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Salary negotiations are a lot like
the game show Deal or No Deal, except of course for the 26
models and Howie Mandel. When you're presented with an
offer, you have two choices: You can either accept it, or
reject it and gamble for a better payout.
Negotiations of any kind require a
certain degree of skill to be successful. And since salary
negotiations are probably not something you do very often,
you are at a disadvantage right off the bat. To make matters
worse, the hiring manager is usually quite experienced in
this area. She has probably taken courses with titles like
How to Make Potential Employees Weep During Salary
Negotiations (Parts I and II) and Benefits? Don't Make Me
Laugh!
The only way you stand a chance in a
salary negotiation is to be prepared. It is a common
misconception that companies want to pay the lowest wages
possible. This is simply not the case. While it is true that
employers want to reduce labor costs, many of them
understand that it is actually more expensive to hire
someone at a bargain basement salary, spend months training
him, and then have to go through the same process all over
again six months later when this employee resigns because he
found a better paying job.
Employers realize that it is much
more cost effective in the long run to pay a fair salary and
keep workers happy. In fact, human resources departments
conduct salary studies to be sure they are offering
competitive wages.
How will you know if the offer is
fair? By doing research ahead of time. Friends or contacts
in the field are great sources for salary information. And
there are websites that publish salary ranges for a wide
variety of positions based upon industry, level of
experience, and geographic location. Some sites are free;
others charge a fee.
Once you ascertain the salary range
for your target position, you will be prepared to enter into
a meaningful salary discussion. While employers may not want
to start you at the very top of the range, you certainly
don't want to start at the very bottom. In an open and
honest dialogue, there is usually a happy medium that will
satisfy both sides. So next time you are faced with a salary
negotiation, do your research and you can turn Deal or No
Deal into The Price is Right.
Robert Mandelberg founded The
Creative Edge Resume Service in 1987. Since that time, he
has helped thousands of clients reach their career goals.
Rob is a published author, a Certified Professional Resume
Writer (CPRW), and a Certified Employment Interview
Professional (CEIP). You can sign up for Rob's free weekly
job-search tips at
http://www.ResumeRob.com
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