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Salary Negotiations with Employees Don't Need to Be Difficult

Heather Legg

November 11, 2015

Whether you are an employee or a small business employer, there will come a time when you have to have some salary negotiations.

No one enjoys this part of the job, but it happens.

With some good techniques and skills, though, you can make it less painful and get what you want.

For Employees

As the following article looks at, when you are thinking about how to improve your contract negotiation skills and getting ready to ask for a raise, it's important to put some forethought into it and not just go in cold.

Here are some tips and skills to incorporate while negotiating a contract and /or salary:

• Know your worth - It's important to know what others around you are making. Now this doesn't have to be an exact number of everyone in your office, but try to research what those in your field with your experience in your area are making. You can find this through Internet searches and sites like LinkedIn. This will let you know where you should/want to be.

• List your attributes - Be ready to let your employer know why you should get a raise. If you've been working there a certain amount of time or taken on new duties or have people under you when you didn't before, these could all be valid reasons for a pay increase.

• Have a number in mind, but don't say it - Let your employer be the first to propose a new salary. Then you can take it or negotiate it, but it's usually best if your employer names the number.

• Be assertive without being defensive - Know what you want but don't go in on the defensive. It shouldn't be an argument, but a discussion.

For Employers

When your employees come to you asking for more money, take them seriously. Listen to their cases and think about it. Maybe you haven't thought about giving them a raise, but it makes sense once you do.

Here are some guidelines for you:

• Consider what will happen if you decline your employee - He or she may decide to go elsewhere and the cost of hiring and training someone new may be more than the salary increase. Even if they don't leave, morale may be wounded and work ethic may go down.

• Consider other options besides money - If your budget just doesn't allow a pay raise, think about other options like extra days off or creative bonuses or incentive plans.

• Listen to what they have to say - If nothing else, take what your employees say seriously. If they are broaching this, it may very well be time for a salary increase/raise. Make sure your employees know you value them, and they will stay happy and working hard. A deserved salary increase is one way to do this.

Part of a career is negotiations. It may be a tough part, but afterwards, you'll feel so much better.

Go ahead and ask for that raise, your employer may pleasantly surprise you.

And when your employees seek you out for this, take a listen, you may see some value there that is worth holding on to.

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