Why you need to negotiate differently
What scares you most about interviews? If negotiating your salary is the main thing, you are not alone, this is the most common answer given by my female clients. There's no denying that the gender pay-gap is an unfair obstacle, faced by women every day, and the fact that women routinely play small at the negotiation table doesn't help our cause. Like most things in life and society, this is connected to our early childhood conditioning, where females are encouraged to not make demands and to always put others first. Males are typically not conditioned the same way, and on balance find asking for their worth, or above it, an easy thing to do when negotiating salaries. Of course these are sweeping generalizations and will not apply to every one, every time, but overall I know from my clients that this is the part of the interview process they most dread.
In this post I will suggest tactics to deal with this issue from the first screening call, right up to signing that contract.
Disclaimer: I don't expect to solve the gender pay gap with this one article, but every little helps ;)
1: EXPECT IT IN THE FIRST CALL
It's becoming more and more common for salaries to be discussed in the first screening call, sometimes it's one of the first questions asked by the recruiter. So ladies please let today be the day you commit to no longer being "caught off guard" by this question. Expect to be asked "what are your salary expectations for this role" and have your answer ready.
I suggest you don't give a number right away, instead ask the recruiter if they can tell you their budget for the role. Either they will or they won't, and it's often due to whether they are permitted to tell you or not. If they can give you a figure, usually it's a range from X to X amount, it's up to you to decide then and there if it meets your expectations. And if it's a range, do you see yourself at the top, middle or bottom of this range? This will depend on a lot of factors, but regardless you should already have a figure in your head before the call.
Know what your minimum is and know what you are prepared to say no to.
The point of discussing numbers early on is to ensure neither side is wasting the others time. This is very much the recruiters mindset, and it should be yours too.
2: DON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE
If the recruiter cannot give you a range, then you need to start talking numbers.
This may go completely against your personality but resist the urge to say something like "I am willing to be flexible" or "I don't know" instead of giving a number. Answers like this don't exactly tell the recruiter that you know your worth and believe in yourself. The time for being flexible is when the contract is being discussed, at this stage of the game appearing too relaxed about the salary can be counterproductive.
There are various ways to answer this such as:
Based on my skills & experience, I am expecting a salary in the region of X amount.
Or if you have other offers in the pipeline let them know, tell them you are being considered for roles paying X amount.
This may feel strange if you are not used to it, in which case know that like anything in life, with practice it will get easier.
3: HOW & WHEN TO BE FLEXIBLE
If you really want the job, but the salary is a little below your expectations then it's time to consider the non-financial aspects. Do they have a fast-track training scheme, do they review salaries after 6-12 months or offer a bonus, can you ask for additional paid days off or something else? What about work from home days or flexible hours?
For some people it's not all about the money, there are other things to negotiate. And these are all valid points, after you have discussed numbers. These things should be discussed along the way, between the initial offer and the final contract.
FINAL TIPS
I always stress to clients to not put all their focus on one job application. If possible it's better to apply for several and have more than one interview lined up. This is effective because it takes the pressure off you and also boosts your confidence when you know you have options. All of this leads to stronger interview performance, which usually leads to better offers.
If I compare it to dating (you knew this was coming), would you commit to the first man who shows interest in you, or play the field a little until so that you can compare what's out there? The same approach should apply to finding a job, you deserve one that makes you happy, appreciates your value and will do their best to woo you.
Let me end on this final tip – know your worth, believe in yourself, because until you do, no-one else will. You've got this, together we can raise our standards and no longer settle for less than we are worth.
Of course this issue is a deep one and change takes time. However, my tips in this post are enough by themselves to change your game, and get better results. If you want to delve deeper into this I teach a whole module in my Personal Branding & Interviewing course and I also offer 1-1 Coaching.