🤝 Salary Negotiation in IT Recruitment

Introduction

Once I found myself standing at the crossroads of a crucially important career opportunity. The offer on the table was intriguing, but I knew that there was more to be gained, both professionally and financially.

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Research and preparation‍

Remember that “knowledge is power”. Having done research, learned about salary benchmarks, industry standards and current market trends I had the confidence that I could kick-start the negotiation process with having an upper hand. 

Knowing your value and presenting your case

Armed with knowing the value of my strengths, weaknesses and technical skills, I explained why I’m the right person for the role and crafted a narrative that left the hiring manager captivated. 

Active listening and communication‍

Negotiation is a two-way street where listening is as important as speaking. I paid attention to their needs, expectations and these insights helped me understand their bottlenecks and struggles, that I could help efficiently solve. 

Presenting Your Case

I made the case clear with tangible results I’ve achieved previously, demonstrating how my contributions have brought value to the organizations I have worked for and how exactly would I approach my first -30 to -90 days in the role based on the understanding I had gotten during the interviewing process. 

All this while I acknowledged the budget constraints and company policies, while creatively exploring alternative solutions that could meet both their needs and mine.

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Reaching an Agreement

Finally we reached an agreement: not only had I secured a fair and competitive salary, but I had also established a foundation of respect and collaboration with my new employer.

Conclusion

Salary negotiation within any role and industry can become a challenging aspect within the process either in the beginning or later stage of the hiring process. It’s crucial to be very clear about your expectations and touch upon these matters as early as possible to avoid confusion.

‍Here are some of the tips to follow:

1. ‍‍Be clear and transparent about your expected salary range as well as the flexibility you have (combination of a lower salary with stock options, etc.)
2. Ask about the company’s salary range for the role during the first interview stage as well as the motivational package they offer.
3. Ask whether they are flexible or share your expectations and confirm that you will be happy to proceed if the compensation ranges could be aligned (and please be transparent that there’s no reason to proceed if your expectations can’t be met and that it is a waste of time for both parties).
4. Talk openly about possible career growth opportunities within the organization for the upcoming period which will give you an indication of the role you could potentially move forward within the same organization.
5. Look out for companies with public salary ranges to avoid unnecessary salary negotiations.
6. Always do your research and understand your value add before engaging into negotiations - it’s vital to understand why would it make sense for the organization to pay a premium for your services if their initial budget was more limited. As this does not always uncover during the rather short recruitment process, it’s something you could point out to earn bonus points.