Securing a job offer is an exhilarating moment, a testament to your skills and hard work. However, the joy can quickly turn to disappointment when the offer is lower than expected, leaving you feeling undervalued and conflicted about your next steps.
Ways to Prepare for the Negotiation Conversation
- Research comparable salaries online for your role, industry and location using reliable sources like Glassdoor and Built In.
- Understand how job-market fluctuations might affect your negotiations.
- Thoroughly assess your alternatives, including competing offers and current job satisfaction.
- If you have multiple offers or are satisfied with your current job, use that leverage to push back against a lowball offer.
Lowball offers can feel like such a bummer. But 53 percent of employers say they are willing to negotiate salaries on initial job offers for entry-level workers, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder. And 52 percent say when they first extend a job offer to an employee, they typically offer a lower salary than they’re willing to pay so there is room to negotiate.
It’s crucial to approach the situation strategically. Here are five ways to professionally counter a lowball salary offer.
Set High Goals and Know When to Walk Away
Enter the negotiation with your highest desired salary and be prepared to walk away if necessary. Despite your best efforts, there may be times when an employer simply cannot meet your salary expectations. In such cases, it is crucial to know your worth and be prepared to walk away if the offer does not meet your needs.
Consider your financial obligations, career goals and personal values. If accepting a lowball offer would cause undue stress or hinder your professional growth, it may be better to continue your job search.
You can respectfully decline the offer by saying, “I appreciate the offer and the opportunity to interview with your company. However, after careful consideration, I don’t believe the salary meets my current expectations or needs. I hope we can stay in touch for future opportunities.”
This mindset helps prevent you from being anchored by a low offer. Knowing when to walk away ensures you don’t settle for less than you deserve and keeps you available for positions that better align with your qualifications and expectations.
Ask Strategic Questions
When negotiating a lowball salary offer, asking strategic questions can be a powerful tool for understanding the employer’s constraints and identifying potential compromise areas.
Use questions to put pressure on the employer and gather valuable information. Start by inquiring about the reasoning behind the offer. For instance, you might ask:
- Can you help me understand how you arrived at this salary figure?
- What is it based on?
- What is the highest salary for this position?
These questions show that you are interested in their perspective and open the door for a transparent discussion. It might reveal factors such as budget limitations, internal salary ranges or market conditions influencing their decision. Understanding these constraints allows you to effectively tailor your counter offer or negotiate for other benefits.
Additionally, asking about the long-term prospects within the company can provide insight into potential growth opportunities that may compensate for the initial low offer. Questions like the ones below can be very revealing:
- What are the opportunities for salary reviews and promotions within the first year?
- Can you explain the performance evaluation process and how it affects salary adjustments?
By asking questions about future opportunities, you demonstrate your commitment to growing with the company while setting the stage for future salary discussions. Strategically framing your questions can gather crucial information, show your proactive approach and reinforce your value to the employer, all of which can help reach a more favorable compensation agreement.
Be Comfortable With Silence and Delays
Embrace the discomfort of negotiation tactics such as silence, taking time to respond, and not immediately expressing gratitude for a low offer. Practice these strategies to become more comfortable. For instance, after receiving an offer, say, “I understand the offer. I’ll need some time to think about it,” and follow up later with a counter offer or questions.
Prepare a Decision Tree
A decision tree is a visual tool used in salary negotiations to map potential scenarios and responses. It begins with the initial salary offer and branches out to illustrate options like accepting, countering, or rejecting the offer.
For instance, if the offer is very low, you might respond confidently, “Sorry, that won’t work. I appreciate your offer, but we would need to dramatically change the details for it to align with other options I have available. How do we make that happen?” This ensures you have a planned, confident response ready. The tree further outlines the employer’s possible reactions to your counteroffer, helping you anticipate different negotiation pathways and prepare responses for each scenario.
To craft a decision tree for salary negotiation, start by defining your primary decision, such as whether to accept the initial offer. Draw branches for each potential action, like negotiating for a higher salary, requesting additional benefits or declining the offer. Consider the employer’s potential responses for each action and create subsequent branches to represent these possibilities.
Continue adding nodes for follow-up decisions and their outcomes until all likely scenarios are mapped. This helps you visualize the negotiation process, plan your strategy comprehensively and prepare for various outcomes, ensuring you are ready to respond effectively at each negotiation stage.
Frame Your Counteroffer Positively
Respond to low offers with a positive and constructive approach. For example, instead of outright rejecting a low offer, say, “I appreciate your offer, but based on my research and the value I bring, I was expecting a higher figure. How can we adjust this offer to align with my expectations and the industry standards?” This opens the door for further negotiation while maintaining a positive tone.
Countering a lowball salary offer requires research, communication and negotiation skills. You can effectively navigate salary negotiations and secure a compensation package that reflects your worth by doing homework, highlighting your unique value, negotiating perks, communicating your enthusiasm and knowing when to walk away.
Remember, the goal is to find a mutually beneficial agreement that satisfies you and your potential employer.
