How to Negotiate Salary
Despite the growing list of things we can and should talk about at work, money still remains a dirty word in many an American office. And the fact that it is contributes to the culture of mystery that unnecessarily circumscribes salary planning, decision making, and negotiation. While our institutions struggle to mature to the point that we have salary transparency, here are some things you can do to support your quest to get paid:
Come with a number in mind. Don’t come to a conversation about salary without identifying your salary goals. The first question your boss will ask when you say you want to make more money is how much more. There’s tons of literature out there about how to figure out what you are worth. Since most organizations don’t typically reveal their salary ranges by position, external research on sites like Glassdoor or in industry publications is going to be your best bet. Caveat your ask with the admission that this is based on external research. You need information on what is reasonable internally. If the response is that your number is far outside the bounds of what you’ve come up with, and there’s no information provided as to why that is, that’s a red flag. If possible, do your internal research by consulting with a mentor or sponsor at your organization who has insight into broader salary planning discussions. That way, you know your number is feasible internally and externally.
Make it about the work. Telling your boss that Joe makes more than you, so ipso facto you need a raise, is not the way to negotiate. While your argument may be valid, you’ve neglected to consider one little detail: your boss is a human. Your request, no matter how politely phrased, is going to come across like you want to play with your sibling’s toy. Sounding like a spoiled child is not the tone you want to strike for this conversation. The point is: don’t compare yourself to others. Instead, focus on your work, your performance, your contributions, your impact on the team, quantifying as much as possible. If you left the organization, why should your boss care? When you make your case from that perspective, it’s going to be much more compelling. Also, please don’t say that you need more money because you want to buy a house or have a kid. That has nothing to do with work and is therefore irrelevant to this conversation.
Keep the conversation going. Since salary is a taboo subject, we amp ourselves up to talk about it, to the point that we may even procrastinate on having the conversation with our boss. It’s not something we normally talk about, so when we do, it becomes a big deal. Flip the script on that by making salary planning an ongoing conversation. This doesn’t mean you sound like a broken record quoting your desired number at every one-on-one meeting. Maybe you can frame your ask in terms of a five-year plan and chart progress against that plan. Maybe you can tie it to a promotion that you are working towards, so conversations about selecting upcoming assignments support you getting the number you want. The point is, don’t save salary for one conversation, once a year. Making this an ongoing discussion makes it easier for your boss to plan for it.
Decide on your priorities. Depending on what your desired number is, you may never make what you want or believe you should be making, for a variety of reasons. Your industry may not support it. You may not want or be able to put in the hours or commit to the travel schedule that would be required. Salary is the major reason we come to work, but it’s not the only reason. You may decide you value other things more, like the flexibility to choose your assignments, modify your working hours, work remotely, or take more vacation. Be honest with yourself about why you want more money and whether you are willing to do what you need to do to get it.
