Salary Negotiations

[EasyEd]

I am in line for a promotion. It’s a job that was posted and that I applied for, and the salary will certainly be higher. Since it’s an internal job and they know what I make, they will probably low-ball me and not offer me much. I have a few questions:

Have any of you ever had much success negotiating salaries internally when they know what you make?
I really want this job, so am I shooting myself in the foot if I reject the first offer and tell them I want more? Or will the bosses actually be impressed with the aggressive attitude?
I was given a salary range for the position and I assume they’ll put me at the bottom of the range – should I tell them I want the middle and not a penny less?

If you have any experience in any of these negotiations, any advice would be helpful.

 

[oni]

I really want this job

Don't appear desperate for a start.

so am I shooting myself in the foot if I reject the first offer and tell them I want more?

You don't want more! You are worth more.

You would not have been considered for the promotion if you was not up to the job.

Or will the bosses actually be impressed with the aggressive attitude?

You don't want to appear aggressive, more assertive and confident, would be better.

I was given a salary range for the position and I assume they’ll put me at the bottom of the range – should I tell them I want the middle and not a penny less?

For a start don't assume and don't make ultimatums when negotiating.

Negotiating a salary should be a friendly experience.

There are plenty of sites that will answer your questions more in depth.

 

[GeminiX]

As a rule of thumb, you generally don't get stellar pay rises when you're moving to new role internally; pretty much for all the reasons you listed. Also, if you give ultimatums you must be prepared to take it on the chin if it backfires.

That said, it's not all doom and gloom; I'm sure the new position will offer good career progression and an opportunity to add a whole lot of experience to your CV.

What I've found (and again, a generalisation) if you want to get the top money, be prepared to move to a new company; if you want great experience and training then stay put and work at the new role.

 

[The Gardener]

Try to approach the negotiation from the perspective of value. I'm not sure what field you are in or how well this would apply (I work in finance, so quantifying value is probably easier), but if you can, were there things you did in your current position that saved your employer money? Or, that created opportunity for your employer to make more money?

If you can, I'd put together a list of such things. Try to frame the marginal increase in pay as being an investment that your employer is making in you continuing to find value and add value to the company.

You don't need to make a case that the increase in pay will ALL be offset by your savings opportunities, you only need to give your employer the impression that you seek value, and seek cost savings, MORE than an ordinary Joe walking off the street would.

I would also add to this list specific experiences you have from your current position that make you particularly well suited for the upgrade. Because you are an incumbent, and because you have been active in trying to master your current position, you have the ability to be twice as effective as some ordinary Joe walking off the street would. And, because of that, you warrant more pay. Err... to phrase it another way, I guess the concept I am trying to describe is this... you, being experienced with the company, could probably be TWICE as effective and productive as someone who they bring in fresh off the street. However, you are only asking for, say, 10% more money. The 100% increase in productivity less the 10% in pay you are asking yields 90% value for your employer.

I don't know... I'm just brainstorming... but these are some potential "angles" to take during compensation negotiations.

 

[HughJass]

I would suggest a slightly different angle in order to obtain the most generous raise:

Concoct a story about an ill family member whose medical bills you are struggling to pay.


Alternativly, you could tell them a loved one is being held hostage in Somalia (or some other place that is very hard to verify details about) and the ransom is quite large.


Of course some will criticise this as 'unethical', but it's a dog eat dog world out there.