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Artykuł pochodzi z pisma "Guardian"

How to make them pay

Negotiating the salary for a new job can be embarrassing, but with these tips on everything from preparation to body language, you can take home a wage to be proud of, says Sandra Deeble.

Saturday January 17, 2004
The Guardian

Congratulations. You've behaved impeccably: you've managed to maintain a desirable level of confidence without being cocky and they like you so much that they've offered you the job.
If you don't want it, fine - you've learned a lot at the expense of others, but if you do want this job - what now?
Is it time to shrug off the professional jacket you've been wearing, to suddenly appear in a dirty mac, saying: "What's your best price?" No. Not a good move.
At the same time, something in you tells you that you would be a fool to accept the offer without getting exactly what you want and what you feel you're worth.
What you don't want is to accept all too gracefully - and quickly - without giving it a bit of thought. Starting a job with the niggling thought: "Should I have been a bit more demanding?" is far from ideal.
I am still smarting from a particularly humiliating experience. I was once involved in a high flying salary negotiation. I knew I was about to be offered my first proper job, having gap filled myself to death doing TEFL in Spain and thinking that it really was time to buckle down in Blighty.
This job was a hit the ground running marketing dogsbody role. I had aspirations of double figures; everyone I knew was bandying about their own success stories of having bagged salaries with a "teen" in them and this gave me confidence.
I went in, all guns blazing, and when asked by the head of HR (although I think her actual title was something in personnel) what I had in mind, I sat up straight in my Laura Ashley navy blue suit and said: "I was thinking of something around the 15 mark".
"What a pity," said the personnel manager. "We've talked about this at length and we're prepared to offer you £9,750 - tops."
"That's wonderful, thank you very much, when can I start?," I gasped, beaming. I had a job at last. I was delighted. As one of my friends said, the £750 bumped up my executive salary to feel much nearer a ten than a nine.
So here are some tips to help you negotiate a salary to be proud of.
Feel the power:
"Most people have no idea how much power they have," observes John Lees, author of How To Get the Perfect Promotion and Job Interviews: Top Answers to Tough Questions (McGraw-Hill Education, £8.99). His advice is simple: "Wait until the company has fallen in love with you," he says. "Then bid." Don't ever talk about money in an interview. "Most people negotiate too early," he points out.
Do a John Lewis:
And don't undersell yourself. Once you've agreed on a salary, it's so hard to go back saying "Do you know, I should have mentioned it before, but I'm trying to pay off this loan and it would really help if you could up it a bit. Would you mind? A couple of grand would do it."
"And don't be passive and don't go cap in hand," advises Mr Lees.
Don't go first:
"Try to avoid making the first offer," is the advice given by Alan McCarthy, business associate of management consultancy Catalyst. "It leaks your bottom line straight away," he says. Mr Lees agrees. "Get the other side to bat first. And always ask for a band."
Relax:
"Rehearse your body language," urges Judi James, author of BodyTalk at Work (Piatkus, £9.99) and More Time Less Stress (Piatkus, £7.99). "Negotiating money is embarrassing but you need to look assertive and confident. Use good eye contact and don't look away when you mention the amount you want.
"Relax in your chair. Hold the eye contact and finish talking once you have asked for what you want. Don't babble or start doing apologetic gestures, like waving your hands about or laughing," she says.
Don't fidget:
"Sit into the back of the chair and use open gestures as you negotiate," suggests Ms James. "Display your palms upwards now and again, to show you are keen to reach a mutually agreed amount. Never fold your arms, fidget or look down, as these will make you look inflexible and childish. Avoid comfort gestures, like hair twiddling or lip biting, and mask signs of irritation, like foot tapping or leg swinging," she says.
Demonstrate your skills:
If the job requires negotiation skills, so much the better, believes Mr Lees. They'll soon get the measure of how you'll perform on their behalf. "Do it with a smile on your face and do it assertively. Say 'This is what I'm worth'," he says.
Don't negotiate with yourself:
Says Mr McCarthy. "Never negotiate with yourself. We often 'round down' our offer to be low the psychological offer, so make sure that you are clear with yourself about your bottom line before beginning the negotiation process."
Don't play it by ear:
Advises Ms James. "You need to prepare and work out exactly what you will be asking for," she says. "Set your asking price a bit above what you'd like to get, but don't go too high." It's important to be logical, rather than emotional, she believes.
Point out your value:
Giving reasons about why this organisation should pay you this amount and give you what you want in terms of conditions and job content should be a solid reminder of what you are going to be doing for them, explains Mr Lees.
"It's also a case of 'How much will it cost NOT to get you'," he says. Readvertising, another round of shortlisting and interviewing, or even looking again at their second choice are all things to consider. "What would be the real cost of a delay here?" is the issue, says Mr Lees.
Knowing your market value is also crucial. "Research the market rate for a job like this one," advises Ms James. "What are other companies offering?"
Slice the salami:
If it's not going your way, you can always break it down, suggests Mr Lees. If you want £2,000 more, you can say "That's about £40 a week. You probably spend more than that on doughnuts for the office".
Don't lose sight of what you want:
Very few of us go through the whole job seeking process for a couple of grand more. Most of us are looking for new challenges, greater interest, increased focus on different areas. It's important to keep reminding yourself of the parts of the new job that you really want to do, says Mr Lees. The thought "I really want to have a go at that project" shouldn't fall by the wayside as you earnestly make a case for your market value.
Have a climb down strategy:
"Suddenly agreeing to a big drop in price will make you look like a chancer. If you get stuck, ask for time to think."

apologetic – przepraszający
assertive – asertywny
babble – paplać
to bag - zdobyć
to bat – uderzać
band – przedział, widełki
to bandy – wymieniać
bottom line – najniższa cena
buckle down – przyłożyć się do pracy
crucial – zasadniczy, kluczowy
Cocky – bezczelny
confident – pewny siebie
dogsbody – posługacz
earnestly – poważnie, serio, szczerze
to fall by the wayside – nie dawać sobie rady
Fidget – wiercić się
hit the ground running - to immediately work hard and successfully at a new activity
fold your arms – zakładać ręce
go cap in hand – to ask someone in a polite and sincere way for something, especially money or gracefully – z wdziękiem
grand – tysiąc
guns blazing – pełen energii, pewny siebie (dosł.
humiliating – upokarzający
Impeccably – nienagannie
inflexible – nieelastyczny
Keen – chętny
loan – pożyczka
mac – płaszcz przeciwdeszczowy
mark – poziom
Mutually – obustronnie
niggling – dręczący
to rehearse – ćwiczyć
to round down – zaokrąglać w dół
salary – pensja
shrug off – pozbyć się
to smart from – być dręczonym przez coś
teen – nastolatek
to twiddle – kręcić
to undersell – niedoceniać
Wage – zarobki, płaca


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