| CAREERS NOW 01-06-08 |
| Salary Negotiation: What's Under the Hood |
DEAR JOYCE: I'm applying for a new position at a company where I worked before
in an entry-level position. The job ad quoted a $40,000 salary for the position I'm applying for now .
During a screening interview the H.R. person asked about my salary requirement. Based on the job ad, I said $40,000.
But she said: "That's the high-end of the range." Range? Hmm. Is it kosher to advertise only the high
end rather than the salary they really want to pay? Should I have just said my requirement is negotiable? - D.Z.
Many job seekers do. But if you're up for learning a few new things, you may be able to wrangle a better offer.
Big companies typically pay for a job in a market range with a minimum, midpoint and maximum salary; smaller companies
may not be so rigid. When the hiring manager pops the pay question, use this reply suggested by pay negotiation
high priest Jack Chapman (salarynegotiations.com):
"Can I ask you to take the lead on this question - can you tell me your range for this position?"
You should already know the range for similar positions and are merely asking for confirmation. Four research targets:
Salary.com, PayScale.com, SalarySearch.com and Paycheckcity.com.
A NEW GUIDE. Major career guru Tony Beshara (www.tonybeshara.com)
adds insight to your salary negotiation in his rock solid new book launching in stores this month, "Acing
the Interview: How to Ask and Answer the Questions That will Get You the Job!" (AMACOM):
"When it comes to money, always try to negotiate with the hiring authority - the one with 'pain' to hire someone.
You don't have as much leverage with a removed third party like H.R. An H.R. specialist isn't as interested in
alleviating the 'pain' of a hiring authority as is in keeping with the salary guidelines that make the department
look good. So, if the H.R. department representative starts talking to you about money, insist on talking to the
hiring authority."
The excellent book by Beshara, whose owns the stellar Dallas placement company, Babich and Associates, includes
a wealth of other suggestions on how to walk out of an interview with a best offer, including this one:
"Approach the negotiation with a 'we are all in this together' attitude...I really want this job and I want
to work for you. I would like to see if we can work the money out together.' This approach removes the employer's
fear that you will reject him or her. Studies show that the 'let's all win together' attitude is the best negotiating
statement a person can make."
ANOTHER NEW GUIDE. My own just-published book "Job Interviews For Dummies, 3rd Edition," (www.dummies.com, search for job interviews), includes a 24-page chapter that tutors you on what's
under the hood in salary talk. Among its negotiating tips:
- Your bargaining mind-set: Focus on my worth, not on my past. If you were paid, say, $25,000 the first time you
worked for the company, that was then for lower-level Job A, and this is now for higher-level Job B; the twain
shouldn't meet.
- The size of the company influences how high the interviewer will bid for you. Large companies typically pay more
but it's easier to negotiate with smalls. But even at huge companies where pay scales are cut-and-dried, your potential
boss may have the latitude to cut you a better deal. In fact, some bosses will see your attempts to improve your
compensation as a desirable trait - yet another indicator that they've made the right choice. Their reasoning:
If you can look after your own best interests, you can look after ours.
Email Joyce
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