The interview is over; a huge weight is lifted off of your shoulders. Now you can await a generous offer letter. Before you start the waiting game, send thanks to those individuals you interviewed with: such as the recruiter and manager. An e-mail thanking them for their consideration and reiterating your interest in the position and the company will be sufficient. Benefits Negotiating
The recruiter should be in touch with you regarding the next steps. If you have been selected for the position, you should initially be contacted via a phone call or e-mail. The recruiter will provide the details of the offer, including: salary, benefits, and start date. It is important to communicate your appreciation for the offer but to ask for time to consider the details; do not agree to the terms of the offer on the spot. Like any transaction, a company will not initially present their best offer. For this reason, you should most certainly present a counteroffer.
Review all offer details. Salary is important, but other benefits, such as health care and vacation days, are also important. When presenting a counteroffer, you must see the “glass as half-full.” You should be able to find something positive about the offer. Leverage that to compromise on the items you want to change. This approach is more polite than completely rejecting the entire offer. But please keep in mind that if you do not like the offer or the position, use this option as leverage during your interviews with other companies. Inform the other companies that you have an offer, and you are working against a deadline. Hopefully, other companies will work with you to ensure you are able to meet your deadline. Having an offer in hand also gives other companies the assurance that you are hirable. Compare any offers you receive and create a best-case situation using the best components of each offer.
To present a counteroffer, an e-mail is sufficient. Be sure to submit a counteroffer prior to your deadline. Within the letter, you should include the components of the offer you agree with as well as the components you would like to change. If you like vacation, you could state the following: “The vacation of three weeks is generous and acceptable.” If you would like to request a change to the salary, you could state the following: “Based on similar positions in the Atlanta area, a salary analysis suggests a salary of $70,000. To remain competitive with my peers, I suggest a salary of $68,000.”
An Internet search—such as those found on salary.com or glassdoor.com—can offer many different analysis tools. Using these tools, you can determine what an offer package should contain for similar positions. When presenting a counter, you should provide relevant reasons they should consider your counter. If you have multiple offers, your reasons are easier to present. You can state what another company is offering.
The recruiter should be in contact with you regarding any amendments they are willing to make to the initial offer or to decline the offer and present a new deadline or ask for a decision. Be prepared to make a quick decision.