Talking to your boss
How to negotiate a job offer
Start by saying you are glad to get the offer and want to make it work, then name a specific number with a short reason behind it. If the base salary really is fixed, move to what else can change: signing bonus, start date, title or a salary review after six months. Get whatever you agree on in writing before you accept.
How to handle this conversation
Open with enthusiasm, then the number
It signals you are negotiating to join, not to walk away: “I am really excited about this role. To say yes with confidence, I am looking for a base of 82,000.”
Name one figure, not a range
A range invites the recruiter to pick the bottom of it. Choose one number you can explain with the scope of the role and your experience.
Let the silence work
After you name your number, stop talking. Filling the pause with “but I am flexible” gives away your position before they have even answered.
Have a second ask ready
If the band is truly fixed, switch the variable: “If the base cannot move, could we look at a signing bonus or a pay review after six months?”
Negotiating my job offer
- Difficulty
- Medium to hard
- Duration
- 10-15 minutes
The situation
You have a written offer from a company you want to join. The role is a step up, but the salary is below what you expected and below what you earn in total today. The recruiter has scheduled a call to “finalize the details” and hopes to close this week. You want a better package without putting the offer at risk.
Who you talk to
Recruiter at the new company
Friendly and keen to close the hire, but works within a salary band set by the hiring manager. Repeats that the offer is already competitive and that other candidates are in the process.
The counterpart also has private goals and information that are never shown upfront. You discover them only through the conversation, the same way you would in real life.
What makes it hard
- The recruiter presents the band as fixed before you have named a number.
- A deadline for your answer is mentioned early to raise the pressure.
- Warmth and praise make it feel ungrateful to ask for more.
Your goals
- Name a specific number and back it with a clear reason
- Keep the tone positive while holding your position
- Leave with an improved package or a concrete next step in writing
What the report looks at
- Whether you named a figure and explained it without apologizing
- How you respond to “this is the top of the band”
- Whether you explored other parts of the package when the base stalled
- Whether the call ended with a clear, confirmed outcome