It’s a natural occurrence of any job that your salary should increase over time by time. Your value will increase once you gather more experience and training, and your earnings should also be high as per the market inflation. In general your boss may initiate the process of salary negotiation by giving you an annual raise, but many times the onus will be on you to take this responsibility and start the conversation or to turn it in your favor.
It is very much true that discussing about money sometimes makes people very uncomfortable. Most of us have been learnt that it is not good to ask about someone’s salary, and this practice makes it seem odd even talk about your salary that makes it not only appropriate, but also necessary.
Negotiating a Salary at Your Current Job
If you’re getting nervous before talking about the subject of your salary with your boss, take some time to get prepare. You will become more comfortable and confident with it only when you practice a lot, and once you’ve started the first conversation with your boss, you’ll get to know exactly what is to be expected from the next time you wanted to negotiate your salary.
But don’t be disappointed about the fact that worst may be happen, that is your boss might have simply refuses your request but it does not mean that you started to look for a new job. But if your boss is a good and manageable person then you’ll just sit down and complete the conversation. Here are some tips which can help you negotiating a better salary, no matter what kind of profession you are in. it is not necessary that you have to be a salaried employee to negotiate better pay you can do it even if you’re non-salaried.
1. Be Confident
You should walk into the meeting room to start the conversation with your boss knowing the value of as an employee. You have to make yourself feel that you have some amazing skills, you have contributed much to the success of the company and have the ability to embody the company’s core values so be confident that you are worth every single penny, and maybe even a few more than present one. But be sure that there’s always a fine line between being confident and over-confident. So, don’t be demanding or rude while negotiating. Always be direct. Don’t go round and round behind the issue that you want a higher salary. Be very direct and just say what you want.
If you feel less-confident about your body language then you can listen to any confidence-boosting playlist, may practice self-affirmation, dressed with your favorite clothes or do whatever which makes you feel confident and take pep into your step.
2. Don’t Ask Too Early
Before you start asking about a raise you need to show that how valuable you are to the company. Don’t go to your superior after two-three months and started negotiation and rise comparing with those who have been there for three years. Try to wait for at least one year, and then take initiative to negotiate your current salary according to your post. Or you have to wait until the major performance review comes around. Always remember that slow but steady wins the race, so don’t make any hurry. Another important thing is that don’t try to be the first one to utter the number. Because who knows that your boss might decide something even higher than what your expectation. If is not working, then use the other tips to convince your boss that you are worth a higher figure.
3. Do Your Research
It is always advisable that do proper research before doing anything. Just find out what the other companies pay their employees which is matching with your skillset and experience. You can use this information to assure yourself that decide the negotiation you are asking for is reasonable or not. Average salaries also depend on where you live and not only a national average play an important role for your profession, your state also has some significance.
4. Sell Your Skills
This is where your self-confidence can give an advantage over the negotiation process. You have to remind your boss of everything those which you bring to the table before him. If you only just have a great performance review, then it will be very easy to move to get into the topic without any interruption. Remember that both your interpersonal skills and organizational skills are same as important your technical skills, too. If needed, just forget about your resume and remind yourself of those factors or qualities which can made you an attractive candidate in the first place, and then started
selling those skills for better salary negotiation.
5. Ask For Extras at the Same Time
After getting over your entire negotiating process you can start for something more beyond salary. If you are not at all happy with your benefits package then bring that up to the notice of your boss. Or if you want more frequent salary increases or performance reviews then also mention it. If your boss shows negativity at your request for the higher salary you are asking for then you can lower your asking price but still try to get some additional package by negotiating for some perks at the same time. Don’t lose hope.
6. Don’t Appear Overeager
This tip is mainly for those situations when you are negotiating salary in any job interview. Don’t be very much overeager or desperate for the job because employers may use this for their advantage. If you are showing that you are desperate for the job, then employers will easily assume that you can be hired for any kind of salary. If you show the maximum level of confidence with firm skills then your potential employer will definitely worry about losing you to the competition. Thus, salary acts as a more powerful bargaining tool by which you can make a expended pathway to the huge company.
7. Practice Beforehand
If you are well-known about the fact that salary negotiations are on your mind, you must practice hard before you set up a meeting with your boss. You can do practicing with friends and family and it will be very good especially if they have proper experience with negotiating salaries and can provide you a few pointers which can be more beneficial. However, you should also go to the local job success centers or organizations and can find out their success ratio. There are many groups which helps individuals for practicing mock job interviews which will be able to help you practice this tricky meeting. If you are a college graduate pass out then your alumni association may have help you with their resources including the job center at your door step. You can go to any professionals who are expert in this arena and they will be able to throw all kinds of scenarios on your way and help you to get through them. When the time comes to talk to your boss, there should be nothing which might surprise you before him.
8. Negotiating a Better Salary in a Job Interview
In any interview you can get directly on the right track by negotiating a salary, benefits package for you and additional package that you are comfortable with. In any job interview, it’s very important to follow all of the tips which are mentioned above, but always be particularly careful to not be desperate and to how you can sell your skills. If you want the company to view you as a valuable candidate, the same way they would hate to lose you. If you realize that the company wants you more than you want them, and then start to use this to your advantage to ask for a higher salary. The tricky part about any salary negotiation process at a job interview is that you never know what the workload will be at this job. Therefore, always try to ask for a three-month or six-month salary review mechanism with your boss. So, while doing that particular job if you feel that you are working too hard for too little money and the job is not matching your expectation, this will be the appropriate time to ask early.
