How do you respond to a job offer?

Never negotiate immediately upon receiving an offer. You want to have time to review the entire offer before negotiating. Thank the person and reiterate your excitement about the position. Ask when they would need an answer from you (3-5 business days is appropriate). If the offer was made via email, determine whether you need to request a phone call to clarify any information.

I was pleased to hear back from you, and I'm excited to see where this new position leads. I have reviewed the terms of employment as set out in the contract and am happy to accept my starting salary of [salary] for this position. I also accept the terms and policies of the company as detailed in the offer letter.

When you a considering a job offer, you need to look beyond just the salary being offered. You need to look at the total compensation. Total compensation includes bonuses, commissions, any benefits paid for either in full or partially by the employer, and various other benefits and perks. Some things that may be negotiable include: 1. Reimbursement of COBRA payments until employer benefits begin. 2. Sign-on bonus 3. Relocation 4. Stock- restricted/options 5. Annual bonus 6. Guaranteed severance pay 7. Tuition reimbursement 8. Student loan assistance 9. Professional development funding 10. Subscriptions to professional journals 13. Payment for professional certifications 14. Amount of vacation or paid time off

Everyone must negotiate their offer, regardless of whether it is fair or even very generous. Skipping this step will lose you a lot of money long term. I don't think I need to do the math for people or discuss compounding here, but even a $500 (annual) increase adds up. Also, if you have a bonus structure and/or 401k, these are normally calculated using your base salary, so a smaller salary yields smaller amounts in these areas. If your request is reasonable (and accompanied by facts for why you should get an increase), many companies will provide something in return.

I encourage clients to go into the job search process with three numbers in mind: - The lowest base salary you’d accept - The base salary you’d feel good about accepting - The ideal base salary you’d love to get It’s also smart to create a list of perks, benefits and flexibility arrangements that you can negotiate to sweeten the total compensation package, and make the lowest base salary number more palatable.

I had an offer rescinded because I requested a negotiation. I’m going to explain it in terms they’ll understand, since it was an academic publication. If you have someone who is a distinguished professor in sales and you offer them a three month adjunct position, they’re going to wonder what’s wrong with your budget, commitment, and business plan.

It's worth it to do the research to think about all different elements you might negotiate- salary may not be the biggest issue for you. Thank about things like hybrid work or working fewer hours in the office and some at home (if you care for people and pets and could use a bit more time out of the office or schedule flexibility), professional development budget, more vacation time, more flexible hours, etc.

When negotiating a job offer, NEVER SAY: “Thanks for that offer. What flexibility exists in that number?” Never present an ambiguous counteroffer, because this puts the control in the hands of the employer, not you. This type of answer also tells the employer that you haven't done your research and can't back up your counteroffer.

Most job offer letters contain very few details on benefits and perks that are being offered. You can't make an informed decision if you don't have all the details. Therefore, in addition to the offer letter, be sure to ask for copies of the following documents: 1. Benefits Guide (health, dental, vision, life, disability, etc.) and payroll contribution sheet. 2. Employee Handbook. 3. Any applicable bonus policies. 4. Applicable stock plan policies. 5. 401(k) plan document 6. Deferred Compensation plan document, if applicable. 7. Relocation policy if applicable. 8. Commission policy, especially as the commission interacts with, or is impacted by, base salary

When Evaluating Job Offers there are several factors to take into account. Here are some key considerations: Make a Comparision Chart: Present Job vs New Job – Give 1 Point to which is better 1) Full Time/Contract 2) Salary-Gross 3) Salary Net in hand 4) Nature of Job aligned with Skills, Expertise 5) Organization Profit 6) Division/ Department Profit 7) Position and Future Growth 8) Work Environment- Conducive to Growth 9) Fear of Layoff/Layoff History 10) PESTLE Analysis Consider factors such as a) salary, benefits, retirement plans,, PF, Gratuity, ESOPs, Medical Benefits, and the stability of the new organization. Gut Feeling: Finally, trust your instincts. Sometimes Gut feelings runs over maths. Cheers