CA Piyali Parashari

Salary Negotiation
Mistakes
to Avoid
01
FIRST, WHAT IS THE EMPLOYERS' VIEWPOINT?

Employers normally ask about salary expectation

question in first call
because if there is a huge gap between what they
think of the jobs worth and what you quote, it will
be a waste of time

A STARTUP normally asks this question to assess

the market and figure out how much they should
pay

An ESTABLISHED company normally has

their own pay scale and bands for
different positions.
 02
MYTH: CHEAPEST CANDIDATE IS CHOSEN

Recruitment and training requires expenditure

and choosing a wrong candidate may prove to be
expensive for employers.

They seek the optimal mix of talent and skills vs

the pay expectations.

Yes they are governed by a budget cap but low

pricing yourself may not guarantee you the job as
employers may doubt the skills you have
mentioned
 03 SO WHAT ARE THE MISTAKES TO AVOID?

1. BEING THE FIRST TO DISCLOSE THE SALARY

AMOUNT
Revealing the figures early on may leave less room
for negotiation later.
Instead ask questions like
"What have you budgeted for the role?"
What is the salary range for this position?"

While revealing your previous salary you may state

'I'm still learning what the role and responsibilities
are, so my expectations are flexible at the
moment'

 04
2. WAITING UNTIL LAST STEP TO DISCUSS SALARY

Unless the job specified a particular salary,

it makes sense to bring the salary question early
on as an established company may assume that
you will accept whatever they offer.

You can say, "I'm really excited about this

opportunity. What salary have you allocated for
this role?"
05
3. BEING DRIVEN ONLY BY SALARY

Consider factors which are equally important

like
Career Growth & Promotions
Organisational culture
Leave benefits
Frequency of performance pay
Stock Options and ESOPs with favorable
conditions
Healthcare benefits
Flexible work schedule
 06
4. FAILING TO RESEARCH

Your present earning may not reflect your actual

worth.

Hence research what a candidate with your skills

gets paid in your locality.
Use the sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, Pay Scale

You can also speak with people in comparable

positions or unaffiliated recruiters.
 07
5. NOT TAKING TIME TO THINK OF THE OFFER

Take time to think things through. Accepting to

rejecting an offer too soon may cause regret later
Hence take time to think if

the salary really makes you feel valued

whether the job will help in your career growth
whether there are other reasonable offers
with you
at what point should you say NO
 07
6. SEEMING THREATENING IN YOUR WORDS

When giving a counter offer dont use words like

“I cannot accept anything less than X”

Instead you can say

"I am exited at the opportunity but given my
experience and skills it would be best if you could
revise my offer to Y"