It may still be a pretty challenging jobs market, but that doesn’t mean that if you are offered a job, that you ought to simply say yes without weighing things up first. After all, if you have impressed an employer at interview and they want to offer you a job, they obviously think that you can bring real value to their organisation. It’s important therefore that you recognise the position that you are in and ensure that you get what you truly deserve. Here are 5 Ways to Negotiate a Better Job Offer that should help.

Do your research

Ideally this is something that you ought to have done when you were first applying for the job. If not, do it quickly. Have a look at the company’s website and job ads and also ads for similar roles with its competitors. Review online salary surveys to ascertain what the typical salary is for the role you are being offered. These are often broken down regionally and also reflect different types and sizes of organisation. Doing this research will help you ascertain whether or not the salary you are being offered is fair. Is the employer potentially taking advantage of a plentiful labour market or planning to significantly under-pay you the going rate? Is your skill or experience in-demand or highly sought after? Research your market sector and the local labour market too. The more info you can gather about this, the better equipped you will be when it comes to negotiating.

Don’t sell yourself short

Yes, you may simply want a job and you may be desperate. That doesn’t however mean that you ought to sell yourself short. Be confident in what you are potentially bringing to a company. Know your value and ensure that you let an employer know this too. Remember, even if you are not working at present, you should not feel that you have to simply accept any offer that is given to you – without attempting to negotiate.

Don’t be hasty

Never feel that you have to make a decision on a job offer straight away. Do ask for a little time to think it over. A reputable employer will respect this. Admittedly they will be encouraging you to come back with your decision quickly, but you should never feel under pressure to say yay or nay immediately. Take a little time to consider their offer and perhaps even use it as a bargaining tool with your current employer. Many job offers get turned down every day because an existing employer makes a counter-offer to an employee who wishes to leave. Asking for time will help you do that necessary research and consider how you best you should respond. A rash impulsive response could be one you end up regretting.

Weigh it all up

Whilst many people assume that negotiating a job offer always simply means working out the money stuff – the salary, that is not actually the case. There are a whole host of other things tied up in a remuneration package which you may be able to negotiate about. You may be able to negotiate about other benefits – everything from promotional discounts and stock options through to flexible working hours. Look at the entire package and weigh up what the most important elements are to you. Then go back to the employer and try to negotiate on those elements specifically – the make or break factors as it were.

Know when to stop

If you feel that an employer is not open to negotiation on any aspect of the job offer and would be in a sense taking advantage of you – considerably under-paying you for the role at hand, then it’s important to take stock. Do you really want to work somewhere where you are undervalued like this? Has their response to your negotiation attempts been negative or disrespectful? If the answer is yes, then perhaps this is not an organisation you should consider working for. Also, it’s important to remember that the employer can withdraw their offer. Therefore don’t continually play hard ball assuming that they will pander to your every whim. When negotiating, be respectful and be polite at all times.