5 'Effective' Responses To Salary Negotiations

" I was offered a choice of a flat salary up front or a percentage of the film's
future earnings. I took the up front money. Nobody could have figured what
Halloween would ultimately become." - Donald Pleasence.
Salary negotiations, if not handled with kids gloves, can become deal
breakers. While a salary expectation depends upon multiple factors like
your current job status , the kind of profile being offered and more,
there are certain basic questions which come up and it is critical to
handle them effectively to ensure that one does not lose out on a good
career opportunity. Have listed down below 5 common Questions or
responses by interviewers and suggestions of how to respond
effectively instead of common reactive responses.
1] Interviewer asks : What are your salary expectations?
Instead of : I expect a 30 to 40% hike
Better approach : The role is exciting. You may have your companys
grades and I appreciate that. I leave it to you to share at what level you
think I fit in and I will then evaluate the offer holistically and respond.
( Leaves room for negotiation & lets interviewer make the first move. It
provides you with a kind of a benchmark so that you are not completely off
the mark which has the potential danger of losing the offer. Because even if
you have used it as a negotiation tool, it does seem inappropriate to come
down to a 10% expectation immediately ).
2] Interviewer asks : We will offer you a 7% hike? Is that OK?
Instead of : No, that is not motivating.
Better approach : I appreciate you may have a basis for offering the
hike of 7%. But I have got experience in the specific domain/category
that the role demands & a proven track record. You can see that I have
increased revenues from ..... to ......in just 6 months time and have over
achieved my targets for the past 2 years. I am confident of doing the
same for your organization. You may please consider the value I get to

the table and let me know the best possible offer so that it is a win win
situation.(Focus on the value you get and do not react to price. It could be
that the employer is trying to negotiate and judge your initial reaction).
3] Interviewer asks : We can offer you the same salary ( fixed) but in
terms of performance based variable, it is attractive.
Instead of : I need an increase in the fixed or else it is not motivating.
Better approach : Alright, let me evaluate the offer in its totality
including the job role, prospects and compensation. Can you please
explain to me what is the variable pay compensation structure and how
does it work? ( Keeps the discussion going. Also reflects open
mindednesses. You have the choice of reverting with your expectation after
an holistic evaluation of the offer).
4] Interviewer asks: We can offer you a lower salary than your current
because we do not have the budget.
Instead of : It is not acceptable and not motivating.
Better approach : I have X number of years of experience in the
domain and industry and have reached a certain level. I have handled
precisely the same challenges that you are facing and am confident of
growing your business. You may want to do a reference check regarding
my credentials and evaluate what kind of value I get to the table. If I can
improve the performance, with the organization supporting me , it will
then be a win win situation. Would like to understand on what basis are
you offering a lower salary ? Can you please explain? ( The approach is
non reactive. Lets the discussion remain open ended.It also depends upon
the situation. Maybe you have recently changed jobs 2 months back and
had got a good hike? Or some other reason. Point is to evaluate and then
take a final call. Many times the job profile and career prospects far
outweigh the money part).
5] Interviewer asks : Your salary expectations of 25 to 30 % hike seems
high?
Instead of :Yes it is slightly high but I see other people getting that kind
of an increase.

Better approach : My basis for my expectations are :

A] My experience is unique in terms of handling X. There will not be
much talent available with such an expertise.
B] I am confident that I will deliver more than my targets/goals set by
the company as I have just demonstrated throughout my career.( You
have seen my STAR performance awards ).
C] I am also open to evaluating a mix of variable pay linked to
performance and fixed component if that can get me slightly higher or
closer to what I am expecting.
I leave it to you for reverting with the best possible offer which can be
discussed. I am open for understanding what you have in mind because
I am interested in the job profile and a long term career with your
company. ( Focus is on value. It also presents you as a candidate with a
unique expertise and at the same time you come across as adaptable and
open minded.)
And it is good to remember that most companies are moving towards
a fixed plus performance linked variable combination and as time goes by,
the variable components will become larger in terms of the overall
proportion.
Would be happy to answer any challenging Questions you'll have faced
in terms of salary negotiations. Please do mention in 'comments' section
below.
Happy Negotiations

5 Salary Negotiation Mistakes

We sometimes tend to forget the fine line between need and greed while negotiating our salary.
Negotiation is a technique, strategy which you cant do bluntly on the face of HR. Brian Koslow commented
on the people who take each and everything personally; During a negotiation, it would be wise not to
take anything personally. If you leave personalities out of it, you will be able to see opportunities
more objectively.

