These days, employers want to get as much value for money as possible – and often that will mean more work, longer hours for less pay.
If you’re a woman, you probably know that there is a huge gender pay gap as it is, and effectively, you ‘stop getting payed’ around October when your annual salary is compared to your male counterparts.
So how exactly can you negotiate a decent salary (what you deserve) when going through the recruitment process for a new job?
Just ask
It’s well documented that women shy away from asking for more money, compared to their male counterparts who will argue the toss. It’s little wonder, then, that we get paid less than men in the workplace.
It’s time to change that and go in with the right mindset – you know what you’re worth, and the value you can bring to the company,Mao the least you can (and should!) do is ask for more money. What’s the worst that could happen? Being turned down, or getting slightly less than you ask for is better than starting a new job knowing you’re unhappy about the salary.
Keep your cards close to your chest
Many recruiter want to know what your current or previous salary is, so they can use that to lower the salary offering. You don’t have to lie – and you shouldn’t – but a bit of tact is a good thing. Say that it is very competitive, and that you’d like to improve on it because you have gained a lot more experience in your field, further qualifications (if you have them) and focus on the value you can bring to the new employer.
Try all you can not to disclose that salary, as it may come back to bite you.
Do your homework
Do as much research into salaries for your field as possible during your job search process. This will give you a good idea if what is being paid for different types of positions.
A simple Google search for ‘annual salaries for accountants’ will bring up a lot of useful information and will give you something concrete to bargain with.
Keep a level head
If your potential employer tries to meet you half way, perhaps you can negotiate some additional training courses as part of the deal and that way you get more value than a couple of grand – qualifications and training are priceless.
