Congratulations, you have got the offer letter. After 3 rounds of interviews and probably a few hundred (if not more) candidates competing against you, you have been chosen as the most suitable candidate for the job. You definitely deserve a pat on the back. Well done!
Although you are almost 100% certain you will take up the job, it may be just normal to try and negotiate for a bit more in salary or additional perks
But do you know there is a right way to negotiate and a wrong way?
Even though the employer may have sent you an offer letter via email for you to review, it is only natural that you want to initiate a phone conversation before finally putting your signature on the document. At this point, you will probably be thinking that if you don't, there will be someone else who will and you will lose the offer that you have been so waiting for. While that is true, there is a very good chance that the employer will not want to lose you just as much as you will not want to lose them.
Before you make the call, you may want to send a short simple thank you email that conveys your enthusiasm for the job and an appropriate time to discuss a few details:
Once the date and time for the call is confirmed, take a few minutes to note jot down the points that you need to discuss. Make sure you have a note pad handy and any references you can speak highly of you and your work. Make sure you take or make the call in a quiet place without any disturbances or distractions.
Here’s a little peek at what you might expect.
You: “Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I’m thrilled with the opportunity to join "company name" and have enjoyed being part of the interview process and getting to know everyone so far. I would like to discuss a few details of this offer with you; is now a good time to do that?”
Hiring Manager: “Yes, what would you like to discuss?”
You: “I would like to discuss the salary included in the offer. In researching this type of role in Dubai and more specifically with your direct competitors (make sure your research has been done) for someone with my experience and education level, I was anticipating an offer closer to AED X. What kind of flexibility is there in getting closer to that number?”
[Note: Be careful not to sound demanding or overquote. Your choice of words is important and should not sound like you are being greedy, demanding or rude]
Hiring Manager: “I understand your concerns here. Unfortunately, all of our hires start at the same range (or this is the maximum budget that has been allotted for this role) so it will not be possible to increase that amount.”
You: “OK, thanks for sharing, I can understand that limitation. Let me share with you that my concern here is my ability to cover my cost of moving since I would need to travel an extra 30 minutes to reach office (or since I would be promoted within my current company in 3 months, Could we discuss opportunities for school fees for my children (or a gym membership or an additional airline ticket for my spouse)
Hiring Manager: “I do believe we may be able to accommodate something, but I will have to discuss with my HR team and get back to you on that. What else would you like to discuss?”
At this point, if there is anything else you want to address, you can do so. Or, you can thank the hiring manager and end the call with the understanding that they will revert when they have an answer to your requests. Keep in mind that as “you are conducting a negotiation you should be able to make trade-offs,”
It is an important conversation, and you want to do everything in your power to have it go as smoothly as possible. Keep the channel of communication open. This is the key to successful negotiations.