Imagine getting to the final stage of a job interview that promised “a competitive salary” only to be let down by a really disappointing offer. It’s a worse feeling if you’ve been job-hunting for months.
What do you do?
Quite often, the answer is to accept the job offer and hope that if you work harder than everyone else, you’ll earn a befitting raise. But, without a written agreement, your employer might not reward your diligence with more money. You’re better off negotiating at the start.
Unfortunately, many organisations will try to lowball you initially, so you’ll have to discard the notion that asking for more makes you appear greedy. If you want to land yourself a higher pay without completely missing out on the opportunity, you’d need to learn to negotiate.
Here are a few tips to help you negotiate better.
Do your research
To get the pay you deserve, you must know what the recent baseline salary for that role is. Scour the internet, seek insights from HR professionals, or, if possible, ask the company employees. Ample research will help you figure out a salary range. You’ll know where to start negotiating from.
Know your worth
It is the hiring manager’s job to find the best candidate for the job. To land the job, you must fit this profile. So before you start negotiating, make sure you showcase all that you bring to the table: your years of experience, education, skills and certifications. There may be candidates applying for that same position who are under- or over-qualified, so being the best fit may also boil down to your compatibility with the workplace culture or even location.
A job offer usually means that you meet all the requirements. Tap into this confidence and negotiate a raise. A hiring team that finds your addition invaluable will match your expectations.
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Be confident
Pay is one of the top things employees look out for when job searching. Yet many people are afraid to ask for higher pay. Knowing your worth and doing research will give you a confidence boost. Also, prepare and rehearse your talking points; organise your thoughts and speech so that you will be ready to answer important questions.
Make an ambitious counteroffer
Have you ever made a ridiculously low counter-offer when haggling prices with a trader before? A jaw-dropping offer that made them say something like, “Ah ah. That’s too small now, but you tried.”
Do that. But in reverse.
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Never make a low offer. Shoot for the stars. Find a figure that is not unrealistic, but still higher than the minimum you’re willing to accept. This will cause the recruiter to land at a mid-point between their offer and yours — the sweet spot.
Build your skillset
Typically, moving up in your career implies income growth. But without increasing your capacity and advancing your skillset, this may prove difficult. Being out of the workforce should not hinder your personal growth.
Ensure that you stay abreast of new developments, models or technologies in your field, so you’re not left behind or redundant when you return to work. Relevant skills will always be in demand.
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Discuss salaries with your peers
“[It’s] high time many people in Nigeria started to have money conversations.” Temilade Salami, an environmentalist, posted on X. “We hide [many] details and that doesn’t allow others [to] know what to expect…” How else can you know how much your skills are worth if you’re not exchanging information with your peers?
Find a community of people with similar interests and goals; make sure you can trust them. Speak to experienced colleagues to know what to expect. Start the conversation and encourage others to speak, too. Listen without judgement. Share your experiences in your industry and understand what growth looks like, from entry to management levels.
Conclusion
Indeed, money conversations are hard to have. Salary conversations are even harder. The fear of judgement, comparison, or coming off as materialistic has held willing individuals back from having these discussions.
Being Nigerian, divulging your income might do you more harm than good. For Africans and Black people in general, the unwillingness to publicly discuss salaries is often rooted in a fear of black tax — as a recent interview clip of renowned Nigerian footballer John Mikel Obi showed.
But we must find a workaround to enable us to have these conversations while protecting our interests. In the long run, this helps job seekers and employees make better career and financial decisions.
