Blogs - Lio Hunt

Negotiating your salary with confidence

As recruiters, it’s our job to negotiate a win/win situation for both the hiring company and the candidate. Admittedly, it’s easier to negotiate on behalf of someone else, because it can be done objectively. But there are some guidelines which everyone can use for doing their own negotiations, and it might assist you to be better prepared (and avoid disappointment) when it comes to the putting your cards on the table.

Every company has a salary range in mind for hiring someone. Sometimes it is set by the Human Resources department based on certain criteria, or it may be that the business unit manager does his/her best to find a range that is competitive in the local market and suitable in comparison to the existing salary ranges within the company. For government, there is usually a set salary range and incremental band (eg A05-1 to A08-4;) with the exception of contracts (Section 70 for example) which provide for open market negotiation but are usually for set terms such as 12 months through to 3 years.

Your ability to negotiate a starting salary depends on how flexible the company’s policies are. A typical range will cover $5,000 to $10,000, such as $50,000 - $60,000. You may or may not be able to get information on the specific range for the job you want. This is where inside information from someone you know at the company can be helpful!

So what is the criterion for these high and low positions in the range? The hiring manager will consider different factors in deciding what salary is appropriate within the available range. Here are some examples of factors to be considered:

  • Education
  • Professional training / certifications
  • Number of years relevant functional experience
  • Number of years relevant industry experience
  • Number of staff previously supervised
  • Prior experience in a local, state, national or multinational role
  • Special abilities such as being bilingual

To get a better idea of where you sit in the range, ask questions that may help you understand more about what the hiring manager considers to be the most important for someone to be successful in this position. If you have experience you believe is comparable to formal education, you will want to be clear about this.

How do you answer the questions “What salary are you looking for?” Well, you don’t need to answer with a specific number. Instead, you can say, “Well, I know you must have a salary range you are considering for this position. I believe I should be at the top of your range because I bring x, y, and z.” Or, if you don’t think you should be at the top of the range, you can say for example “Well, I probably wouldn’t be at the top of your range, because I don’t have infrastructure industry experience. But, I know I have everything else to do this job well. So, I would like to request a salary review in six months, because I will have learned about the infrastructure industry during that time.”

So, think about the salary range rather than a specific target salary. Then you can discuss what you bring that justifies your placement within that range. Don’t forget to ask for a 6-month review if you are lacking something that can be quickly learned.

And while you can’t always negotiate a government salary and the salary might look lower on “face value”, take into consideration the package which includes other benefits such as flex time, annual leave loading, paid maternity leave, enterprise bargaining pay increases and superannuation. You might however, be able to negotiate a “band” (an A05 position goes from A05-1 through to A05-4 so the difference between the bottom and top band may be around a $5,000 range).

Finally - to get the best deal for yourself, remember that the most successful people earn what they negotiate. If you do a good job selling yourself, you increase your value to an employer. If you know what you are worth, and can defend it during negotiations, you will maximise your package.

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