Ask Ellen: How Do I Negotiate A Higher Salary?

Dear Ellen,

I am in the midst of contract negotiation at my job. I have worked here for 25 years, with excellent reviews.

The salary offer made to me was quite low. I have some knowledge of other salaries and they are quite a bit higher than my offer, despite my credentials and longevity. I know it was just a low ball offer to see if I would bite.

How do I assert myself, feeling armed with the above knowledge that a certain salary is possible (Others have it). I work in a male dominated field, and I am not.

Thanks!

Wanting Fair Pay

Ellen Fondiler: Ask Ellen

Dear WFP,

You’re great at your job — but you’re not being offered a fair salary and you know you’re earning less than many of your male co-workers. Ick. Not a fun situation.

As a disclaimer, before diving into my advice, I want to encourage you to consult with a negotiation expert, an attorney, an HR expert, or all of the above. I am… none of those things.

Which means the advice that I’m about to give you is purely “what I would do in your situation,” not “expert legal advice.”

With that disclaimer out of the way… here’s my advice on how to proceed:

This definitely feels like a situation where you’ll want to keep your emotions in check. Stay calm and—when you’re ready to speak with your employer—rely heavily on “the facts.”

Can you prove that you ought to be earning more? What’s the average salary, nationwide, for someone in your position with your level of experience? If possible, collect some data to bolster your case. Then, as a last resort, mention the private info you’ve received from actual co-workers at your company.

When you’re ready, I’d recommend setting up a meeting with your employer to discuss the facts—calmly and politely, but with great strength.


You could say something like…

Thank you for putting together an initial offer for me to review.

I’d like to discuss the offer you made.

First, let’s discuss the salary you proposed.

You offered [NUMBER].

However, the nationwide average for someone in my position, with my level of experience, is [HIGHER NUMBER], which is considerably higher than what’s being offered here [point to their salary offer].

I’d like to bring my salary up to [HIGHER NUMBER]. Given my 25 years of service at this company and my track record here, I feel that’s fair.

Give your employer a chance to respond.


If your employer says something like, “Oh, that might be the average, nationwide, but we can’t match that salary here…” then you can respond by saying:

Based on private conversations with some of my colleagues here, I know that several of them are earning the exact same salary that I am requesting—or a salary that is higher.

Given my performance reviews here, my credentials and longevity at this company, I am curious as to why my salary offer would be lower than many of my peers. Could you share why?

Give your employer a chance to respond again.

Based on what they say next, you can decide how to proceed.

Hopefully, your employer will realize the error of his / her ways and agree to your new terms.


If your employer is unwilling to budge, or keeps insisting that the salary you want is not possible, I recommend closing your conversation (for now) by calmly expressing your disappointment.

I am sorry to hear that. 


I am not ready to sign off on this offer until we can come to an agreement of some kind.

Let’s take a few days and then meet again to discuss this further.

In the meantime, if you are able to come up with a new offer for me, feel free to email it to me. Thanks for speaking with me today.

I hope these “talking points” are helpful to you, WFP. I can’t imagine that this will be a “fun” conversation for you to have, but if you stay calm and steady, point out the facts, and hold firm, you can be proud of yourself no matter what the final outcome may be.

Last but not least: here’s a great article about some of your “employee rights.”

Turns out, you are completely allowed to discuss working conditions, including salary and benefits, with your co-workers. So if your employer says, “You’re not supposed to know what your peers are earning!” you can relax, knowing that—in fact—you are legally protected. If your co-workers are willing to share what they earn, that’s perfectly legal and in most instances, there’s nothing your employer can do about it. Good to know!

Good luck, WFP. You deserve to be paid fairly for your work.

Let me know how it goes!

Find great work. Do great work. Unlock every door in your way.

ELLEN_SIGNATURE


Image: Willie Franklin