No matter your personality and bargaining style, you need to prepare thoroughly when negotiating salary. Therefore, you should:
- familiarize yourself with wage statistics in the relevant field
- become familiar with your own market value
- familiarize yourself with the elements of a salary package.
Secretive & mysterious salary rates
Salary is a topic that is taboo for many people in Denmark. Generally speaking, family and friends aren’t very transparent with regards to their salary. This may be due to the following:
- Salary is perceived to be a private matter.
- Their employer told them not to reveal their salary. According to the Equal Pay Act § 2a, all employees are permitted to speak openly about their own salary, regardless of what an employer may say.
- Salary is a measure of our success. This is a more principled consideration. When our jobs become identity markers, salary becomes a measure of our success. It can feel embarrassing if we don’t earn as much as others - or if we earn much more than others.
Maybe there is a growing wish for more transparency regarding salary. Perhaps you can use your network to assess salary levels in connection with a new job and salary negotiations.
Nine mistakes you should NOT make when negotiating salary
There are different tactics for negotiating salary.
Some choose to stand firm on their demands throughout the process. Others prefer a more pragmatic and interest-based tactic, where the parties mutually see where there is something to give in return for something else. It's a matter of taste and probably also a cultural question of what you prefer. But there are at least nine mistakes you should avoid making:
Show up unprepared
Salary negotiation at the job interview will often take their starting point from your latest salary package, including pension, telephone, and PC. Prepare yourself by knowing your latest salary package and practicing the salary negotiation for upcoming job interviews with an experienced friend, family member, or mentor. No matter who it is, you need to be challenged along the way.
Not knowing your market value
Your market value determines your salary level. In English, market value is also called employability. You should have a good and realistic understanding of your market value.
If many can do your job, then your market value is lower than if you have sought-after expertise. Often, jobs with a lot of pressure or many travel days will have a higher salary.
Examine the salary statistics for your profession and your industry. At the salary negotiation, highlight what you bring to the job. It can also be a good idea to research the company's financial situation as this may affect their willingness to pay generous salaries or the opposite.
Prepare 2-3 strong arguments that support your market value. Stick to your arguments at the negotiations. It shows that you are well-prepared, know your worth, and are persistent. As an employer, it’s always more difficult to argue against data. Be sober in your communication, and do not get personally hurt or offended.
Negotiate based on your personal finances
When negotiating salary, your student debt, divorce, 5 children, expensive cars, etc. do not concern your employer. Your future employer assesses you and your salary based on your expected results on the job. Therefore, do not include arguments based on your personal finances in salary negotiations.
Be fickle
During a salary negotiation, you will meet resistance. That's why you should be well prepared with 2-3 good arguments as to why you believe you deserve the salary you're asking for. You should not let yourself be knocked out in the first round, but stand firm and see how much you can achieve. Do not take a “no” for a no. If you are at a dead end, try another angle. Ask for example: “What can you offer?” Be ambitious – and pragmatic.
Not listening
In any negotiation, the art is to listen to what the other party is saying or trying to communicate – even between the lines. Then put yourself in the employer’s place. Instead of talking past each other, ask questions. That way, both parties can understand each other better, and you will find common ground. And grab the openings when they arise.
Become shrill
Salary can be a sensitive topic. Some people take negotiations personally. Of course, you don’t. Keep your head cool. Be sober, polite, and constructive. Rather than becoming shrill, choose a tactic where you help create a good atmosphere from the very beginning. Find positive things about the job, the manager, and the company. If you succeed in doing so, the road to a handshake where you both are satisfied is far greater.
Threaten not to take the job
Don’t be arrogant or actually threaten not to take the job. An arrogant attitude and threats are not wise negotiation tactics. It happens all the time in politics, but it is not a smart move in the labor market. Unless, for example, you have some exceptional competencies, it’s possible to find someone else to fill the role. So instead, be realistic and know your salary limit. Listen actively, ask questions, think creatively and constructively.
Be nitty-gritty
Nitpicking or legalism are intolerable. Employers are busy and don’t have patience with people who get caught up in insignificant details. Sometimes candidates want to continue negotiations about the new job that has already been agreed upon, f.ex. titles and areas of responsibility. Stay focused. Titles and the like can always be adjusted later on.
Compare yourself with others
It may be tempting to compare your salary package with someone else’s. You may already know someone in the organization from your studies or someone you have collaborated with in cross-disciplinary projects. Demanding the same salary as a specific person and potential colleague can be done with success, but in general, the focus will be on you and what YOU bring. And few employers are prepared to discuss other employees' pay levels with you.
This article is part of a series that gives advice based on the book Jobjagt.
In Jobjagt, Birgit O’Sullivan shares her experience about hunting for a job. She has many years of experience with recruitment for startups and international businesses in Denmark and abroad.
The book is available at bookstores and online or can be borrowed at the library. Read more about the book Jobjagt here: www.gad.dk/jobjagt.
Contact Birgit O’Sullivan, O’Sullivan Consulting at birgit@osullivan.dk.
