The pressure of asking for what you want regarding your salary can be real, but if you ‘wing’ negotiation conversations or don’t have them at all, you’ll likely leave money on the table—and we don’t want that for you!
In preparing for my own salary negotiations, I’ve been taking in a lot of content on social media by career coaching experts like Latasha Caruthers (@usajobshire), Mandi Woodruff-Santos (@mandimoney), and Sho Dewan (@workhap).
Below are some of my favorite videos from them on salary negotiations.
Even if you don’t plan on negotiating right now, I’d still recommend following these accounts. The information they share is eye-opening!
How To Negotiate An Offer Letter
You get word that you are the successful candidate for that job you really wanted. You’re ecstatic! Until they send you the offer letter and you see the compensation. It’s way below what you wanted…
Here’s how Career Coach Latasha Caruthers advises you to handle it:
Say something like, “If the offer could get closer to (*Insert goal salary here) with (*Insert goal PTO here) I would be overjoyed to accept your offer today.”
Watch her in action here: https://tinyurl.com/3nyjp2x8
Side note: Don’t skip reading the comments on this video! There are more gems within the comments too!
How To Negotiate A Signing Bonus
You’re leaving your old job for greener pastures. The salary at the new company is great. However, in switching companies, you’ll be leaving behind some perks the new company doesn’t offer. If you’re thinking that’s a normal trade-off career coach Mandi Woodruff-Santos says, think again!
Instead of letting those perks go, she suggests negotiating a signing bonus that compensates for them.
Try asking the company to ‘make you whole’, she says.
Watch her role-play this scenario: https://tinyurl.com/4tt8wdx9
How To Avoid Lowballing Yourself
Is your goal salary a 10% increase from what you currently make? Career Coach Sho Dewan says it shouldn’t be! Devan warns not to share your current salary even if the interviewer asks for it.
So, what’s the right way to broach the subject? Devan says to ask the interviewer to share the salary range for the position instead.
Here’s how he would do it: https://tinyurl.com/446m582p
How To Ask For A Raise In The Job You’re Currently In
There are several reasons you might want to ask for a salary increase for a job you’re currently in. Maybe you’ve contributed to the company performing beyond its annual targets, maybe you’ve been exceeding expectations, or perhaps some colleagues left and you’re now doing the job of two or three but only being paid for the work of one.
If you’re in any of these situations, it’s more than fair to ask for a raise!
To do so, Latasha recommends requesting a ‘review of your current salary’ and backing up that request with facts of achievements that justify why you deserve more. Here’s a script she prepared for you to use: https://tinyurl.com/5bcrbhaa
I’ve personally heard that timing can be especially crucial for successfully negotiating a merit-based raise. The best times to ask are right after a string of successes, a major success, or a few months before the annual budget is finalized. This ensures your value to the company is top of mind and timing an ask before the annual budget makes it harder for someone to say there’s no money for increases!
If you’re asking for a raise because your role has evolved here’s how Sho would handle it: https://tinyurl.com/y58y5hud And if your request is denied here’s what you can say to work towards getting that money in the near future: https://tinyurl.com/yv9mxdzh
