Now that the economy is on the rebound employees are on the move once again! People are changing jobs to get themselves on a better career trajectory, a more aligned job, a more compatible company culture and even a better salary. Although those looking for a change do not initiate it with the primary objective of making more money to start with, it does not take them long before they think that they might as well ask for it; those who plunge into making a transition realize that changing jobs is not that hard to begin with! This is true even in a supply-driven market, where there are more candidates than open positions, if you know how to do this right.

Many professionals find it difficult to negotiate a better salary. Somewhere in the selection process they invariably give out their last salary and then they feel awkward asking for a jump, because they believe that asking it may compromise their transition. Then there are others who believe that you get what you deserve. Nothing could be further from the truth: In business you get what you negotiate!

This article is presented for those who are contemplating a move and who do not have a clear strategy for making most out of this transition, including getting more money at the new job.

The following steps are suggested to increase your chances of getting more money when you make a transition, including using this transition as a springboard for getting something more from your current employer, should you decide to stay.

1. Before you plan to make a job or a career change, be clear about why you are making the change. It helps to write down what you are unhappy about at the current job and what you would want the new job to offer so that the transition is worth making. Do not make a change unless you have this clarity and that you feel that the emotional investment you are about to make in this change is worth the effort. Job and career change are one of the most stressful times in one’s life.
2. If higher salary is one of the prime motivators for the change, do not wait till the offer is tendered to bring up the salary that you’d want in your new job. Often, it is too late and making an end-run around your compensation without proper positioning from the get-go can lead to disappointments at best, and set backs at worst.
3. Good positioning starts with a compelling resume. Make a resume that is forward looking and a one that clearly articulates your value proposition in an unambiguous way to the target employer. Starting your resume with a Summary statement at the top defeats this objective. A Summary statement conveys to the reader that you do not know what you want and that you do not have a clearly articulated value proposition for the target company.
4. It is to your advantage to be “employed” when you are looking for a job. Those who are out of work are often seen as less desirable employees, especially by many recruiters. Many recruiters pride in their ability to “poach” from their clients’ competition. Being out of work and looking also impacts your desirability and self-esteem. This redounds in compromising your candidacy and impacts your bargaining power. One way to protect your employment status even after a layoff is to request your employer to “carry” you, without pay, so that you are seen as an employee by anyone calling you from the outside. Also, your resume chronology will have your first entry as “Current,” which also helps your marketability. This can be done by keeping your voice mail, email box, and by negotiating with the HR that anyone calling for a reference is told that you are still employed at the company. Getting this consideration for at least three months beyond your termination date can allow you some latitude, otherwise not possible. This is free for the asking if you do this in a timely and proper way.
5. If you are working full time it is difficult to launch a full-fledged campaign. Many job seekers send out resumes in fits and starts or one at a time. This is a big mistake. This approach invariably results in sporadic offers, precluding you from making a selection from a portfolio of offers. Such an approach also results in your taking a less-than-desirable job. The best approach is to launch a full-scale campaign in a short time and to get multiple offers in a relatively narrow time window. If this means having to be away from work, it is worth taking a few weeks off to accommodate this need. Once the campaign is launched the follow-up and other activities can be done as a part of your daily routine.
6. During the initial stages of the job search avoid giving raw salary numbers to anyone. When a company recruiter calls and asks about your salary, do not lie, but give a range that covers your position at your current company. For example, if you are team lead and your annual salary is $125K, mention that your salary is in the $115K-$155K range. If they really press hard then you must disclose your actual salary (without lying!), but in majority of the cases this is unnecessary. If asked what salary you would be looking at, respond by stating that the job responsibilities and your fit for that job would drive that consideration and that it is now premature.
7. As you make the interview rounds with your team, including your hiring manager, do not discuss salary with anyone. If your hiring manager asks about the salary figure, defer the discussion by saying that you have not fully explored the fit yet and that you will have a better sense after completing your exploration.
8. When the hiring manager asks you after you have assessed the opportunity about your salary expectations, smile and ask if that means that they are offering you the job. If the answer is affirmative then ask what position is being offered. Do not assume that the position for which you initially applied is the position that is being offered. Even if it is the same position, ask the hiring manager (or one asking for the salary) what the salary range is for that position. The person must be able to answer that question. Once you know the range, you can state that it is within your expected compensation and that you consider yourself a top performer. Never throw out a number. Once you give out a number you are stuck with it! This number must come from the one who is offering you the job. That way you can negotiate it.
9. Once the number is offered, thank the person and ask them if they could put that in an offer letter so that you can look at the whole package before getting back to them. Any number offered has about a 10 percent leeway.
10. If you have done your positioning correctly from the outset you have an advantage. Your resume, your interviews, and how you have navigated up to this point, speak much about your caliber and chances are good that you are seen as a top candidate. This allows you to negotiate the salary you want. A good way to open this discussion is to call back the person who made the offer and ask them if there is any room for negotiating. Then explain to them why you bring such superior value to the position and state that you consider yourself a top performer and wish to be compensated accordingly. Done well, this dialog will push you past the midpoint of the salary curve. Also have data about local salaries for similar positions at competing companies. In # 5 we mentioned having a broad campaign. If this campaign results in multiple offers (even just one more) then you have that as a benchmark. Once again never lie about the salary. Having another offer is far more compelling than having just the salary data when negotiating your offer.
11. Yet another insight you can leverage strategically during this phase of the process is leveraging all the learning you have accrued from the various interviews. You must translate what you have learned during the interview process into opportunities that you can discuss at the time of negotiation that clearly show that you can hit the ground running, once you are on board and that you can make a difference in the way you will bring about change. This alone is extremely valuable in differentiating yourself from the pack and tagging yourself with a superior value proposition, which can be translated into a higher starting salary.
12. After you have reviewed the employment agreement, regardless of what has been offered, it is a good idea to thank your manager (or the recruiter, whoever offered the package) and ask if there is any room to negotiate. If the response is affirmative then the best approach is not to mention a number (if you still want a higher salary) but to say that with the salary range for the position your salary is still below the mid point. Then you want to make an argument that since you consider yourself a superior performer you would like to see being compensated commensurately. At this point the manager may respond with a number (immediately or a bit later). Usually, this number is higher than the one if you had suggested it. Once a fair salary is reached do not stickle over other items and accept the package. During negotiations chose one parameter to negotiate and settle it. Do not move to another if one does not play out. It is appropriate to make a trade-off between salary and stock or bonus but nothing more.
13. If you still want more time ask for it and then decide if you want to leverage the new package to get other offers including negotiating with your current employer, if it is still appropriate.
14. Once you accept the offer, confirm it in person by phone and then send the signed acceptance with the start date.

