Salary Negotiation – How Can You Prepare for It

Negotiating a salary is an action that can be difficult for many people. Walking into a room to ask for a raise can be nerve-wracking and stressful for anyone, and that’s why many people are reluctant to do it at first.

Negotiating a salary is an uncomfortable situation for both the person asking for it and the person giving it and knowing this helps you feel relaxed because you understand that the hiring manager also has a vulnerable side.

Employees can learn a series of skills to help a salary increase request go as smoothly as possible.

Knowing how to ask for a salary helps reduce nerves, allows you to effectively communicate the amount you are asking for and why you are asking for it, and allows you to better handle the response you receive from the hiring manager.

While it is true that asking for a salary increase does not mean that the person will get it, other benefits can be obtained from this process. There are other types of benefits that the company can give to its employees, but there is also the fact that employees in this process learn to face fears such as difficult conversations, which are necessary in life.

How can you prepare for a salary negotiation?

Preparing to negotiate a salary helps you handle the situation when the time comes to do so. Preparing is having the tools to know what to say, what not to say, and how to respond. There are no exact structured steps on how to prepare to negotiate a salary but there are some guidelines that can help when doing so.

Some ways in which people can prepare to negotiate a salary are:

• Identify why you want a raise: Being clear about the raise will help you explain it clearly when you are with your hiring manager. Here you can highlight what you bring to the organization and analyze your weaknesses so that you can express how you are going to improve them.

• Research what the raise would be in your position in other companies: Knowing about your salary in other companies will help you have an idea of how much to ask for. It is important that you also review the academic preparation and years of experience that others might have in positions similar to yours.

• Be prepared to not get what you ask for: Negotiating a salary increase or raise doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily get one. Infact, in some instances you may get one however it may not be in the amount or way you expected, so it’s important to be open to the possibility of such an outcome. Regardless of the outcome and whether it’s a lot or a little, you’re likely to get a benefit, and if you don’t get a raise, it doesn’t mean you can’t try again in the future.

• Validate your emotions: Remember that it’s normal to feel nervous and stressed when negotiating your salary, they’re emotions that are part of being human. Validating your emotions helps you better understand how your body reacts to uncomfortable and challenging situations, which is a process that people go through from time to time in their lives.

How can you handle negative responses?

In any type of negotiation, two of the most common responses are yes and no. Sometimes people can reach agreements and get what they want, other times the answer will be no and you will have to learn to deal with the feelings that come with receiving this type of response.

When an employee decides to negotiate their salary, it is important to keep in mind that the answer “no” will be present. It may not be a direct no, but words like “it is not the right time for a salary increase” or “the increase will not be possible for various reasons” may come up.

Some ways you can deal with rejection in salary negotiations are:

• When you hear the "no" and feel that you are not being given the reasons, you can ask why to understand the perspective of the superior or employer. If you see that you are not getting the raise you wanted, ask if there are other benefits that you can have access to in lieu of a raise.

• Take some time to analyze the information received: Reflect on how the conversation went, on what your possible strengths and weaknesses were, and use them as a learning experience. Try not to feel as if you did something wrong because things didn’t turn out the way you expected, it is part of the normal processes of life and we cannot control everything.

• Analyze your priorities and reorganize your future goals: Ask yourself questions about what you want in the company you are in and how this situation can impact your future. Think about whether you can negotiate salary and other benefits later on. Also, looking for other possible jobs is an option if you feel that over time your expectations are not being met where you are.

• Keep learning: Keep learning, preparing yourself and gaining experience. You may not be earning the salary you want right now but in the future your preparation can take you further.

Relationship between organizational culture and salary negotiation

Organizational culture is important in a company because it influences the emotional state of employees, and in turn, impacts their productivity.

If employees feel that they are in an environment where they are well-valued, their efforts are well paid and there are growth opportunities, the company will maintain good levels of productivity.

When a company does not have a good organizational culture, its employees and the company can suffer. Salary is part of a company’s organizational culture. Employees want to feel that they are fairly paid for their work, they want to see compensation aligned with what they do. When that is denied to them and they are not given the opportunity for other benefits, their emotional state can be affected.

It’s true that not everything should revolve around one’s salary, however employees are people who have responsibilities outside of their jobs. When there is a balance between their personal and work lives, it tends to positively impact the organizational culture of the company.

Conclusion

Salary negotiation can be an uncomfortable and stressful step for many employees, but they need to know that it is also a stressful step for the hiring manager or supervisor.

Many employees avoid saying something for fear of a negative response, but this should not stop them because, in the process of negotiating a salary, there is a learning process.

Being clear about the reasons why an employee wants to negotiate a salary will help them express their opinion firmly and with less anxiety, as well as helping them negotiate other benefits that are not just monetary.

Trying to negotiate a salary for the first time and not getting the expected result should not be a reason to not try again in the future. In the meantime, an employee can continue preparing and gaining experience, preparing themselves to better renegotiate again in the future and have a successful outcome.