Is Negotiating Always Necessary?
After what seems like an eternity of interviews, you receive an offer letter from a firm with an excellent reputation for a position that seems like a perfect fit in an agreeable location and for a wage that aligns with your expectations based on your research. Do you always want to negotiate? Based on my experience guiding hundreds of cli-
ents through the career transition process, there’s a 5-percent chance if you choose to negotiate a perfectly reasonable offer, the offer will be rescinded. No orga- nization is likely to present you with an offer letter (sometimes called an at-will letter) unless they have an acceptable alternate candidate in the queue. Sometimes the differences between candidates are miniscule, and you can bet the hiring manager is confident either can- didate could excel in the job. Against this backdrop, consider the potential reac-
tion when the preferred candidate approaches sal- NEGOTIATING TACTICS
ary and benefit negotiations like buying a car. This is not a one-time transaction where you’ll never see the other party again. In the words of Lee Cohen, an executive senior partner with Lucas Group who has placed more than 2,400 military officers in a range of civilian companies, “This is more like negotiating with your spouse, where you will see the other party again, so be sensitive to perceptions and egos. If you don’t, you will lose, and the pieces are never put back together again.” Keep these tactics in mind as you begin what
likely is your first-ever attempt to negotiate a com- pensation package: • Never give final acceptance to an offer that is not in writing. It’s acceptable to shake hands on a ver- bal agreement, but respectfully insist on an offer letter to formalize the proposal.
• Limit the number of items to be negotiated and strive to negotiate in-person, preferably with the hiring manager. Be wary of asking for flex-time or remote-working options, which can signal a less- than-total commitment to the new role.
• Focus on intense listening, and use questions to gain an understanding of the other party’s priori- ties. For example: Why do you place me in the lower end of the salary range? In what areas of the compensation and benefits package do you have flexibility? Does this organization typically con- sider a signing bonus for candidates with my level of skills and experience?
Keep these tactics in mind as you negotiate your compensation package:
• Only give final acceptance to an offer that is in writing.
• Limit the number of items being negotiated. • Strive to negotiate in-person, preferably with the hiring manager.
• Listen and ask questions to understand the other party’s priorities.
• Show flexibility and consider reasonable offers. 76 MILITARY OFFICER MAY 2016
• Always signal flexibility to thoughtfully consider any reasonable offer that reflects your skills, edu- cation, and experience, as well as the business out- comes you can drive. If you can’t coalesce around a salary, suggest an
accelerated performance review — typically six months — but ensure the period allows adequate time for you to have organizational impact. Throughout the negotiating process, remember
the employer’s resistance likely is to soften if the candidate demonstrates concern for the other party’s perspectives and conducts as much research as pos- sible in advance of the discussion. —Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), director, MOAA Transition Center
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