Tips And Best Practices For Negotiating Your Next Job Offer

While salary is important, keep in mind -- it’s total compensation that matters.

Successful negotiationsLast week, my column focused on why general counsels and law firm partners should negotiate executive career transition services. I received several follow-up questions from readers regarding how to negotiate job offers and how to approach salary discussions in general. As a result, I’m focusing this week’s column on best practices to negotiate your next job offer.

As lawyers, we’re well-positioned to strategically negotiate for our clients. From aggressive demand letters to iron-clad terms and conditions on settlement agreements, we go to bat for our clients. But what happens when we must negotiate for ourselves at the job-offer stage?

Salary negotiations are one of those topics that most job seekers, especially lawyers, dread, no matter if they’re vying for a general counsel position or a midlevel associate role. It’s easier to negotiate for others than ourselves, especially when we’re not emotionally connected to the outcome.

Salary negotiations require enormous strategy and analysis — they should never be accepted on the spot. Obtaining a job offer requires you to sit down and think about all the factors that go into salary and what your total compensation will look like (as well as future growth to come). It also requires you to think about the areas of importance you want to negotiate for, versus what you’re flexible on foregoing so you’re able to reach an agreement.

Do Your Research And Due Diligence

Before you go into the final stages of any interview process, you should be prepared for the salary conversation. You need to know your numbers — the highest range you’re looking for versus the lowest range you’re willing to accept. This means researching what competitors are paying — and knowing what the fair market value is for someone at your level. I recommend using Payscale.com and salary.com to research salary ranges for companies as those sites enable you to apply filters for years of experience, location, size of team you’ll be leading, etc. Both sites also provide ranges from the bottom 10% up through the 90th percentile. You can also use Comparably.com for company salary research.

Perform a deep-dive Google search for information on the law firm or company’s pay range. Consider reaching out to former employees you may have established a connection with who can give insights into the salary ranges (as well as bonus structure and growth opportunities).

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Knowing the fair market value of your role gives you enormous negotiating power to counteroffer back with facts, “According to Payscale, the median base for a senior corporate counsel at my level of experience is ___ with $____ at the 90% percentile. Thus, $___ is fair and appropriate for my experience level of 15-plus years.

Don’t Bid Against Yourself

I strongly advise not to put a number out there first, otherwise you risk biding against yourself. Instead, let the company or firm give a number first. If there’s pressure to give a number, provide a range you’re being considered for, such as: “I’m being considered for senior-level corporate counsel roles at the following salary range, from $___ to $ ___. “

This lets the company or firm know that you’re actively interviewing (and being pursued). It also lets them know comparatively what other companies or firms might be paying for your expertise.

Giving a range is always better than giving a firm number. Think about job postings you’ve seen online that have a large range (i.e., $150,000 to $200,000) for a role. Giving a range also shows you’re negotiable.

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If you don’t get the number you want at the negotiations table, find out if the company will consider an increase at the six-month mark. Keep a running list of the metrics and goals you crush during the first six months and go back to the negotiations table with proof of your success (i.e., more leverage to show why you deserve a higher salary range).

Understand The Total Compensation

While salary is important, keep in mind — it’s total compensation that matters. Other parts of your compensation package can include stock options, sign-on bonus, annual performance bonus (a specific number or salary percentage), annual salary increases, relocation opportunity, health insurance, and 401(k).

I’ve had clients move into another corporate counsel role with a lower base salary than their current one but make up for it in total compensation because of the bonus structure, stock options, and other incentives.

Get clear on all the numbers before you decide to counteroffer. I say this from personal experience and lessons I’ve learned over the course of my 12 years of practice. I once negotiated what I thought was a great salary at a large firm only to learn after starting that I had to pay over $500 a month out-of-pocket for health insurance. Had I asked more detailed questions, I would have known to negotiate a higher amount to offset the hefty insurance payment.

If you’re currently employed, compare your current firm or company’s bonus structure and timeline, especially if you’re scheduled to receive it in the next three to six months. What will you essentially give up if you accept this new role before getting that bonus?

Make A List Of Non-Negotiables

When it comes to negotiating a job offer, it’s imperative to make — and rank — a list of non-negotiables. Perhaps you’re willing to take a lower salary for a flex option of working remote three days a week (which saves on commute time and gas). Prioritize things that you’re willing to bend on versus things that are most important to you.

Lastly, don’t forget to give yourself time to think about the offer. And, while this may seem like common sense to lawyers, get everything in writing. Remain excited and energized for the opportunity but strategize, review, and think things through.


Wendi Weiner is an attorney, career expert, and founder of The Writing Guru, an award-winning executive resume writing services company. Wendi creates powerful career and personal brands for attorneys, executives, and C-suite/Board leaders for their job search and digital footprint. She also writes for major publications about alternative careers for lawyers, personal branding, LinkedIn storytelling, career strategy, and the job search process. You can reach her by email at wendi@writingguru.net, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her on Twitter @thewritingguru.