With a job offer on the table, far too many people, especially women, are quick to accept without considering their professional worth. “Over the course of their careers, women stand to lose as much as half a million dollars just by failing to negotiate their first job’s starting salary,” says Lydia Dishman in FastCompany. According to the 2012 Labor Force Survey, females currently contribute to 47.7% of the labor force, 35.4% held management positions and 22.9% detained senior management positions. With the hiring gap slowly shrinking, both sides of the gender fence should remember that a job offer is just an offer, until a contract is signed.
Excellent candidates, those that know their skills and expertise in relation to the position at hand are far better equipped, as well as more confident to navigate the daunting road of salary negotiation.
“Usually the salary range has 10% play,” argues Pat Palleschi, PhD, founder of the Executive Agency coaching firm. The set range is best discussed with the hiring manager in a face-to-face meeting. For those cringing at the thought of taking a hard line in an initial meeting, Palleschi advises starting with a positive statement. “I really want to work for you but to perform at my best, I need to talk with you about the total rewards picture and work with you to create a total rewards package that will be both fair to you and motivating to me.”
