Salary Negotiations Negotiate More Than Just Money

This post first appeared in the Kennedy Executive Search & Outplacement site: 

Congratulations! You have mastered the job interviews, left all your competitors behind and entered the final phase of your job search, the salary negotiation.

What can you expect? A typical salary negotiation is unfortunately very often minimal to non-existent: you will be asked your expectations - and then, an offer is made. A real negotiation, however, does not always take place.

 Underestimating this part as a wrong step could have an impact for the rest of your career.   

While money is the most obvious factor in the salary negotiation, there are many other things you can negotiate. Here are 33 things you can negotiate when accepting an offer other than money :

1. Job title as of start date
2. Job title after trial period or after 12 months
3. Promotion after trial period
4. Waiver of trial period
5. A signing bonus/ arrival fee
6. Company assets
7. Executive education: define how many days per year and the budget
8. Guaranteed bonus in year 1
9. Waiver of the competition clause if you are in sales
10. Participation in your private car leasing
11. Public transportation
12. Upgrade for flights
13. Frequent flyer miles you can keep (not always the case)
14. Size and location of office
15. Home-office
16. Flexibility in working hours
17. Date of next salary negotiation
18. Increase in salary after trial period
19. Housing (total or partial)
20. Relocation allowances
21. Car/ car allowance/ payment of your car leasing
22. Admission to associations or business clubs
23. School loan reimbursement
24. Yearly medical checkup
25. Discounts on company products and services
26. Better insurance: health, dental, vision, disability, life...
27. More time off: sick days, personal days, paid holidays, vacation (how many, when and how?)
28. Time off for charity/ community work
29. Sports and recreation: fitness club, golf or other
30. Equipment: notebook, mobile phone
31. Company cafeteria
32. Special commissions on deals you are bringing in
33. And finally: "OK, what did I forget? What else can we negotiate? What would you negotiate if you were in my seat?"

Conclusion:

John F. Kennedy said, "Let us never negotiate out of fear but let us never fear to negotiate."

If you don't ask, you won't get. Negotiating your salary and your departure are the most important negotiations with your employer . Make sure to get the first one right to set the stage for the rest of your career with your new employer.

 About the author: Jorg Stegemann - Headhunter, Certified Coach and Business Writer - Managing Director of Kennedy Executive Search & Outplacement.