PLAN / CARE ER
LET’S MAKE A DEAL You’ve bagged a dream job offer, but now you need to make sure the terms cover what’s important to you. Here’s how to negotiate like an expert. Words RACHEL SMITH
T he reward following months of job-hunting is the phone call or email you’ve been waiting for: a job offer! As you’ll know if you’ve been in this position, it’s exhilarating, exciting and nausea-inducing all at once. Now comes the awkward bit: negotiating the job offer to your liking. Going through a recruiter can make the process easier, but you can take charge of it yourself and come out on top, too, says Catherine Kennedy from recruitment company People2People. “Even though salaries have been pretty stagnant for a long time, they’re starting to lift a little at some organisations and there’s often the
chance to negotiate there,” she says. “You can also negotiate around flexibility, adjusted hours or other benefits like additional leave or access to healthcare. So it’s not just the dollar amount you have to play with.” SO WHAT’S NEW? A lot has changed on the job-hunt front. Employers are struggling to find the right people and to retain existing workers right now. And the pandemic has caused a seismic shift in what’s important to jobseekers, too, says Catherine. “In the past couple of years, organisations have realised that it’s very much a two-way street in terms of the jobseeking process.”
Employers recognise they need
to articulate why they’re a good organisation to work for and offer a positive culture. Plus, jobseekers say ongoing learning is very important, no matter how old they are. “Opportunities to cross-skill and get different experience helps them in their own career, so they want to know those things are on the table,” says Catherine. STARTING NEGOTIATIONS At offer stage, there will usually be a verbal discussion around the parameters of the role. Once both parties have agreed, the offer is put in writing and you will review the fine print.
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DARE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023
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