Homework Helps When Requesting Salary, Perks



By Anita Bruzzese, Gannett News Service


The time has finally come. The job offer is on the table. Only one problem: you'd like to ask for more money, you'd like better benefits and you'd like some perks, such as a health club membership. But how do you ask for these things without having an employer snatch back the offer quicker than a J.Lo wedding?

With a little research, planning and practice, you can not only gain a better understanding of how job offer negotiations are expected to work, but also how you can be successful in gaining elements important to you.

For example, let's say an interviewer looks you in the eye and says: "What do you feel would be a fair salary for you in this job?"

This is when the homework pays off. By this point, you should have been doing research on the Web, cozied up to a professional headhunter, and kept in close touch with others in the profession doing similar work. All these sources will be able to give you a good indication of what people with your experience in your region of the country are earning. Also, these sources will be able to tell you how in demand you skills and abilities are right now, and what they are expected to be in the future.

You respond to the question with something like: "To be honest, I'm much more interested in doing my job to the best of my ability, because that's the best motivator. I believe you'll be fair with the salary, because otherwise I wouldn't want to accept it."

Once you are beginning to settle on a salary, it's time to turn your attention to other items, such as benefits and perks. And while you may think in this job market that benefits and perks are a thing of the past, that's not necessarily so. The key is to ask.

"I'd like to focus on the future. I understand that I'll be required to work some long hours and travel. I find that I perform at peak levels when my body is in top form and in good shape from proper exercise. I'd like to discuss a health club membership that can be used at various places around the country while I travel on business."

Remember that when making any request, be sincere. You want a certain perk because it will benefit not only yourself but your employer, as well. If you request profit sharing, it is because it will motivate you to perform your best for a company that you have a stake in. If you need vacation time, it's because a chance to decompress means you come back to work rejuvenated, both your mind and body raring to go.


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Also, keep in mind that requesting these items depends on your level in the organization. An inexperienced employee doesn't usually ask for four weeks vacation, a company car and a country club membership. But this new employee can request formal salary and performance reviews at specific intervals, with the understanding that good marks will lead to some sort of increased compensation or benefits in the future.

Whatever the negotiation, make sure it's in writing. If you're promised a certain salary with a review in 90 days, have a signed copy. If you're given relocation compensation and short-term living expenses, make sure you have the offer in writing.

Once the job offer is made, take a couple of days to consider it. Talk it over with trusted friends and family, and make sure you believe it to be fair. Accepting an offer in haste may mean that you find yourself unhappy in a short amount of time, and have to start your job search all over again. That's unfair to the employer, and to you.


Anita Bruzzese is author of "Take This Job and Thrive," (Impact Publications). Write to her c/o: Business Editor, Gannett News Service, 7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va. 22107. For a reply, include a SASE.