Activity: Career Search - Negotiating Job Offers

Introduction

To negotiate job offers, it is wise to be prepared. This ought to start even before submitting a job application so you are aware of: 

• the type of position you want, 
• your highest professional and personal priorities, 
• what you have to offer, 
• the labour market,
• and most importantly, know your career goal or vision

This aligns with the research conducted by Bowles & Thomason, “Our research and our work coaching executives suggest that negotiating your role (the scope of your authority and your developmental opportunities) is likely to benefit your career more than negotiating your pay and benefits does” (2021, para. 2).They suggest starting with your career goals and working backwards.

If you have not completed the Determining Direction Unit, this worksheet will provide a micro overview to help you define your resources. Having the above mentioned information at your fingertips is in your best interest to provide evidence as to why you deserve a higher wage to negotiate the best wage or work role on offer.

This module includes:

• Research Part 1, 2, and 3
• Job offer details
• Responses
• Multiple job offers 
• Reflection

Research Part 1

Self awareness

First and foremost, you need to know the answers to these questions. Write the answers on the worksheet:

• What are your values?
• What do you have to offer?
• What are your expectations of the role and organization?
• What are the hours you want to work? Remote or not?
• What type of corporate culture do you want to work in, e.g., casual? formal?
• What are your career goals?

For example, perhaps, work schedule flexibility is a priority right now since you have young children and need to pick them up after school or you are the primary carer for one of your parents and need to advocate at medical appointments.

Or, the type of position and the skills you want to develop are your highest priority, given that you are making a career change.

Prioritize your criteria before entering into the negotiation.

Research Part 2

Know what you are (or are not) bringing to the table.

When you are grounded in knowing your skills and experience from your roles and education, you can objectively determine how your qualifications compare to the requirements of any job posting.

This is why we imparted the importance of knowing yourself, your situation and needs, and skills in the Determining Direction Unit. If you are not clear on these particulars for Part 1 and 2, we invite you to go through this unit.

Research Part 3

Know the current market salary for the position.

To see if your salary expectations line up with the labour market, search for job postings with similar job titles or responsibilities. Start in your local area (expand further if needed) and look for salaries listed in the postings and/or research sites:

WorkBC Wage Rate Information

Wages and Salaries in Alberta

Salary Wizard (Canada)

Glassdoor (Canada)

LinkedIn

Randstad 2024 Salary Guide (Canada)

Robert Half Salary Guide 2024 (Canada)

PayScale’s Salary Calculator (US)

Government of Canada Job Bank Compare Wage

Salary Data & Career Research Center (Canada)

Job Offer Details

Some people say everything is negotiable, perhaps this is true. Still, organizations/businesses need to work within the confines of responsibilities, HR or union salaries, or and fiscal pressures, so simply cannot negotiate in some instances. 

Job offers can include the following details and all or some could be negotiable:

• Salary,
• Vacation,
• Extended benefits, 
• Paid sick time,
• Professional development, e.g., tuition reimbursement, 
• Unpaid or paid time off/flex time,
• Retirement packages,
• Job titles,
• Paid parental leave,
• Childcare,
• Relocation expenses,
• Work schedules/arrangements, e.g., work from home.

Going into the negotiation with the intention for both parties—yourself and the employer—to triumph is a positive and collaborative mindset to hold. Know your non-negotiables and be mindful of your expectations, more than likely you will need to compromise.

Additionally, you need to know your bottom line and when a position is not the right one for you. Are you in a position where you have been out of the workforce and will accept a position as a re-emergent role into the workforce? Or, do you have the room to wait for other positions to emerge? Or, is this a role that may offer lower than your expectations but does provide you with new skills and experiences to act as a ladder into your next career move? These are all important considerations.

Again, you need to know the value of what you offer the position and company, as well as your financial needs and obligations.

Responses

An offer is on the table. Congratulations!

This is a critical moment—once you accept the terms of the offer, you have lost any leveraging power to wield higher outcomes on salary or other particulars pertaining to compensation, like vacation, etc. 

Review the total compensation package. Look at your criteria identified in your Research Part 1 (or the Determining Direction Unit) and assess the degree to which the position, the company, and the package meets your criteria.

Remember, your **nonverbal and paraverbal communication speaks volumes; smile, arms open (not crossed), lean in, and impart a neutral and confident tone. (**Communication is covered in the Demonstrating Skills Unit)

You do not need to accept the offer right away. You may receive a few hours or a day to review the offer, you need to clarify that, for instance,

Or, if you want to initiate the negotiation process immediately after reviewing the offer, you can state,

In the event that there is more than one item that you want to negotiate, address them at the same time versus one item at a time (Malhotra, 2017).

If you are unsatisfied with the response or counter-offer, here are a few responses,

If you have decided the compensation package is not enough and will be walking away, it is prudent to politely and professionally respond,

Remember how you impart your message (paraverbal communication) is key to keeping a cordial climate. The world is small and future junctures could take place.

The above scripts were revised from a list by Kerri Wall, RRU Alumni, MALT (Master of Arts in Leadership & Training, 2006) May 20, 2021.

Multiple Job Offers

Congratulations on multiple job offers! This can be an exciting position to find yourself in. It can also give you an advantage in the negotiation process. While it might be tempting to capitalize on this situation, it is important to be respectful. 

First and foremost, be transparent and inform all parties that you are negotiating multiple offers.

As you review the compensation packages ask yourself which position: 

• moves you closer to your vision or career goal?
• Instills the most excitement?
• fulfills more of your criteria

Once you have assessed the offers and identified which areas you want more, ‘rinse and repeat’ the process outlined earlier.

Reflection

Take a moment to recall and reflect on the last job offer that you negotiated.

• On a scale of 1-10 (low to high), how would you rate your execution?
• What did you do well?
• What might you do differently next time?