Salary negotiation mistake results in a much lower job offer or on the worse time people might lose the job
offer for which he/she laboured so hard to obtain. These 5 mistakes which are common but easily
avoidable:

Asking too fast

o

Today when he was going to give interview he was thinking only one thing i.e. salary and in
the very beginning, he enquired about the salary before Interviewer asked him. After this
incident Interviewer got the negative image of the candidate. Always think twice what are
pros & cons of salary negotiation.

Without discussion
o

One mistake is when applicants settle down quickly without any discussion on the salary
prospects. In a survey, freshers were easily settled down on the salary offered by the
company without any considering upon the basic needs. And on the other hand,
experienced professionals started sky-scraping negotiations.

Revealing your cards

o

When you reveal how much you want or the bottom number of the salary; this will only
bring hurdles in your path and nothing else. Friends, you might be very frank but this is isnt
the platform where you can tell what you feel without giving a single thought.

Accepting or Declining hurriedly

o

Today one of my friends called me up and said, Hey, Rabisha; I have got an opportunity
from an organization and I said Yes! to them on the other hand my colleague who had 7
years of experience thought he is just over-competent and rejected the opportunity.

I was like how can you make any judgement without knowing its prospects in detail. As, Earl
Monroe said very aptly that; Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don't rush. Be
quick, but don't hurry.

Not Asking for Final Offer in Writing

o

I remember, once my colleague was telling how he was trapped by the company because he
forgot to take the official document with regards to the salary. So, ensure you have all the
documents before you departure the office.

I can say that - Better approach will fetch you better opportunity with better salary.
Happy negotiation!

Why Accepting A Counter Offer Is A Career Suicide?

In our experience, in 9 out of 10 cases where candidates have accepted a Counter offer from
their current employer after resigning, the professional is back in the job market within less
than 6 months.
Most common reasons cited by candidates for accepting a counter offer are any or all of the
promises made by the current employer:

A pay hike with a special bonus soon.

Increase in job responsibilities with a promotion.

Improved work environment.

Reward for loyalty towards the organization.

It is very difficult to say "no" to all such goodies promised so easily which an employee never
got before.
But are these gains "real" and "long lived"? Let us try and answer some questions which
might set you thinking!
Missing the woods for the trees: In getting so excited about the promises of the counter
offer, most candidates forget about the evaluation of the job offer in it's totality with future
prospects in mind. They get short sighted which is the biggest mistake. What was the reason
for you to seek a change in the first place and what attracted you to accept the job offer?
There must have been a strong motivation offering better prospects in the long run with the
prospective employer.
Sudden Recognition: If the organization wanted to give you recognition, why did it wait for
you to put in your papers? Pay hike and rewards is always based upon merit. Shouldn't it have
been communicated to you as part of a process of planning your career?
Improved work environment: Can the work environment be improved overnight? If yes
then will it be long lived? Why should a company keep someone who didn't deserve a
promotion and instead received it in reaction to a fear of departure? When the crisis is over,
the incentive to keep you back will also disappear.
A pay hike and promotion out of turn: How would you manage your relationship with
your colleagues and seniors after you accept an "out of turn" pay hike? Won't there be a feeling

