Mo Money, Mo Problems? How to avoid salary negotiations when the budget is strict & your top candidate asks for more
Are you a hiring manager? Have you been tasked with finding the best talent for your organization, but your top candidate all of a sudden at the end of the process says, “Hey, by the way, after further consideration and knowing more detail about the position overall and meeting with your leaders and in comparison to other opportunities I’ve explored online or interviewed for last Monday or heard about anecdotally from my cousin Debra’s husband Todd who works in finance, I’ve come to the conclusion that the commensurate salary should be $10k more than the presented range, so I’d like to have that. Give me it” …Has this ever happened to you?
Well, if it has, you are not alone. As a seasoned recruiter, I’ve been entangled in the crosshairs of client/candidate salary negotiations many times. Whether I or my client is delivering the offer, trying to navigate this scenario can be difficult, uncomfortable, and headache-inducing. Not all deals are lost, but when they do fall through, the realization that it all could have been avoided creeps in and makes for sad candidates, clients, and recruiters.
So how do we avoid this, you say? It’s simple: Clients, recruiters, and candidates communicate clear expectations up front to all parties involved.
Clients: If there’s a strict salary range, share it, stay consistent with it, and tell the recruiter there’s no flexibility above the range so they can communicate that to the candidate in the very beginning of the process.
Recruiters: Make sure candidates know what the max salary is. If the candidate is targeting more, then they probably aren’t the right fit. If they are flexible to the max number and want to proceed, reiterate there won’t be any flexibility above the number and present them.
Candidates: Know what you’re worth in the market, know what you’re flexible to for your ideal opportunity, commit to it, and communicate it from the start.
This solves 99% of all salary related challenges during an interview process. Okay, I made that up, but it holds true most of the time in my experience.
In conclusion, don’t leave important details for the end of the process. Setting firm expectations and communicating up front is the right way to go. By the time it all gets to the offer stage, there shouldn’t be any curveballs or unsavory details. Just the sweet taste of securing your top candidate, accepting the best offer, or making the placement, respectively.
Meet the Author
Ryan Serviolo
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Invest in your future by investing in your talent.
Through conversations with executives, hiring managers, and candidates, we’ve gained a unique perspective on today’s hiring trends. Our 2024 salary guides are designed to give you a comprehensive look into the hiring landscape and a big picture view of salaries and compensation packages.