Don’t be afraid to negotiate a sub-optimal job offer. Here are expert-backed tips to help you secure the compensation and terms you deserve.

Ask and You Shall Receive: How to Negotiate A Job Offer

By A Portland Career, and edited by JD Duran

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Knowing what you want in a job is like knowing your boundaries before entering a relationship: it sets the stage for a clearer-cut, mutually respectful, and long-term commitment. Getting clear on what you expect from your employer—then asserting your needs politely and confidently — is the first step to a fulfilling career. 

Once you’re in the “we’ll let you know within a week” phase of the interview process, it’s time to think hard about what you require in terms of salary, terms of employment, and job expectations. This includes things like base salary, benefits, vacation time, professional development, and more. 

So once you’re finally past the job interview stage and you’ve received an offer, now what? Now comes the hard part: the negotiation. This is your chance to assert yourself and land the best possible salary and benefits in your new role. 

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Negotiation: why job seekers need to do it

According to a survey by Fidelity Investments, 58% of Americans accepted a job offer on the spot. The same survey found that 90% of those who negotiated were successful in securing better terms — whether salary or non-salary related. 

It follows that there is a lot of room for people to assert their needs, with a high likelihood their employer will grant one or all of their wishes (provided that they’re justified). 

How to prepare for it 

In all stages of negotiation, it is best to be positive, assertive, and support your requests with factual research.

You don’t have to accept your offer right away—it’s perfectly okay to tell the employer you need a day or two to consider it. Here are the steps you need to follow to best prepare for the all-important talk that awaits you: 

  1. First, evaluate the job offer
  2. Research average salaries and typical benefits packages for your position with your experience level (sites like salary.com are helpful) 
  3. Identify your wants (what to request): your salary and non-salary expectations
  4. Identify your deal breakers (when to contest): what salary and non-salary offers will you refuse to accept?

Talk to people you know (particularly those who work for the company giving you an offer), reach out to your LinkedIn network, or work with a career counselor to help you determine what’s legitimate to expect, and where you can realistically and justifiably assert your request. 

The three components of a job offer

Not all offers or all parts of an offer need to be modified, but if you’re done your research and around it built your firm expectations your future employer doesn’t meet in their offer — it may be time to push back. 

But before you do, you must understand that: you have to be able to back up your requests with sound, well-thought-out, and researched justifications. (And maybe don’t try to barter for a higher sign-on bonus if you’re actually excited about the job opportunity.) 

You can’t negotiate unless you have a reasonable foundation to stand on. 

Salary

A salary or salary range may have been posted with the initial job description you applied to. If their offer is lower than your expectations or salary history, it may be time for a salary negotiation where you present a counteroffer that’s backed up by your research. 

Here’s a successful salary negotiation scenario from one of our clients:

One of our clients was offered a grant writing position in an environmental organization. Her research led her to believe that $62,000 was a fair annual salary. She was understandably disappointed when the employer contacted her with a first offer of $54,000. The employer gave the rationale that another employee who had been working for two years in another job would be resentful if she received a higher salary.

Following our coach’s guidance, her client responded by asking for a day to consider the offer. She reviewed her research and then called the next day. She told the prospective employer, 

“Based on my four years of experience in the field, a master’s degree, and the expectation that I will raise considerable funds, the salary offer is low.” 

She then provided data demonstrating that the offer was at the lowest end of expectations for someone with her job title, and that the other employee did not have the same certifications and qualifications. She told her prospective employer that her research showed she was worth $62,000 to the organization and referenced the source. Then came the hardest part—she had to hold her breath for another two long days when, at last, she was offered a $60,000 starting salary and funds to attend a national conference. 

Terms of Employment

Getting the paycheck you want is important, but it’s not the only part of your job offer that matters. Non-salary items, like your benefits package and the items laid out in the legal fine-print of the job offer, include things like: 

  • Healthcare benefits
  • Vacation days
  • Sick days
  • Life insurance
  • Non-compete agreements (that may prevent you from pursuing your side gig or passion project outside of your job or working with certain companies in the future)
  • Work from home options
  • Stock options
  • Childcare
  • A company car
  • Parking and transportation reimbursement 
  • Equipment you need 
  • Accommodating pre-arranged vacations (e.g. “I have a prearranged vacation planned in October, which is six months before I would normally be eligible. The tickets are non-refundable and I’d like to go. Is that possible?”)

For these terms, your justifications (and the research it takes to back them up) will look much different than for your salary negotiation. Maybe you have a child that gets out of school at 4 pm on Friday and you need to get off work a bit early that day. Maybe you have a vacation you reserved 6 months ago and the tickets are non-refundable–so you ask your employer if it’s possible to still go. It all depends on your desired work-life balance and the things you need to achieve it. 

Job Expectations

You want to arrive at an understanding about expectations that leaves you feeling honest and poised for success. During the interview, you may have held back concerns for fear that you might appear unenthusiastic or uncertain about your abilities. 

However, after an offer is extended, you can be frank about your concerns and ask for greater clarity around any implied agreements. For example, you might want to convey:

  • Your preferred start date
  • Your need for additional training in a desired skill
  • Your desire to have regular progress check-ins 
  • Your preferred feedback or communication method
  • Any interview questions let unasked

Final thoughts on negotiating your terms of employment  

Perhaps the most important piece of advice we can give job seekers about employment negotiations is to not be afraid. Your potential employer will respect the fact that you’re willing to stand up for your needs. Plus, the job market since the pandemic has shown that companies are willing to give more to their employees to attract the right labor.

The negotiation process normally lasts from a day to a week, although psychologically it may seem much longer. Your job during this period is to stay in balance using time-honored stress reduction techniques: remember to breathe, take walks, and dispel nervous energy by spending time with friends. 

Remember to be thoughtful, assertive, and clear about your needs, and go out there and the new job you want with the compensation package you deserve. Our clients have successfully negotiated better compensation packages and non-salary perks, and with the right preparation, you can, too. 

Key takeaways

  • There are both salary and non-salary items you can negotiate 
  • The pay scale and conditions you negotiate may impact your financial well-being and job satisfaction for years to come
  • Make sure you do your homework before entering a negotiation and can justify your requests with specific numbers and a thought-out rationale 
  • Recruiters and hiring managers tend to look favorably on those who assert their needs
  • The process can be stressful, so take time to engage in healthy self-care activities to stay balanced 

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