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QUICK LINKS ON THIS PAGE: Reading the Offer Signals Your Strongest Bargaining Position Websites with Great Articles on Negotiating the Job Offer Prepare to Negotiate Negotiating Tips For Women Salary Research Clarifying the Offer Evaluating the Offer Stock Options & Employee Benefits Relocation Get It In Writing!
Reading the Offer Signals
You'll probably have some indication that an offer may be forthcoming if you begin to get any of the following "offer signals" when interviewing at a company:
Beware of exploratory questions like, "What would it take to get you to accept a position with us?" This is not an actual job offer but rather a "testing of the waters." Before getting into an active discussion about salary, make sure they've made you an actual offer.
Your Strongest Bargaining Position
Remember that timing is everything when it comes to negotiating. Your strongest bargaining position with a company begins the minute they make you a formal job offer, which is why you want to wait until after a job offer has actually been made before getting into an active discussion about salary, start date, benefits, perks and working conditions.
Your position is strengthened even more when:
Websites with Great Articles on Negotiating the Job Offer
Prepare to Negotiate
Negotiating Tips For Women
Salary Research
Well before the interview process, you will want to carefully research salaries so that you can negotiate effectively. There are numerous resources for researching salary—below are some of the best sites.
Glassdoor.com offers free access to UCLA Anderson alumni to their data on company salaries, reviews, and interviews -- all posted anonymously by employees.
At Salary.com and SalaryExpert.com, the "Salary Wizard" provides quick access to salary comparables in numerous metropolitan areas and for hundreds of job categories and position descriptions.
Clarifying the Offer
Before accepting the job offer, you will want to be sure that you know the answers to the questions listed below. If you do not have complete information prior to receiving a job offer, you may want to request a meeting to discuss the offer and any unanswered questions you may have.
Remember: Always allow yourself enough time to consider a job offer carefully--never accept an offer on the spot!
Evaluating the Offer
Now is the time to review your work values, job satisfiers and job preferences and compare them to the job offer in order to determine whether or not the offer is acceptable. If you decide it isn't, prepare a counter offer. There may be things in addition to salary that you might be able to negotiate.
Stock Options & Employee Benefits
These sites have research and current practices information on employee stock ownership plans and benefits.
Get It In Writing!
Once you've accepted the job offer, the company will probably put the offer in writing and send it to you. If no offer letter is mentioned, you should take the initiative in asking that they send you the offer in writing, or volunteer to put the terms of agreement in writing yourself and send to them. Make sure all the important points are included and get the offer in writing before you start the job. Occasionally, a company may require an offer acceptance letter from you.