Negotiating a pay rise

For many people, one of the hardest discussions they have with senior management is about a raise in pay. Employees often choose to look for a better paid position within another company rather than face their own boss, but that is a situation that can have a negative impact on the employee (who is seen to lack loyalty to the company) and the employer (who stands to lose a trained staff member who works well and has a good knowledge of the company). However, there are some salary negotiation tactics that might just help.

The most common error is, when finally gathering the courage to address the situation, many employees simply immediately accept whatever offer is first made. Research shows that younger job-seekers and female job-seekers often make this mistake – either from not completely understanding the negotiation process or from a dislike or discomfort with the idea of negotiating. There is, of course, the financial aspect of not receiving a higher compensation, but more importantly this can have a significant effect on motivation and morale and can eventually lead an employee who hastily accepted an inadequate offer to begin to resent both the job and the employer.

Another common error is rating your required raise based on a value you personally need or would like. Few employers care whether you have enough money to pay for your mortgage or other bills, so negotiations should be based on your value to the company, based on good research of similar companies. Also, if possible, the actual figure aimed for in the negotiation should not be revealed until the last possible moment, giving as much flexibility as possible. Immediately blurting out a figure it then becomes clear the company will not meet puts both the employer and employee in an uncomfortable position.

As previously mentioned, one of the key factors in a successful salary negotiation is research and preparation. With the number and variety of salary resources available online — from salary.com and salaryexpert.com to professional associations – there should be no reason not to have an accurate market value in mind.

However, despite all the preparation and right attitude in the negotiation, there is another pitfall – declining an offer too quickly as it was lower than expected. A careful balance needs to be struck here; we have looked at the risks of accepting too quickly, but declining an offer can mean that the negotiation has nowhere to go. There are two points to consider at this juncture: a raise can also come in the form of other benefits such as better health cover, so if the money offered is low, think about discussing the perks of the job. The second point is that you have to be realistic – if the job market is low and the company is not having a particularly outstanding year, you may have to accept a lower offer. However, if this is the case, it is common to request a review of the salary at a time in the not-too-distant future.

The final point that is essential in any business negotiation is not to take any rejection or low offers personally. Employees should maintain a professional approach to their job, and a salary negotiation is no exception. If negotiations break down between you and the employer, move on graciously, thanking the employer again for the opportunity — because you never want to burn any bridges.

Questions 15-20

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text above?

In boxes 15-20, write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

15. A mistake equally common across all types of employee is the premature acceptance of the first offer for a pay rise.
16. Employees can become demoralised despite having a pay raise.
17. Many people are unsuccessful in salary discussions because of poor research.
18. It is important to be clear what pay rise is expected at the beginning of the negotiation.
19. A negotiation could include a discussion of other benefits as well as salary.
20. You should avoid a pay negotiation when the employment market is not strong.