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Having many options in a negotiation is very valuable. Once you have a number of options laid out, you should negotiate the solution on the basis of objective criteria. Again, it’s important to do your homework before entering into a discussion with the employer. There is probably more than one objective criterion available as a basis for agreement. You could suggest using ASHA’s Salary Report, local survey data, or a cost-of-living adjustment between the city where you live now and where you will be relocating. ASHA research staff can provide you with a fact sheet on the median base annual salaries of certified audiologists and speech-language-pathologists. The report lists these salaries by highest degree, years of experience, geographic region, employment facility, and employment function.
It’s important to remember that salary is not the only valuable aspect of the compensation package nor the only one open to negotiation. Consider and explore how the various elements might be "re-packaged" to meet your needs. Be sure to take the time to really understand the offer and to look for any hidden elements of real or potential cash value:
- Cashing in unused leave can increase your annual take-home pay or increase your retirement savings if you have the opportunity to roll over the cash value of unused leave into your 401k.
- When is your first opportunity for a performance review and salary adjustment as a new employee? Depending on this cycle and your start date, you may be eligible for a salary increase within a few months.
- Is there the opportunity for a "pay differential" for "on-call hours," or weekend or holiday work?
In discussing the criteria you identify with the employer, frame each issue as a joint search for objective criteria. Decide and be open to reason as to which standards are most appropriate and how they should be applied. Use questions, not demands (e.g., "Is this salary negotiable? and "Does the organization have flexibility in…?"). Listen actively and acknowledge what is being said. Interject occasionally to say, "Did I understand correctly that you are saying that …?" Be sensitive to the appropriate time to stop negotiating (i.e., when you perceive you have gotten all the employer can comfortably give you) and remember that some organizations do not negotiate. Always keep in mind that you want to build a relationship of trust, understanding, and respect with your potential new employer.
People often ask what they should do if they are asked to provide a salary target early on in the selection process. You might try a stalling tactic, "I do have an idea what my skills are worth in the marketplace, but I will be a lot more comfortable giving you a range once I understand your needs and what value I might add to your organization." If the employer continues to press, you could provide a salary range based on your research and anchor the discussion around an approach or standard that is favorable to you. For example, you might say, "One factor to consider is what others are paying for comparable work. I have recently reviewed ASHA’s salary survey data and found that the median salary for certified audiologists in a hospital setting with my level of experience is somewhere between $40,000 and $45,000. Of course, San Francisco has one of the highest costs-of-living in the United States, so I would expect that your compensation program would take this into account."
Although the above focuses on negotiating one’s personal employment offer, many of us, by virtue of our administrative responsibilities, from time to time are in a position to negotiate salaries on behalf of our colleagues. In this scenario, an ASHA member was able to turn into a successful opportunity for her colleagues and herself.
A key element to any successful negotiation is preparation. If you are well prepared, a strategy will suggest itself. If you are well versed in the standards relevant to your negotiation, it will be obvious which ones to discuss and which ones the other side might raise. If you have thoroughly considered your interests, it will be clear which ones to mention early on and which ones to bring up later or not at all. Because you can never be sure what the employer’s strategy will be, you have to prepare yourself for anything. There are a wide array of practical resources available to assist you in preparing for a salary negotiation.
Negotiating an employment offer can be challenging and intimidating, but it also affords you the opportunity to customize the arrangement to better meet your needs. Remember to: keep in mind the factors involved in determining salary, evaluate the total compensation package, prepare for the negotiation, and frame each issue as a joint search between you and the employer. Finally, take a few moments to share your strategies and your experiences—especially your successes—with other colleagues, by word of mouth, through letters to the editors of state and national publications, or by posting a message on the members-only interactive forum on the ASHA Web site. Make the bottom line you enhance your own.
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