‘ Outplacement Outtakes ‘ v.20 – Tatianna’s Lesson in the Art of Salary Negotiation
Jul 26, 2023| As we continue to help prepare our candidates for the interview process as part of their outplacement program, we inevitably must discuss how to negotiate a potential salary. Of course, many jobs already have a set and advertised salary as they may be linked to established pay scales, particularly in the public sector. The salaries for these roles are generally not open to negotiation and are offered on a strictly take it or leave it basis. Some candidates, however, will have little idea about what the employer is expecting to pay, because it has not been advertised, or perhaps because the employer itself is not sure what the current market will bear – or they have left room to negotiate. This was the situation that Tatianna found herself in after being offered a role in construction management with a large civil engineering group. Jobs in this sector were booming at the time and good qualified candidates were hard to find to fit the demand. Tatianna was well aware of this, as well as the outstanding technical and management skills and experience she could bring to the table. She knew that they wanted her on board, but she also wanted to ensure she signed her employment contract for the best possible, but fair, rate. To help Tatianna with her salary negotiations, her CMS outplacement program coach first helped her to confirm the lowest possible salary she and her family could afford to accept at that time, and to project what she anticipated to be paid further down her career path. Her coached helped her to research the current salary scales in her field, in her local area and at her job level; and they discussed the pros and cons of the job, outside of the money factor. Afterall, income can be discussed in terms of monthly salary, gross annual income, hourly rate, commissions, draws against commission, bonuses, weekly rate, per diem rates, perks, stock options, piece work, contract conditions and expenses etc. In addition, factors such as commuting time and costs, vacation, and work from home options must be taken into consideration. No matter how it is viewed, the interviewing company will see a salary negotiation as cash going out to a relatively unknown person based on promise (i.e. risk) and the job search candidate will see it as cash coming in (i.e. security). It is no wonder that when the question of money arises for the first time in an interview, you can generally hear a pin drop! Helping our candidates to navigate the question of money, helping them to become aware of the general process, various scenarios and options, and to develop a presentation of their expected salary that is fair, honest and doesn’t immediately eliminate them from the competition, is a delicate balancing act. Salary negotiations is an art, and teaching our candidates about that art is imperative to them landing the next job in the course of their career history. |
