How to Negotiate Salary
I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but women, especially black and indigenous women, are underpaid. Any way you cut it, women get the short end of the stick when it comes to salary – and I’m over that SH*T. I’m here to remind you to ask for more money because you deserve it Mija! Once you’ve tackled the Mindset of Negotiating, it’s time to put that mindset to practice. Let’s get into it. Here is how to negotiate salary:
- Research
- Put together a script
- Practice the script with friends
- Prepare to counteroffer
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Negotiations Checklist
Research
First things first, research is the most important part to having a strong basis for your salary request. It’s important to research the cost of living in the area where you plan to live for the job, as well as the average pay for your position. I like to use tools like Payscale and Glassdoor to find the general salary information for job titles. This is a good place to understand what the industry will pay for your position, but also take the information with a grain of salt. Ultimately, trust your gut. Also, please don’t guess. I’ve had clients who pulled a number out of nowhere only to realize they completely undersold themselves. Do the research! I promise it will pay off.
If you’re a new graduate without internships or experience, you may be on the lower end of the spectrum BUT don’t let that be a reason why you can’t shoot for a higher salary. I am a HUGE advocate for encouraging people to ask for more than they THINK they’ll get. I give this advice to my clients because as women, we have always been expected to take the lowest price tag and I say “F that”. Yup, I’ve helped undergraduate clients negotiate and land starting salaries $20,000 above their initial numbers. The worst any employer can say is “No, we don’t have a budget for that”.
Pro Tip: Many people fear asking for “too much money” and not getting the job for it. First of all, if an employer doesn’t see the value that you have to offer, why would you want to work for them? The biggest lie we tell ourselves is, “I’ll get a raise when ____ (fill in lame excuse here)”. Employers will always look out for their bottom line. They will pay the lowest salary for your services if you let them, so don’t.
Put together a script
Now that you know what number you’re shooting for in the salary negotiations, it’s time to start the script for how to negotiate salary.
Employers may bring up the salary in many ways, which include but are not limited to, offer letter via email, phone call, in-person during interview, on initial phone screening , in job application, etc. This is why doing the salary research is a key part to this process, because they may ask you before you even get to the final interview. Since the conversation for salary can come up at any of these times, it’s important to create a general script for how to state your salary.
Pro-Tip: If you’re terrified by the thought of negotiating in-person, when they ask you about salary in-person you can always say “I need to do a little more research on living expenses for this area. I can get back to you via email”. Simple and easy. This moves the conversation to email which can be much easier to manage than in-person.
As for the how to negotiate salary script, it’s important (especially for women) to have an active voice rather than a passive voice. Also avoid language like “I’d like” or “I’m hoping for”. You are a whole badass, Chingona, Jefa of a woman. They will be LUCKY to have you join their team. Confidently state your number. For example, “Due to my extensive experience in design for manufacturability and successful project management skills, a starting salary of $115,000 is appropriate for someone with my qualifications”. Periodt.
In general, the structure of the salary negotiation should look like this:
Clear and concise reason why you’re the right candidate + followed by your salary request.
Practice Makes Perfect
I can’t repeat this enough but practice, practice, practice! Have your friends, family or roommates help you with this! Make it fun! For bonus points, have them take notes on your body language, eye contact and tone when you practice negotiating. Your words will fall short if your tone and body language say otherwise. Practice and have fun with it. Practicing this and being aware of body language will help you come off more confident when you do this in person. Trust me, it’s helped me so much! Ever since I started implementing this I haven’t received an offer that I couldn’t negotiate up.
Prepare to Counteroffer
Ok, you’ve made it this far! Hopefully, you’re feeling confident and more affirmed because I’m about to ask you to do something scary! Let’s get out of your comfort zone mujer! In the event that the employer does not accept your salary offer, it’s important to keep negotiating other aspects of your compensation! There are many things you can negotiate like a sign-on bonus, additional PTO (paid time off) days, flexible schedule, stock options, and half days every Friday – get creative with it. What is valuable to you?
I had a male colleague negotiate a 2-hour lunch break every day so he could go train Jiu-Jitsu (on top of the sign-on bonus). His training time was important to him and non-negotiable. We won’t know unless we ask.
For example, let’s say that we went in negotiating for a $115,000 salary and that was not in their budget. Let’s say they countered with $105,000. This is where we counteroffer with a $8,000 sign-on bonus. If they come back and say no, then we keep shooting.
Next, we might ask for a $5,000 sign-on bonus and 4 days of additional PTO. Ultimately, you want to negotiate on benefits that are important to you.
I’ve had grown men in their 40s tell me “Just be happy you got the job offer and be grateful for the salary they offer you” – an actual SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) member told me this. Just because other people settle for less does not mean you should too! You deserve your weight in gold Mija, despite what other people think.
Final Thoughts on How to Negotiate Salary
I hope this blog post gave you inspiration and the confidence to go practice negotiating! I really believe that investing in women in the workforce starts with paying women their worth. Especially coming out of such a traumatic year (2020, I’m looking at you) where so many companies claimed to support people of color and women. It’s time to ask them to put their money where their mouth is. They can’t say they value women and people of color, then turn around and underpay us. If they do, my advice is someone else will pay you your worth. When one door closes, it’s really just an opportunity for a better door to open and welcome you in. Say “no” to the things, people, and places that do not serve you. Trust your dopeness mujer.
Looking for a complete guide on how to Slay your Salary Negotiations? Check out our recently launched workbook! Unlike most people, I take a holistic approach to negotiation tactics starting with letting go of scarcity mindsets and focusing on self-worth.
If you’re looking for more support and coaching when it comes to salary negotiations, I gotchu my friend. Book a clarity call with me to learn how I can support you!
