Negotiating your next salary package - some real advice from an expert

I recently received a great insight from a master of career management, John Baker, Senior Vice President at Right Management.

My Question: Whats the best way to say you want to work from home in a job interview?

JB - Before raising your work/life concerns with the employer, you'd best be convinced that they are on your side. I'd hold the question until you know that you are the one they want. Then I'd raise it in an exploratory fashion, but load it with all your rationale from your previous assignments. My clients have their best negotiating success when we attend to both the content and timing of their requests.

RG - I'm also curious as to how to enter into a negotiation dialogue once an employer makes a job offer. In my experience the actual offer comes from someone lower down in HR with a "take it or leave it" attitude, or a suggestion that it will take a mountain of bureaucracy to change their standard terms.

JB - Getting to the negotiation discussion is a bit of a tricky transition, as you rightly sense. If your scenario holds true, then it's important to remember that the HR rep's presentation of the offer with Take It or Leave it attitude is simply that, attitude. To be fair, it's not just that they might be trying to attain your talent at the lowest possible cost (as is their corporate mandate), but that, in HR, they simply want to get the deal done, so they can be on to the next thing.

In fact, it's often the case that when HR and the hiring manager get to the offer stage, they start to fantisize that their work is over. They've done all the screening, the interviewing, the selection and they've chosen you! So, of course your continued engagement on questions about the job as well as questions about the offer itself represent a escalating inconvenience, and unnecessary delay.

Nevertheless, your right to pursue your request for adjustments to the offer is well understood among professionals, especially in your field.

The key steps to getting to a negotiation meeting are these:

1. Once the offer is delivered (frequently by phone call), express your appreciation and enthusiasm.
2. Gather any additional data about the offer that you may have been curious about, including details of the retirement, bonus, incentive and medical provisions, etc. The person delivering the offer may not have ready access to this level of detail, so you may need to establish how and when they might get that info to you. But remember, this is just you asking for more detail from them. DO NOT NEGOTIATE anything at this time.
3. Thank them for allowing you to pursue your questions, thank them once again for the offer, and ASK FOR SOME TIME to consider it more thoroughly. After all, this is an important decision for you, and you have some important people in your life to include in the news before you give your response, etc. How much time you ask for is largely dependent upon cultural and industry norms. In the US, you can always ask for 24 hours, but often you should ask for 2-3 days before responding.
4. ASK FOR AN APPOINTMENT to deliver your answer; in person, if possible. In other words, don't settle for just a time when you will call them back with your answer. You deserve a full discussion of the offer, and these things are always much more effective if conducted face to face.
   

It's during this appointment that you will conduct your negotiation session. And your question about flexibility and working from home might be one of several items on your list to raise with them at that time. The actual details of conducting the negotiation meeting is a much more lengthy topic. But remember, if you are successful in setting the appointment, then this is now your meeting. You will control the agenda and set the tone. They are simply providing you with the time you asked for, often thinking that you're just coming in to give them your answer. How you set the stage for this meeting and conduct the various elements of it can determine not only the immediate outcome, should you accept the offer, but also your professional standing with that employer for the duration of your tenure.

RG - Take that to the bank! Fantastic advice John thanks very much.