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SALARY
NEGOTIATION
ASKING FOR
SALARY CAPS HIKE
AND LIMITATIONS
 Congratulations
on your job offer!
It’s time to negotiate!
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Got a job offer but feel you deserve more?

This E-Book will help you get the best out of your salary negotiations
Now that you’ve become a graduate in the US, it’s time for your next step, finding
employment and getting the pay you deserve. One might think that the starting salary for a
fresher can be quite low, but on the contrary the industry standards might say different
based on the role. To know what you’re worth, read on to learn the neat tricks behind
salary negotiations.

USA GET MORE

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 Rules To Keep In Mind
When Negotiating
01 Be sociable/Likeable

Now that you’ve received your job offer and are in talks with the hiring manager, you
probably won’t settle for the first offer that is shared with you, and you shouldn’t.

You need to ensure that you’re not just polite, but likeable in your conversations.

Don’t seem greedy when it comes to asking for more, and don’t seem petty when you
feel lowballed by the offer. Sounds tricky doesn’t it?

Instead put forward points why you deserve more, or justify why the current offer is too
low for you. Explain this in a decent and gentle manner will have the manager see
your perspective and vouch for you!

Be
Polite

Don‛t Be
Justify Greedy

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 02 Explain why you deserve more

It’s not enough to simply ask for a 15% hike, you will need to justify the reasons.

Politely explain why your profile and skill sets/experience warrants for a higher salary.

Research and put forward vital information such as the industry standards. This is key
to your negotiation as it justifies what you are owed.

Explain other reasons you need a raise in salary (being the sole breadwinner, travel
expenses etc).

Keep in mind that you need to still strike the balance of being likeable yet assertive to
getting your deserved offer.

15% hike
According
to Industry
Standards

Travel
Expense

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 03 Recognise who you are negotiating with

You need to keep in mind that there is a difference between discussions with your
potential manager and an HR.

Having a heated discussion over your salary with a potential manager or member of
your team can start you off on the wrong foot.

You might even lose the opportunity when aggressively negotiating with a potential
manager, that doesn’t mean it’s okay to do the same with an HR.

On the flip side, negotiating with a potential manager on a positive note can lead to
them going out of their way to give you bigger benefits or an offer.

An HR may be instructed with salary caps and other limitations so it can be ill advised
to push negotiations too far with petty questions with an HR as well.

Who are you talking to?

HR Manager

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 04 Understand the negotiators constraints

Sometimes the negotiator's hands are tied for a plethora of reasons.

A company hiring 20+ employees for the same kind of role may not be able to provide
you with a higher salary as you expect.

Some HR managers will be told to hire while given salary caps and hence cannot
provide you with a better offer.

You shouldn’t be disheartened by this, instead you should ask about other possible
benefits you could avail. Seeing how flexible the company is can be a major benefit in
negotiations.

You can ask about start dates, extra vacation time and a signing bonus. Keep in mind
that you may not have this luxury in a smaller company.

Ask
Restricted
About Other
Salary Caps
Benefits

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 05 Be prepared to be questioned

Often at times during the negotiation, you may be presented with tough questions
which you may be hesitant to answer.

Questions like, ‘have you received another offer?Can you start immediately?, are we
your main choice?’ Can catch you off guard.

The best solution to these questions is by answering truthfully. Trying to be evasive

with your answers will seem like a red flag to the negotiator.

Also, don’t try to give answers just to please the negotiator, it will backfire as you will
lose leverage in the conversation.

Have You
Received
Another
Offer?

Can You Start

Immediately?

Are We
Your Main
Choice?

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 Explore The Benefits You Can
Avail As Part Of Your Package
As a recent graduate you may think that there aren’t much benefits starting out. You
will be surprised, here are a few benefits you can and should ask for when negotiating
an offer

01 University Tuition Reimbursement

As a graduate you may be able to clear your education loans by asking for
reimbursement benefits from the company.

02 Training and certifications

This is highly recommended for those who are career and growth focused.
Professional development programs within companies can help increase your skill
set and value to the organization.

03 Coaching/Mentoring
Asking for a mentorship from a senior employee or manager is great way to grow
professionally, so always ask for this.

04 Health and fitness

Medical expenses can be steep in the US, so it is always advisable to ask if the
company has any health or life insurance as part of the benefits.

05 Work flexibility
Asking for the option to work from home and an adjustable work schedule can
ensure work life balance and stability.

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 Find out your worth

There are many sources

online that can help you
figure out the industry
standards and the base
salary for someone in
your role.

You can use portals like

Glassdoor to figure out
the average salary of
someone in your industry
and experience.

The average salary can vary

from location to location. The
average salary of someone
working in Indiana may be
much lower than someone in
New York, so go by destination
when it comes to market
Present your findings in research.
your negotiation to ensure
that you atleast receive the
base salary at the end of
your negotiation.

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 Questions to ask the
Hiring Manager

Negotiating your salary is a two way affair and here are

some vital questions you need to ask to get the best offer:

“Can I negotiate this offer?”

This should be one of your first questions when starting talks about your job offer. You
need to make sure that the offer is negotiable in the first place.

“Besides my salary, are there any other benefits that are negotiable?”
This question can pertain to many benefits like your 401K, Medical/Health Insurance,
Training/Education/Growth, vacation time and paid leave to name a few.

“How was this salary breakdown calculated?”

Asking this question can give you insight on how much they value the current role and
compensation as compared to industry standards. You will also get to know your salary
breakdown and the various allowances.

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“What is the prospect of salary raises and promotions?”
Even if your salary is not negotiable, asking this question will give you an outlook on
what potential you have for a future raise or promotion.

“Can I get this salary offer on paper?”

Successfully negotiating and getting a better offer does not mean much with just a
verbal agreement. Always ask for it in writing to ensure you get the offer you deserve!

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