When changing jobs getting a higher salary should not be a mystery. If you follow the process outlined here you can stay in control and get what you are seeking without breaking a sweat!

Multiple Targeting

Early in the planning stages, before you launch your job-search campaign, it pays to have carefully targeted companies where you hope to seek employment. By managing a campaign it is a good idea to plan the events so that many job interviews at companies that interest you run nearly concurrently. This is not as difficult as most feel. It just takes good planning skills. Once you start getting action on just a few fronts it is easy to leverage that into a full-blown campaign of interviews. Once one offer breaks lose (even though it may be an offer from a “C” company) it is easy to leverage that into getting an “A” company to make you an offer, even though it may not be quite ready to do that.

In addition to getting yourself situated for multiple offers the following items can greatly accelerate a good conclusion to your campaign.

References

A process where references are concerned can vary depending on the level of the reference. Although they all deserve to be treated with consideration and courtesy, those who offer to give you high-level reference need to be treated with special care and you should let them know that!

The following guide may help you finesse your references well:

1. Identify your references early in the process. Let them know that you are planning to include them in the reference process. Remind them about the aspect of your reference you expect them to provide.
2. Some companies ask for references early. You do not want to unnecessarily impose on your references, especially if you are going after a major campaign. The best strategy is to identify the references and give a list of names and titles/your connection, without contact information to the potential employer. Tell them you are doing this to protect your references and that you will give them full details at the final stage of the process.
3. Some companies have a policy of not providing a reference. Many managers, however, are willing to provide a personal reference. This is why asking early in the process can help you position your references so that there are no surprises.
4. Occasionally some will agree to give you a written reference. If this happens while you are in the job associated with this person it is that much more convenient. In any case if the person agrees to a written reference, write the reference letter yourself and pass it by the person. This way you can decide what is appropriate from that reference in the context of your needs. Do not assume that that person will reference you the way you need it. Usually, it is much easier to merely edit a letter and sign it than to draft it first. Use this advantage to modulate the message–within some constraints.
5. Carry these letters of reference in your interview portfolio and when the time comes for the reference discussion show the person asking the question. Sometimes this may obviate the need to calling your reference and hasten the process to your advantage (see #2)
6. When the potential employer is ready, call your references, even though you had put them on notice earlier. The reason is that for final referencing, you may need to remind them again, and it also gives you another chance to prepare them to respond in line with what the needs are to bolster your case. Request the reference to highlight that aspect of the discussion that you think is relevant.
7. If appropriate, request that they call you upon being contacted by the potential employer. This is a courtesy to you and this helps you confirm that the process is underway. Do not expect this courtesy from all references.
8. Once you know that the process is complete, either through the offer made, or rejection, or any other means, promptly call each of the references or send a note (email acceptable) of thanks. If the offer is made, going the extra distance–a Thank you! Card, flowers, or a gift as appropriate, can protect your references for your future needs.
9. During the referencing process check with the contact to whom you gave the reference list to see if there are any problems contacting the references. It is appropriate for the references to call that person as well, if you so chose.
10. It is not appropriate to call and ask the potential employer what the references said about you, especially if you are turned down for the job.
11. If you are turned down, it is a good idea to ask for a debrief. This, again, is a courtesy that the company is extending to you. If the debrief mentions any items related to a reference that surprises you, do not probe for details unless they are volunteered as a part of the debrief.
12. After you confirm that the process is completed, call all your references and inform them that the process is complete. Tell them the outcome if you already know it and thank them for being your reference. Some of them may not have been called and they should know that they are now off the hook! You must promptly communicate with all your references and thank them even if you did not get the job!

