you never to lie in negotiations. Lying often goes sideways, and worse, it's unethical.
Another danger of difficult questions is the desire to please the employer. This is the danger of losing control. It is difficult to insist on your own, if the last few meetings you said only what you wanted to hear from you.
Prepare ahead of time for topics that cause discomfort or hit your weaknesses. You must answer honestly, but not lose attractiveness and weight in the negotiations.
Here again you can ask your friends for help. Working through any possible scenarios will give you confidence in your abilities.
7. Pay attention to intentions, not questions
In case a tricky question still caught you off guard, despite hours of preparation, remember one simple rule: it's not the question itself that matters, but the intentions behind it.
For example, when employers ask if you will accept a job offer tomorrow, they do not want to push you against the wall, but to find out how important their vacancy is to you. And asking about other offers helps HR managers understand how you are looking for a job and whether the company has a chance of getting you as an employee.
If you don’t like a question, don’t think that there is disrespect or something even less pleasant behind it. Respond to the intent behind the question, or ask the recruiter to explain exactly what they want to know.
8. Consider the offer from all sides
Unfortunately, for many, job negotiation and salary negotiation are the same thing. But most of your personal job satisfaction will have nothing to do with money.
Consider vacancy from all sides: responsibilities, location and work schedule, opportunities for growth within the company, bonuses and other aspects. It may be worth choosing a position with a lower salary, but more prospects.
9. Negotiate everything at once
If you have been made an offer in which you are confused by several points, it is better to discuss all the changes at once. Don't say at the first meeting “The salary is too low. Can you resolve this issue? ”To say at the next meeting:“ Thank you. By the way, here are two more things that don't suit me... "
If you ask for one thing, HR manager may assume that after fulfilling this request, you will be ready to accept the offer. And after your "by the way" the company will be much less understanding and generous.
If you want to change more than one condition, do not list them thoughtlessly. Explain why each of these points is important to you. Otherwise, the company may choose light changes that are not critical for you. This approach is more profitable for the employer, especially since it looks like a good compromise for everyone. As a result, you will be left with a proposal that has improved only slightly, and the representative of the company will be sure that the discussion is over.
10. Don't negotiate just for the sake of negotiation
Don't get carried away by discussions. My graduate students had this problem: they started to put forward crazy conditions as soon as they saw a promising employer.
My advice: if a question is critical to you, talk about it. But don't cling to absolutely every little thing. Fighting to get another slice will leave a bad impression of you and diminish your chances of negotiating with this company in the future.
11. Choose the right time
At the very beginning of our job search, we want to receive at least one offer in order to feel comfortable. This is especially true for young graduates. universitywhen all their friends start to go to interviews and celebrate a long-awaited hiring.
Oddly enough, an early offer from an employer is not always a good thing. After you receive a job offer, they will expect an answer from you, and the sooner the better. If you want to consider all the options at once, do not be afraid to slow down the negotiation process with one company and speed up the resolution of the issue with another. So you will have several vacancies in front of your eyes, and you just have to choose the right one.
Balance is important here. If you are too persistent or, conversely, slow, the employer may make an offer to another job seeker. Proceed carefully. If you want to slow down, schedule a later date for the interview, and when you need to speed up the process, try to arrange a new stage of the interview as soon as possible.
12. Avoid Ultimatums
Nobody likes to hear: "Do it like this, otherwise ..." Therefore ultimatums definitely not worth using. Most often, we use them when we want to demonstrate our strength. The same goes for employers.
My personal approach to ultimatums is to ignore them. A negotiating partner may well change his mind, realizing that his categorical demands lead to a deal breakdown. If we do not discuss the ultimatum, such a change of opinion will in no way harm the self-esteem of the interlocutor.
If, in response to your ultimatum, the HR manager says “We will never agree to these terms,” skip to another topic. Just answer, “I understand that it can be difficult right now. Let's talk about other points. " Pretend that there was no ultimatum and don't mention it. If the company's opinion suddenly changes, they will let you know.
13. Don't go overboard
Difficult negotiations or long reflections on your account sometimes create the appearance that you do not suit the employer as a candidate. But think: if these people have spent so much time on you, then they like you and want to continue to cooperate. The reluctance to compromise can be due to the internal constraints of the company, and the delay in the final proposal often occurs because the recruiter is overwhelmed with tasks.
Stay connected, just don't be annoying. If you find it difficult to stay calm, you shouldn't bombard your employer with angry calls. Better find out when there is news of your candidacy and ask what you can do to speed up the process a little.
14. be patient
Patience is very important. Remember: what cannot be agreed upon today may well be agreed upon tomorrow. Company restrictions and interests may change over time. If they say “no” to you, it means “in the present conditions, no”. There is always the possibility that in a month the HR manager will do something that was not possible before - change the work schedule or raise the salary.
Let's say your potential boss refuses your request to work from home on Fridays. For him, this may be a matter of principle, or the whole point may be that the boss does not yet trust you enough to try a new scheme of work for him. Perhaps in a few months you will be able to convince him that the quality of your work will not suffer, even if you work remotely.
Don't get hung up on intermediate points. Continue the dialogue and return to unresolved topics a little later.
15. Think long term
This is the last and most important point. You can be a negotiator and still lose if you pay attention to the little things rather than the big picture. Your main concern is getting the right job, not negotiating the right way.
Salary and small details are not that important. Experience shows that the industry in which we work, our specialty, our team and our bosses have the greatest impact on our job satisfaction.
These rules will help you effectively negotiate and get the offer you deserve. But before you use them, make sure that the position you will be fighting for gets you where you really want to be.
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