I WAS recently interviewed for a technical writer's position by a US-based multinational company in Singapore. The position was a one-year contract to hire, with no tangible benefits, except the big brand name and the excellent work culture (at least, that’s what they claimed in their advertisement!)

Come to think of it now, I wonder why I applied in the first place. Besides being a decent paymaster, my current organisation offers accommodation, medical facilities, bonuses, airfare travel for the entire family once a year, and a shuttle bus service from my apartment to the company and vice versa. Still, I did apply and learned a valuable lesson.

It was apparent from the word go that the hiring managers did not want to disclose ANYTHING on the remuneration front. Left with no other choice, I told them upfront -- if they extended a job offer, they had to pay me much more than what I made at my current organisation or what they’d normally offer to other local candidates for this profile.

In other words, I had made it aptly clear to them that I was expensive!

The company decided to go ahead with the interview. A month and five interviews later, I received an e-mail from one of the hiring managers, who asked me to compromise on my expected salary. That’s when I realised I had wasted enough time already. I did not wanted to haggle with them any further, and turned down the offer straightaway. What was I supposed to do anyway? Negotiate?

Is salary negotiation really an art? Obviously, I am not an ace salary negotiator, but I have interviewed quite a few good salary negotiators for this article. If you want to crack the ‘best’ deal, overcome the problems or resistance from the other end, or simply convince the interviewer, read on.

I am worth it!

The two most important principles at the negotiating desk.

• Delay any salary discussions for as long as it is possible.
• Know your worth in the marketplace.

John Rosberg, Director-Tech Pubs and Localization at Interwoven says, “Experience tells me there is one way, and one way only, to long-term success in business. Be prepared to make a salary request, but be prepared to explain why you are worth it. Years of experience -- while an indicator -- is value, but it won’t do it (there are many folks with as much, or more). Your need won’t do it (this is business, not a social programme). And education won’t do it."

"You must be able to demonstrate that you create better deliverables, faster, more efficiently, and with less management supervision than your competition. Focusing on compensation packages during the interview process will not give the interviewing manager the idea that you can help the business."

"Giving examples of your work, how you have exceeded your colleagues’ expectations, and telling short stories about the values you have brought in previous jobs will illustrate your potential value."

"Asking question about the business, how success is measured (your's, the department’s, the company’s), challenges faced, and then focusing your sales pitch on answering those challenges will give the interviewer the impression that you are engaged, thinking, creative, and can help the company meet it’s goals. That’s what I'd like to see in a candidate."

I completely agree with Rosberg. However, sometimes the company does not want to negotiate beyond a certain point. What should one do in such a situation?

Rahul Prabhakar is a senior technical communicator with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, and is based in South Korea. Rahul writes a theme blog on technical communication titled When the Muse Strikes!

Illustration: Vaibhav Shirke

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |  

e-mail: Rahul Prabhakar

Suggest a story idea! Write to us!