editione2.1.1
Updated September 12, 2022Before accepting any job offer, youβll want to negotiate firmly and fairly. Youβre planning to devote a lot of your time and sanity to any full-time role; help yourself make sure that this is βpaidβwhat you want.
βconfusionβ Itβs perfectly natural to be anxious about negotiations, whether youβre going through this process for the first time or the tenth. There is a lot at stake, and it can be uncomfortable and stressful to ask for things you need or want. Many people think negotiating could get the job offer revoked, so theyβll accept their offer with little or no discussion. But remember that negotiations are the first experience youβll have of working with your new team. If youβre nervous, it can help to remind yourself why itβs important to have these conversations:
Negotiations ask you to focus on what you actually want. What is important to youβpersonal growth, career growth, impact, recognition, cash, ownership, teamwork? Not being clear with yourself on what your priorities really are is a recipe for dissatisfaction later.
If you arenβt satisfied with the terms of your offer, accepting it without discussion can be tough not just for you but for your new company and colleagues as well. No one wants to take on a hire whoβs going to walk away in just a few months when something better comes along. For everyoneβs sake, take your time now to consider what you wantβand then ask for it.
The negotiation process itself can teach you a lot about a company and your future manager. Talking about a tough subject like an offer is a great way to see how youβll work with someone down the road.
A Guide like this canβt give you personalized advice on what a reasonable offer is, as that depends greatly on your skills, the marketplace of candidates, what other offers you have, what the company can pay, what other candidates the company has found, and the companyβs needs. But we can cover the basics of what to expect with offers, and advise candidates on how to approach negotiations.
βimportantβ Companies can and should work hard to ensure that all candidates are given equal treatment in the hiring process, but inequalities persist.* Workplace disparities in pay and opportunity span race and gender,* with research focusing on inequality in the U.S. workplace,* executive leadership and its well-documented lack of diversity,** and the technology industry.* Gender bias in negotiation itself is also an issue; many women have been made to feel that they shouldnβt ask for what they deserve.*
More effort is needed to end biases and close the wage gap. All candidates should take the time to understand their worth and the specific value they can add to a company, so that they are fully prepared to negotiate for a better offer.