I often click on career tips to see if they are any good. And I liked this one, 4 Red Flags to Avoid When Discussing Salary, by career guru Sho Dewan. I go through his tips below and customize them for in-house counsel negotiating their comp:
- Be confident, but not aggressive or hostile. Yes. While an employer might expect you to negotiate since you’re a lawyer, they do not want someone who is hard to work with, and I have seen candidates taking too harsh of a tone come across as demanding, which sours the working relationship. What I would add to this is you should come across as very interested because no employer is going to bat for you if they think you’re just trying to game the system and get more money out of them.
- Come prepared to talk; don’t avoid the subject. Yes in part. He says “If your manager asks for your expectations and you dance around the answer, it can come off as unprepared — or worse, unsure of your own value.” I disagree. You can ask nicely. In California, employers have to post the range anyway, so you can certainly say you read the job description and see the range of $X to $Y and ask if there’s flexibility in any component of the salary (between base, bonus, and equity, or sign-on). If the employer doesn’t want to get into it at an early stage, you should have a “well-researched range that reflects what you bring to the table.”
- Don’t over-negotiate. Yes. This is in line with #1, where you don’t want to come across as difficult. I would say one round is completely acceptable, maybe two, and don’t go crazy.
- Don’t sound ungrateful; show gratitude. Yes. This is in line with #1 and 3. (Was the article trying to make it to 4 points?!) Sho gives sample language: “I’m so grateful for this opportunity, and I really appreciate the offer. Here’s what I was hoping for…” I agree with that. I would add that you should always give the reasoning behind your ask, whether it’s money left behind or promotion coming up or another offer with higher numbers.?
Corporate Counsel
2 周Susan Tien - I've always started with, “Please see this as a request, not a counteroffer; we’re on the same team!” and it has consistently led to game-changing outcomes. EQ > IQ
Legal Dude at My In-House Coach | Helping attorneys land their first in-house job
2 周Thank you for sharing Susan Tien. Sharing a few additional bits I've found helpful over the years: ?? Before your first interview, know what your current compensation is (salary + equity (vested vs not) + bonus (if any) and what other benefits you might receive (for example, do you receive a monthly fitness benefit or a cell phone plan reimbursement). ?? Be clear on what you want in your next role: increased title/responsibility, higher comp, better work life balance, a combination of these + others? ?? Understand what the market generally pays for the roles you're looking at. As you mentioned, CA and a few others states (CO, VA, and NY, I think) are required to post salary bands. Use those disclosures to understand what the market is paying. ?? In my experience, during the initial screen, the recruiter will ask for your salary requirements and share the compensation band for the role. I recommend that everyone take good notes during/after their interviews, especially around the salary requirements. This information comes in handy when it comes to actually negotiating comp when you get to this point!