When negotiating a higher base salary, provide the employer with evidence of why they should consider your request. Check in with your Career Coach to ask their thoughts on the salary you are requesting based on their prior placements. Utilizing the Flatiron Outcomes Report can be a helpful resource in considering what a fair salary request would be for a software engineering role. You can also refer to other sources such as Glassdoor, Salary.com, Payscale.com, or U.S. Government sites such as ONet, CareerOneStop, and Bureau of Labor Statistics. AIGA and Vitamin T have salary information for the design field.
These sites offer plenty of data for the various locations throughout the country, as salaries can vary between different markets.
Negotiating salary can feel uncomfortable at first, but like any new skill, it becomes easier with practice. Rehearse saying different ranges aloud, including ones that feel “high” to you. Talking about money can feel awkward, and the more confident you can become articulating what feel like high numbers, the more confident you’ll be during an actual negotiation. Keep in mind that many employers expect candidates to negotiate and will make the initial offer deliberately lower than they expect the candidate to accept. It’s all just part of the process.
When approaching the negotiation conversation with an employer, focus on three main aspects:
- Enthusiasm - ‘You catch more bees with honey!’ Make sure to emphasize how excited you are about the possibility of contributing to the team. Let them know how excited you are!
“I want to reiterate by sharing how incredibly excited I am about contributing to the Company X team.”
- Conversation not Demand - This is not a scene from a movie where you demand X salary or you WALK! This is a conversation. To prepare for this part, have a specific/realistic number (think average market salary for a junior professional in your area, unless you have applicable past experience) or range. Then, simply ask about the possibility of increasing salary.
“I was wondering if there was room to discuss the possibility of bumping the compensation closer to the market average which is $75k in NYC.”
“I was wondering if it were possible to bump salary closer to the $70-80k range.”
- Flexibility - and finally, make it crystal clear that this is a question not a hard requirement. End your pitch expressing flexibility.
“However, I am flexible and happy to discuss further!”
If your request for a salary increase is denied, you can inquire when your next salary review would be, and if they’d consider moving that date up on an agreed upon timeline (if your performance is satisfactory and things are going well). If you do not require health insurance and that is offered as a fringe part of your compensation, you can also ask if in lieu of the insurance they could increase the salary. As an alternative you might ask about the possibility of a bonus after a period of time (this appeals to some companies because it doesn’t affect their salary budgets) and/or asking for other non-monetary benefits like an extra week of vacation, working remotely, or flexibility to attend a conference or professional development training.
After you’ve received your prospective employer’s responses to your questions and requests, and you’ve made your decision, respond back in a timely way. If you decline the position, send them a note, or call them in person, to thank them for the opportunity and that you’ve appreciated their time. Check in with your Career Coach to formulate an appropriate response to their possible question of why you’ve decided to decline the role. These contacts will remain in your network, you may end up working with them in the future, or they may know people you do end up working with, so it's good to not burn a bridge while declining an opportunity.
If you plan on accepting the position, let them know as soon as possible! Make sure you’ve received an official confirmation from them of your acceptance, and then go ahead and share your great news to the world! In addition, you should notify any other companies you had recently interviewed with, as a courtesy and to maintain a positive relationship for the future.
After you’ve accepted, the employer may take the final steps of an employment verification process, which can include; checking your professional references, conducting a background check (which may include legal search and drug testing), credit check, and /or verifying your work status in the US with US Citizen and Immigration Services. If you have any questions and/or concerns about this please connect with your coach on how to navigate. All scenarios have a strategic approach!