Negotiating in high stakes conversations

I’ve worked with professionals in negotiating offers with many companies. Specifically in the tech market, it is hard to hire and retain good talent — when I say this, they want you to stick around. 

When receiving the offer:

There’s a need to share your thoughts about the offer itself, if

• It is not up to your expectation- In this case, it's good to ask how they arrived at this numbers. Having this information can help your negotiation later.
• Exceeds your expectation- Express your enthusiasm. 

Here are a few steps to find your value and what you value:

1. What is your minimally acceptable offer, what are your deal-breakers, what does the company offer you (as total CTC)

2. How many people the organisation is hiring (like, if they are hiring multiple roles, they have a high need for each person), do you add a specialized skillset/value, what are the company’s options besides hiring you.

3. If possible, research salary levels for the organization you are considering to join (if you know anyone at the company, you may ask them their thoughts on salaries for people in certain roles.)

4. Glassdoor can give you information, but it’s up to you to determine your value.

I’ve not seen an offer getting revoked because the candidate negotiated for more except for a TA Director role our team worked, a few years back, for an internet startup, where the CHRO of the startup revoked the offer saying the candidate is greedy ( CHRO’s words goes like this, the candidate was a douchebag while negotiating.) It was one role and got closed as soon as they found someone, so then they might revoke. The thing about negotiating is knowing what to say in an ambiguous situation that’s not in your favour. Like what’s OK, what’s not? For senior roles, not only the salary bands be wider, more of compensation comes from equity which has wider range for negotiating.

If an employer asks you whether you would immediately accept an offer, they may be interested in knowing if you're genuinely interested about the job. A question about whether you have other offers may be designed not to expose your alternatives but to learn what type of job search you’re doing and whether this company has a chance of getting you. 

Anything you do in a negotiation that makes you less likable reduces the chances that the other side will work to get you a better offer. 

If a company makes you an offer and you’re legitimately concerned about parts of it, you’re usually better off proposing all your changes at once. Asking questions like “The salary is a bit low. Could you do something about it?” and then, once HR worked on it, come back with “ Now here are two other things I’d like to ” If you ask for only one thing initially, HR may assume that getting it will make you ready to accept the offer (or at least to make a decision).Then you’ll have an offer that’s not much better and a negotiating partner who thinks their job is almost done. 

Its better not to just fixated on money. Focus on the value of the entire deal: responsibilities, opportunities for growth and promotion, perks, support for continued education, and so forth. Think not just about how you’re willing to be rewarded but also when.

Couple of instances when I felt companies(especially growth stage) shouldn’t hold against the candidates who are ready to join them. Here are the reasons:

1. Negotiating with a candidate can signal that you doubt the value they bring to the table. It is better not to start the relationship as an adversary. Confidence especially in the decision to hire is important.

2. Yes, there's uncertainty about new hires, especially their passion, involvement etc, however, to wipe out the uncertainty, make strong offers. At least you tried to make it work. 

To navigate conflict and strike a sustainable win-win agreement, you need to think creatively. It is counter intuitive. You get more than you give, when you give what isn’t expected. Giving more is generosity, and it is the lubricant that will help you slide in to new opportunities. Over time, interests and constraints change. What’s not negotiable today may be negotiable tomorrow. Patience. When someone says No, what he’s saying is No, given how he see the world today. A month later that same person may be able to do something he couldn’t do before, whether it’s extending an offer deadline or increasing your CTC.

Do I miss some points you think are a must know? Please let me know in the comment section below.