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Well, we have hit the heart of the interview right? Ok. So, you want to get into a prestigious concern and prove your talent. Ya ya, all that is agreed! But without this one deciding X factor, everything is lost! It all comes down to the thick package that is deposited in your account month after month right? By this, I do not mean that you are working only for the money factor. But it is one sure star feature that decides your job satisfaction, secured living and social status. What is important is to sharpen your salary negotiation skills and that is what this article is all about!

Whether you are debut to the job emporium or an experienced mind, salary negotiation is a skill that you have to master to be able to live a justified job life. So, here goes a list of things that you have to keep in mind when you are about to negotiate your salary:

Prepare beforehand:

If you are going to take pay scale negotiation a light process, then you are going to pay for it dearly! A talented and knowledgeable person will never skip this stage in the first place. If you are serious about the interview you are attending, then being negligent about such a key part of the interview is nothing but idiocy! Everything about interview calls for prior preparation. If you do not want to make a mess and stutter in front of the deciding figure, then you should have a well laid out plan in your mind about the compensation you want.

Gather information:

Information not only yields you wealth here, but it also gives you the power to take your stands! Equip yourself with all the information about the company you are going for a walk-in. When you have all the ground information about the company, you can get some idea on the negotiable pay scale. Also, know the remuneration that is offered for your job profile with your experience and background. You should have a salary range fixed in your mind, based on your requirements and commitments. With a set plan and idea in mind, salary negotiation can be a win-win situation for both the parties.

Employer perspective:

Just like how you will have your own grounds to come up with the pay scale compensation, an employer will have many as he is the player of this game. From the employer perspective, pay scale package depends on a variety of dimensions such as: the commanding position of your job title within the organization; roles and responsibilities; experience, qualifications and achievements of the candidate; fixed salary range for that job title in the company and immediate geographic extensions, demand for the posting, market value and prevailing economic conditions and employer attitude.

Wait for your turn:

It is always better and even sensible to wait till the interviewer broaches the salary topic. You will sound way too eager and desperate if you do the starting ceremony. Do not make a mess at the right moment when everything is going just fine. All the while you were waiting for this question to crop. Now when the moment is on, why do you have to prattle or appear blank? It is important to organize your thought and come up with a meritorious response. Most of the candidates do not realize that this is not just a casual question. This is also one of the interview questions and one which you are graded on with a hawk eye by the interviewer! So, beware job seekers!

An ideal response:

It is always better not to include your expected CTC in your resume. When enquired regarding your current CTC, you have no other go but to reveal it to your interviewer as they have various sources to dig for the information if you are going to be tight lipped about it. Never enclose a specific pay scale as it is always better to quote a salary range of your expectation (say, I would like a take home around $50,000 range). You can even do smart work by reverting the ball back to the interviewer’s court by asking the pay range for the particular job profile in their company or what he thinks is the deserved package for the posting or your qualifications and experience.

Honesty is the best policy:

This is one trait that you will have to practice even in your sleep and especially in a professional decorum. If you happen to provide some fake information, even it just happen to slip, the black dot is there for the rest of your life and your career is put in jeopardy. Do not dig your own grave with over confidence and think you are too clever to be spotted. No corporate company today hires an employee without performing a background check. When they are done, all your past records and nasty truths will be out in the spot light and there is no point in hanging your head down with shame then! The company can even cast a doom in your whole career life, if you know what I mean!

Grade yourself:

It is absolutely essential to introspect where you stand and know your market value before you decide on the package you want. If you have gotten yourself in a career which is great in demand but is facing shortage of men aboard, and you are one luck draw, then ball is in your court! You can demand the package which you believe is genuine for your skills and market demand. All the job seekers should rate their own market value and then come up with a reasonable remuneration that you think is worthy enough for the skills and experience you have gained. If you are going to overestimate your skills and market value and quote a giddy package, then the employers will only scout you out without a second thought. There are more worthier candidates who are a humble enough to propose a deserving salary, one that will earn a nod of approval immediately from the employer’s end!

