What not to do when negotiating your salary

Whether you’ve recently been offered a new role, or you’re thinking about asking for a pay rise, plucking up the courage to negotiate your salary can be a difficult feat.
Even if tech skills are in high-demand and commanding even higher salaries, you aren’t guaranteed to get the salary you want without first brushing up on your negotiation skills.
While there are many guides on how to negotiate (check out ours here) sometimes it’s the tips on what not to do that will help you achieve the best results at the negotiation table.
Read on for Finite’s top 4 things that you definitely shouldn’t do when negotiating.
1. Fail to negotiate
While it seems simple, one of the most common salary negotiation mistakes is to not negotiate at all. And it happens all too often.
You go through the job application and interview process and you’re thrilled to receive a job offer. Without much thought (except maybe a little excitement and relief), you accept the very first salary package proposed to you.

Always take time to consider an offer.
Even if you’re confident you want to say ‘yes’, take some time to mull your offer over. This way, you’ll be able to judge the offer against your desired outcome without the pressure of the moment. If the proposal doesn’t align with your expectations, use this time to prepare a counteroffer based on your researched market value and desired salary.
2. Don’t talk too much
Often, once you’ve plucked up the courage to mention the salary figure you’re looking for, there is a silence in the negotiation room. Don’t feel like you need to keep talking to fill the silence. Let it sit. Your employer (or future employer) just needs to think your request through. If you keep talking, you’re more likely to talk yourself down from the number you asked for.
3. Know what you want
When asked what your salary expectation is, appearing unsure of what you expect will make the other party assume that you don’t know your value as an employee.
Be sure to do all the necessary research to understand your market value. Then, take the time before you enter negotiations to write down your salary expectation and why you think you are worth it. This will help solidify your expectations in your mind, so that you can then discuss it confidently.
4. Don’t forget the whole package
Often when negotiating your salary, it’s easy to get stuck talking about the all-important dollar figure. But it’s called a ‘salary package’ for a reason. Don’t forget to discuss factors such as:

• Bonuses or rewards
• Extra annual leave
• Flexible working hours
• Professional development

So those are our 4 tips on what not to do when negotiating your salary. If you’re thinking about changing roles, or need some salary negation tips, feel free to get in touch here.

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