How to Negotiate the Best Compensation Package at a New Company
The interview process is only the first step when transitioning to a new position. When HR makes an offer, negotiations can begin. Your mindset while negotiating will directly impact whether you come away feeling excited about the new position or deflated and feeling like you are missing out.
So, how do you negotiate the very best package compensation package? I asked Corey Kupfer, attorney, entrepreneur, and author of Authentic Negotiating: Clarity, Detachment & Equilibrium – The Three Keys to True Negotiating Success & How to Achieve Them. Cory detailed how to own your value and negotiate from a place of authenticity. Only when you come to the table with a clear mind and an objective view of the outcome will your negotiation be successful.
How can I negotiate as a potential employee?
When interviewing with a new company, it can be scary to think of negotiating for your compensation package. If you think you don’t have any leverage in this situation, think again. You have skills and knowledge you have built over the course of your career. Focus on the value you know you’re going to deliver and share the results you’ve achieved to date.
What are some creative compensation methods I can ask for if a larger salary is off the table?
There is a reason this company is interested in you and a reason you are interested in working for this company. Look for the places where your objectives and the company objectives intersect. For example, they need a full-time employee and you need a flexible schedule to care for your elderly parents or young children. Ask for remote work options or more PTO in exchange for a lower salary. You could also try negotiating a four-day work week. You need to know what other options could be on the table, and which of them you are willing to accept.
What is the most important thing I should do while negotiating?
The most important thing to do during the actual negotiation is to ask yourself whether the next thing you are about to do or say will move you closer to your purpose or further away from it. If further away, then no matter how you feel about it, don’t do or say it.
You can go into any negotiation with a calm demeanor if you have clarity about your situation. I refer to it as Clarity, Detachment, and Equilibrium. When negotiating for the next step in your career, keep your mind clear and your options open. Detachment from the outcome will allow you to consider all of the pros and cons before making your decision. Equilibrium will allow you to stay in the moment without being thrown off by anything the other side says or does.
Remember that the person with the power to make the final decision is always you. Your worth and your self-confidence are with you in that conversation when you share your most authentic self during a negotiation.
