When negotiating your salary, you will have the opportunity to obtain better terms and conditions of employment than those initially offered. It is even possible to get better conditions than what you had in mind. To ensure that you make the best use of the negotiating options, you will find a number of do's and don'ts for negotiating the salary here.
Do’s:
- Prepare for yourself what kind of salary you want and what you are worth according to the market.
- Be aware of your strengths and successes.
- Make sure that the employer is the first to make a salary offer.
- If requested, state that you expect a salary that is in line with the market, or indicate a range that you think is acceptable.
- Ensure that you always receive the salary offer in writing.
- Do not feel obliged to accept the first salary offer and negotiate about the salary if the offer is insufficient.
- First negotiate the gross salary and then the secondary employment conditions.
- Do not just focus on the salary, but look at the entire package of terms of employment and the career opportunities in the long term.
- Try to obtain other concessions (shorter viewing time, better title, better workspace) or benefits (bonuses, vacation time) if you are not successful in negotiating the salary.
- Be flexible in your salary negotiations. You cannot always receive exactly what you want and you will probably have to make compromises.
- Take your time, feel free to sleep on it before you respond or make a decision.
- After the negotiation, read the contract carefully again before signing it.
Don'ts
- Do not bring up the salary before the employer.
- Never immediately accept the first offer, even if the offer was more than you expected. Most employers have left room for negotiation.
- Never feel sorry if you ask for a higher salary. When you're convinced about your skills and added value, you are obliged to yourself to ask something in return.
- Never indicate how much salary you need to live on.
- If the employer immediately asks what kind of salary you want to earn, do not give an exact figure. Turn the question around and ask what kind of salary the company offers to a candidate with similar experience, expertise and knowledge of the company.
- Do not state a higher salary than you currently earn to receive a higher offer.
- Do not promise anything that you cannot deliver later.
- Don't just let the conversation be about yourself, but ensure a dialogue.
- Do not be modest or emotional and do not get irritated, when negotiating you come to a business agreement.
- Never say that the employer is wrong. At most there is a different vision of the conditions.
- Do not start in your new position until the salary negotiations have been completed. This weakens your negotiating position.
- Never say yes too quickly on certain conditions. Breaking open a salary negotiation after an oral agreement has been reached is not done.