Negotiating Offers

The following is a summary of how best to navigate during this critical step:

1. Do not assume that you can negotiate what is being offered. Ask.
2. Always go back to the last person who made the offer and not necessarily to your hiring manager.
3. If you are negotiating a “C” offer, give heads-up to an “A” company that an offer is being made and that you would appreciate some response from them as they are your “A” target. Don’t tell them that the pending offer is from a “C” company or who they are, unless they are a big name or their competitor.
4. Do not assume that just because you are in negotiations that you will get what you are seeking. The offer can be withdrawn if he employer so decides. This is why having multiple offers is to your advantage at this stage.
5. Tread lightly. You should decide before entering into negotiations the down side. You should be willing to walk away if the negotiations take that route.
6. After you have been turned down and your offer is withdrawn, do not go back begging for the same or lesser job for a lower pay!
7. Decide on which items you want to negotiate, lay them out as you enter the discussions and then stop after the process is completed. If the outcome is not favorable, do not plan to move on to other items of your offer.
8. Above all be pleasant, flexible, and courteous throughout the process. Always remind them that you are excited about the job. You can always turn them down if a better offer comes along later, but before their time expires. Turn down offers by first calling on the phone and then emailing.
9. You should negotiate based on the value you see creating in the new job. Having comparative information (salary.com) can help you fortify your case. Always state that you see yourself as a top performer and expect to be compensated accordingly. Let the salary figure come from the employer and not from you.

Acknowledging Help

During your job search many provide help, even unbeknown to you or some even unexpectedly and pleasantly! Keep a list of all those who have helped you, going all the way back to the original lead that got you the first interview. The following suggestions list what you can do after the process is completed:

1. Depending upon the significance of the help you received from a person thank them appropriately. Those who provided help above and beyond acknowledge it commensurately: a gift, lunch, Thank you! Card can be some suggestions in this department.
2. Acknowledge your gratitude in a timely way. The times following a job offer can be hectic. Within the first month of your being offered the job is a good time.
3. Be specific about acknowledging the help that got you the job. Merely stating a vacant “Thanks for your help” is not as impactful and proper as saying “John your lead and the insight you gave me about where the company was and what I could present them during my interviews were instrumental in my landing this job. Thank you very much!” is far more appropriate. The person who went out of their way to help you likes to know that you acknowledged correctly what that person did to help you in the process. Do not skip this detail because you feel that the person already should know. It is not what they know it is how you acknowledge it that makes for the proper acknowledgement!
4. Do not forget to thank all those with whom you came in contact during the interview process at the company where you would be working. They are now your colleagues and associates. Even the person in the lobby who greeted you on the first interview is worth sending a thank you to! If you do that it would be much easier to make them your friends once you start working there!

Starting your New Job

Starting a new job can be exciting, especially if you are coming out of being jobless. The following guidelines are offered at this stage of the process of your transition:

1. On the first day show up on time. Dressed a bit more formally than you would normally at that company. You may be taken around and introduced to others that day; your photo might be taken. If you are senior staff (Director and above), you might even be introduced to important clients and dignitaries!
2. During the initial stages of employment be patient with all the administrative work that has to be done properly. Do not show your impatience with those who are trying to get this done. Let them do their job!
3. Express to your manager that you are glad to be on board and that you are looking forward to teaming with this person.
4. Many companies have initiation traditions that can be as benign as going out to lunches or bars at the end of the day. Accommodate these rituals, even if they seem odd, and enjoy them.
5. If you have some habits that define how you do your job, be open to seeing how things are done at your new place.
6. Do not criticize something just because it looks odd or different to you. Wait to offer your opinion. Go with the flow, at least initially.
7. Do not to gossip and talk behind someone’s back. Understand the power structure in the new place before you decide which camp you want to belong to! This can portend your future there!
8. One week after you have started in your new job, visit all the job boards and Websites where you had originally posted your résumé and delete it!