Show your brand image:

When you are compensating for your package, there is one important thing you have to do to get the desired results. Show your worth! Now, you have revealed the range of the pay scale expectation from your end to the interviewer. Almost always, the next question will be, ‘why do you think we should provide you this much package?’ or ‘why do you think you are worthy of this take home?’ All that the interviewer wants to check now is your confidence level and see how well you are able to portray yourself. It is the time to engage in elaborative talk. Communicate your achievements, experience you have in your kitty, your career growth over a period of time, key skills and your subject knowledge as well as social awareness, passion and dedication for the work and so on and so forth depending on your job profile. The better you present yourself, the better your chances of being on the winning side!

Better be flexible:

This does not mean that you will have to be a scape goat or budge for meager proposals. This simply means that when a good proposal comes with moderate pay scale but tags excellent perks and other allowances, do not discount it just like that! Give it some thought and then make a decision. You should not later regret that you have missed such a good offer. Certain companies that though offer an average income come with other exciting advantages that you wouldn’t want to miss! If you are confused whether to accept or decline the offer, then consult with an experienced professional and then make a decision.

A win-win situation:

When you are discussing your pay scale compensation, make sure that the conversation travels on a sail through and through. The employer may or may not give in to your expectations. You should steel yourself for all the possible responses and know how to maintain a professional decorum. As a candidate you should express your expectation in as pleasing and convincing a manner as possible. If you think that you will be able to bag a thick chunk of take home by emptying your family issues and the financial pressures you are burdened with, then you are thoroughly mistaken! Let me tell you one thing! The last thing that the employers will do is induct a pain in the ass! If you are going to whine about this and that in the interview stages itself, then it is only too obvious what a trouble maker you will be later one! A salary negotiation should be a win-win situation for both the parties involved. In the mind, if the employer views you as an asset to the company, then he will not want to lose you for such base reasons as package issues. Be a professional at all costs and do your work well, the rest is sure to turn in your favor!

Documentation is essential:

Do not fly too high if your prospective employer promises you stars and moon. Never fall in a trap by taking everything at face value. You do not want to be viewed as an easy catch right? Make sure that everything is documented. Right from the offer letter, pay scale breakup, deductions, other benefits as promised and everything should be printed in black and white. If a company delays with these procedures or fails to produce all the essential documentation, then it is only too apparent that they are not professionals by a wink! Being a part of such a company will only bring down your career and there is no point in resenting your career course and feeling all bitter later on!

Part ways professionally:

Yes, as a job seeker you have got all the rights to accept or decline an offer just like how an employer can select or reject you. But there is always a procedure to do things, right? May be you are not interested in the offer. But never be rude or arrogant when communicating it. Remember, only a professional can climb giant ladders and reach enviable place in the career sphere. It is always better to inform the employer or the interviewer to give you some time to consider the offer and that you will get back to them within a few days. If you are sure you are not interested in the offer, then send them a courteous mail saying that you are glad about the offer, but at the moment unable to consider it due to personal reasons. Put it however you want, but make sure that your mail is thoroughly professional and not pointedly negative in any way.

So, what is the final say of this article?

If you are a job seeker, then there is no way you will come out of the interview with a bright smile in the absence of ample salary negotiation skills. All you need to know is how to play the game by the employer. You should know the pulse of the interviewer and where he is aiming the ball in your court. With excellent communication and projection skills you have already crossed half the bridge. If you are astute and witty by nature, then you have won the game with your interviewer! Most of the candidates make a wrong assumption that reducing the vocabulary will earn you good points in the book of the interviewer. Truth be told, the more you talk, the more the interviewer will like you. By talking, am not asking you to make small talk and blabber some irrelevant rubbish. You should know when to make a speech and when to shut your mouth. During an interview, it is important that you listen as much as you talk. So, enhance your communication skills if that is your weaker side because it is this skill that plays a major part in your remuneration dreams!

All the best to win the battle!!!!