Hi y’all —
Remember when your parents would serve green beans for dinner and you’d try to counter, saying something cute like “what if we had French fries instead?” If your family was anything like mine, you’d inevitably get shut down with “this is not a negotiation.”
Turns out, sometimes it is. While it might not have flown at your childhood kitchen table, negotiation is normal when it comes to your salary.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently because several of my friends are in the final stages of interviewing for new jobs. As the Dollar Scholar, I’m contractually required to encourage them to push for better compensation from their would-be employers. It’s scary, I know, but I want to see them paid well for their amazing skills.
So: What are the do’s and don’ts of negotiating your salary?
I conducted email interviews with Amy Crook, head of global talent, and Cortney Holt, senior manager of talent, at the career site Glassdoor. Here’s what they told me.
DO… feel empowered.
Salary negotiation is super important — and underutilized. A 2022 Fidelity survey found that 58% of young professionals accepted the offer for their job at the time without negotiating. But 87% of those who did got at least a little of what they requested.
“It is definitely not rude,” Holt tells me. “In my experience, I believe most companies are willing to negotiate, but you’ll never know unless you ask.”
The data backs this up, too. In 2021, a whopping 89% of employers who responded to a poll by Brightmine (fka XpertHR) said they were open to negotiating salary with job candidates. Separate research indicates that pushing back on salary is particularly common in the advertising, marketing and tech industries, so it’s not only not weird — it’s probably expected.
DO… be transparent.
The timing here is important. Be upfront about your expectations; avoid springing a big number on someone out of nowhere at the very end of the interview process. Crook points out that this can save both parties a lot of time.
“As a recruiter, I want to know exactly what a candidate is expecting in terms of compensation so I advocate and get them the best offer possible,” Holt says.
DO… be likable.
Going in, you probably have a rough idea of what the offer may be and what you’re open to. Be clear about these guidelines, but don’t forget to emphasize that you’re interested in the gig: “Reiterate your excitement and interest in the position and company, so they know your ultimate goal is to accept the offer,” Holt adds.
It never hurts to be extra kind and polite in emails and phone calls negotiating salary. (TBH, this is good advice in general.)
DO… come prepared.
Several states, including California, Colorado and Washington, now have laws that require job postings to include salary ranges. But that’s not the only homework you should do.
Repairing or replacing your home appliances and systems isn’t easy (or cheap). Case in point: My AC broke last summer, and fixing it cost just as much as buying a new one. Enter home warranties, which can protect your budget from the cost of unexpected repairs after an item’s manufacturer's warranty has expired.
