Negotiation Tips
Yay you got an offer! Now what?
Here are some ethical tips to maximize your offer :)
connect to your interviewers over email. Ideally right after the interview. actually one reached out to me haha. And we had a long conversation. He gave all sorts of insider advice. Adding that personal touch could be the difference between a “yes” and a “no”. Make sure you mention how much you enjoyed their energy. How their questions were interesting and relevant. And how excited you are to join
make friends with your recruiter. Really get to know them. Ask about their life. Your recruiter doesn’t decide your salary but will be a key in representing you during the negotiation
this is a two sided negotiation. You’re not just “getting a job”. They are “getting an employee”. From start to finish it costs an employer around $30k to interview and close an employee. That’s not including recruiters (which can be 20%-30% of your first year salary). Furthermore it’s still an employee’s market. There is a shortage of talented engineers. If you got to an offer stage it’s unlike they will walk away. They invested a LOT into you.
have a counteroffer. Leave your favorite company for the end of the process. You have a lot of leverage with another offer. Probably the best negotiation tip
you may want to hire a negotiation coach from Levels or interviewing.io (they will only charge you if you get a significant bump)
never say what you want directly. Instead say “well Google offered me $x. And I’m also interviewing for Meta who’s targeting me for an ICy. So I’m entertaining offers in $x+$20k - $x-$50k ranges. I still want to do a few more interviews to see where my skillset will get me. But of course TC isn’t everything. I REALLY love your culture and think I’ll be an amazing fit”
apply time pressure “Your company is my favorite, but Google did make a more lucrative offer. I need to give them an answer by Friday. Do you think you can come back with a comparable offer before then?”
the company wants you to be happy: A company doesn’t want to squeeze the smallest salary out of you. You will resent them and quit as soon as you get a better offer. They invested a lot of money in you and want you to be happy and stick around.
ask for signon bonus: your salary is a yearly expense, so it has to be accounted for in the budget. A one time bonus is a one time expense. You will usually be able to add another $30,000 or so to your first year salary by asking for a signon bonus. After the first year, you can usually ask for a riase, so it won't be that big a deal
ask for different cities: most companies will have cost of living variations for different cities. NYC and SF are Tier 1 cities and will generally compensate $30k or so more than Tier 2 cities (ex: Miami). But of course be aware of the state tax and cost of living implications.
Tl;dr: always have counteroffers. But make sure you let your favorite company that they’re your favorite and that you will be an incredible fit and are super excited.
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