Job negotiation: start with your career goals

Companies like you to submit early in the negotiation and be done with it, so it's best not to fall in their traps and pressure tactics.

Respectfully moving forward, showing transparency and maturity signals to the company that you are not just playing games, and are moving towards a final decision. Being honest, open and communicative is the key.

Negotiating is all about relationship, with communication being the bedrock.

• There are various dimensions in a job to be motivated by, not just what you get paid. Your training period, kind of work, kind of team, and the other things you value, like work-life balance, for instance.
• You also need to understand what the company values. Salary is a recurring cost, that increases over time while being a subject of gossip due to inequality. A joining bonus is a one-time expense and isn't public.
• There are other perks to negotiate for, like relocation bonus, which can be easier to arrange.

A negotiation does not have to be a uni-dimensional, one-shot activity.

There are seven points to prepare yourself with:

1. What do people want?
2. What is my Plan B?
3. Creating Value using shared interests.
4. What's relevant and what's persuasive.
5. One-shot or multiple rounds?
6. The best way to communicate.
7. What are my commitments?

Knowing the other party's needs, wants and desires, getting to know what drives their negotiation, is crucial information in the planning stage.

The more we understand the interests of the other negotiating party, the better we can help them get what they want while taking care of our interests.

The purpose of the interview is to get the offer. The next stage is about considering the offer, then negotiating with your new employer.

Employers need to feel that you are committed. Continue to be enthusiastic in your dealings with your prospective manager so you don't sound uncertain that you want the job.

Think about what is important in your professional and private life, then assess the offer against these metrics.

• Salary. Even when the money is enough, you need to figure out if it's worthy of your knowledge and skills and in line with the local market.
• Job content. Consider whether you will derive job satisfaction from the offer. To answer this question, you need to know the kinds of activities you want to be involved in and the skills you want to use. You will need a deep understanding of what's expected of you to decide whether you do indeed want the job.
• Cultural fit. Ask yourself if it is a place where you will be happy, challenged, and where you will thrive. It might make sense to do a trial run to see what your colleagues are like.
• Flexibility, vacation, and other perks. Flexible hours and vacation time are an increasingly valuable perk. During the evaluation stage, it's important to find out whether current employees are afforded such benefits.
• Other options. Also assess your walk-away alternatives. Think about the offer in terms of the cost and benefit of starting the job search process over again, of staying in your current job, or of first seeing what other offers materialize.