How much you’re going to make is one of the first things that crosses your mind when a job is presented to you. It is perhaps because we measure our worth by how we are compensated. It’s a visible manifestation of our worth, status, and importance. It is no wonder that everyone is after getting a bigger paycheck. Although jokes abound in the matters of one’s pay (“why is this called your take-home pay? It is because you are embarrassed to take it anywhere else!”), everyone is deadly serious about how little money they make. This is perhaps because most money matters are relative.

The purpose of this article is to provide some guidelines so that you can explore if your compensation is equitable. The following guidelines provide some criteria for evaluating your own salary and compensation.

1. A given compensation at any level is a reflection of the basic economic rule of demand and supply. This means that for you to command a salary that is on the high end, you must demonstrate that you are a rarity. This must happen from the very beginning of your positioning and by how you approach a potential employer. Making an end-run on your compensation does not usually work well.
2. The best time to peg your salary is when an offer is presented to you. If you accept that with some eagerness the employer is going to assume that they are offering you the top dollar for what they are getting. Once again, your bargaining power depends on how you have positioned from the get-go and how you have differentiated yourself from the pool of candidate competing with you. During your transition it helps to position yourself for multiple offers, even though some offers may be from less desirable employers (the one you’re negotiating with does not have to know that).
3. Upon being offered a job, a good way to assess how you are being measured is to ask for the salary range for the position that you are getting. If you are on the low end of the range then, clearly, you are being viewed as a beginner in that role. You must argue that your value represents a salary that is to the right of the mid-point of the range and convince the employer to consider that as a commensurate compensation. Always let the employer come up with a number rather than you. Doing this allows you to negotiate.
4. Evaluate compensation for comparable positions through available databases as those provided online by salary.com. Make regional corrections to the data and come up with some guidelines for where you belong. Often employers make their decisions based on your immediate past job and sometimes that can throttle your efforts to negotiate your salary upwards. In such cases, focus your negotiations based on the value you bring to the new job and not based on your past salary. In most cases this works well if handled with confidence and logic. Having some options also helps (see #2).
5. If you are unable to get the compensation that you seek, but otherwise like every thing else about the job, ask yourself if this job can be a resume builder. If it is, then you can certainly increase your market value as you get traction in your new job. Additionally, upon on-boarding it is a good idea to have an initial discussion with your hiring manager about the compensation that you had hoped for and what is actually your starting salary. Asking them to monitor your performance and then making an ad-hoc adjustment based on what they see can be a good way to create an opportunity for mid-course correction in our salary. This generally works well. You must do this at the start of your job. Remember, in business you get what you negotiate and not what you deserve.
6. If you are already employed at a place and wonder if you are underpaid, a good way to check is to look at the periodic increases you have received. If you have not kept up with the typical inflation in your region then you have a reason to wonder. Annual average increases of 3-5 percent are typical. The rate of inflation has been about that. If one has stayed at a company for many years then it is possible that your wages are lagging the market norms. For any particular year, though, your increase may depend on your relative performance and not on the rate of inflation.
7. If you have evidence that you are indeed being paid below those around you who are doing comparable jobs, you must first assess why that is. Visit your annual reviews of the past few years and see if there are opportunities for you to improve in certain areas. If you have failed to show progress despite your manager’s specific suggestions, then you must remedy this by sitting down with your manager and working a plan that allows you to overcome that barrier.
8. If you believe that you are underpaid despite your value contribution (not your efforts) then you have a reason to take positive action. It is easy to equate salary to the effort you put in. This is misguided. The compensation you receive must be a measure of the value you deliver, regardless of how hard you work doing it. Also, your salary is not a reflection of your needs. Your needs are driven by your obligations and that is irrelevant in this discussion.
9. If you are not being paid commensurately and equitably it is best to convey that to your manager based on facts. It is best not to bring up someone else’s salary as a matter of comparison. Even if you happen to know someone’s salary you must not bring that during your discussion. In most companies you are to know only your salary, so stay focused on what you make and want to make. Remember that salary data in a given job category (“salary curves”) represent equitable salaries in a given market.
10. In this meeting with your manager you must present objective facts about your performance, contributions, and your market value. In this context it helps to have other benchmarks such as another job offer or market data that shows how a certain level of experience translates into salary data (there is a big range in such data, so be careful in making an argument merely based on this data). In such discussions it is difficult to translate the range into a number that you deserve. This is why having another job offer can be a big advantage.
11. If you are not able to convince your manage about getting a bigger salary, make a plan with them to deliver specific outcomes and tie those outcomes to an adjustment that you agree to beforehand. Do not make an end run when you happen to deliver something, more as an exception or through fortuitous circumstances. Often, a consideration can be one time bonus in such cases.
12. The best way to protect your prospects for a fair salary is to be aware of your value contributions and your comparative market value. If you are truly valuable but are unable to exploit that value at your current employer and if all the strategies suggested above fail to give you what is fair and equitable, you must look at other opportunities. Always keep your resume current and start shopping around.