of being obliged somewhere within you? Will there be a one-to-one relationship between you
and your seniors/ colleagues post your acceptance of the counter offer?
Loyalty: Your employer will no longer consider you part of that "inner circle" of his trusted
confidants. If you have been flirting with other companies, then isn't the trust going to
beweakened? Your employer will always remember this move of yours and definitely not in a
positive light. Your seniors won't respect you. They know that they are the ones who really
call the shots in your career, not you.
Working for an individual :What if your boss who made the counter offer to you leaves the
organization tomorrow? The job market is full of opportunities and anyone could pursue
better career options.
Relationships in marketplace :What about your future relationship with the prospective
employer and the executive search firm? Have you considered that aspect?
So should you accept a counter offer from your current employer? The advice is "NO". This is
not to do with managing a counter offer but managing your career.
So what should ideally be done while considering a job change?
1] Communicate with senior industry Leaders: First and foremost do your homework well.
Better to avoid the stage to come where you are compelled to accept a counter offer. Your
objective of looking at a career move is to meet your career goals which should be clearly
evaluated by you on an on-going basis. If you are clear about your career goals but do not
have a clear/bigger picture from your employer's perspective, it is suggested that, at the right
time, discuss them with your senior. This will help keeping the boss abreast about your
aspirations.
2] Objective inputs :
a]Senior industry professionals :Before starting your job search, consult some seniors in the
industry or peers who are experienced for providing inputs .On the basis of their experience,
they could advice you about the industry and the kind of companies you would like to move
to in future or immediately.
b] Executive search firms and recruitment consultants can be an excellent source for you
to take advice from. Pick up some good and credible consultants with proven credentials who
would do an evaluation of the situation and offer invaluable advice. Consultants work across
industries and can give you a wider perspective which in turn will give direction to your career.
They can be your confidant.
Once you have DECIDED that you need to move on to another organization and have
accepted an offer, there should be no question of accepting a counter offer and staying back
with your current employer.
Remember well-managed companies rarely offer counter-offers to their staff. Instead
theytreat them with dignity and respect of an individual who has thought long and hard enough to
take his career into his own hands. Leaving a company is something that happens to everyone

in the world of work. Minimize the potential career damage and your anxiety in this transition
by having the confidence to stick to your decisions.
With best wishes,
Sarabjeet Sachar

6 Things to be removed from Your Resume

We have told you many aspects of Resume and also what will bring density in your resume.
Furthermore, I would also like to inform you that some things will ruin your resume; which
you should remove.
1. Photo
Photo is nave and unprofessional thing to add in the as per the recruiters. No use is there of
photo only it makes the draft bulky creating problem in opening and downloading.
2. Average or Poor Marks
What poor marks will do in your resume? Poor marks it talks about you so much and paints
your profile in bad colours. Poor/average will not pay you any good opportunity moreover it
will bring troubles.
3. Series of short-duration Jobs
Mention 2-3 organization name and duration with designation under the employment scan
but highlight only the current 2-3 organisations in details. As recruiters has no interest in
going through the short-duration and past associations as such.
4. Passive Language
Majorly, resume should never communicate through passive voice as it puts the whole
content in the dark side. Active action verbs should be used in the key roles/ responsibilities.
5. Useless Skills
Useless skills will not do any value - addition in the resume so putting all these in a resume
will increase the pages nothing else.
6. More than 2 Pages

If your resume is lengthy then the risk lurks around it, as recruiters have less attention and
also that lengthy resumes run the risk of being dumped in the dustbin.
Resume is a key to interview so, prepare with regards to these aforementioned rules &
norms. You will land up in a good organization with a good impression.

THE BEST WAY TO RESIGN

While you consider yourself married for life to your present employer, the odds are overwhelming that
your will move to another job several times in your career.
Each move and resignation will result in one of the key causes of management stress. Most of the
employees we have spoken to said they felt guilt and discomfort when resigning. The classic factors of
divorce are at work: shock, rejection, feelings of betrayal, hostility, insecurity and the break-up of personal
and business relationships
The Company from which you resign will find the situation stressful because your departure represents
corporate disloyalty and the disruption of plans and objectives. Here are some suggestions for minimizing
the negative effects of resignation.

Write your resignation letter with care. Get right to the point, state that you are leaving. Emphasize the
value of training and experience you have gained and your confidence that the Company will continue on
its course without you. Include an indication of your plans, the date of your departure and a pledge to
cooperate fully during the time remaining.
Be prepared for the Company to overreact initially to the news of your leaving. Frequently Companies will
make counteroffers to induce you to stay. Do not consider counteroffers, remember you have announced
that you made your decision to leave the Company and ply your trade elsewhere. Things will not be the
same if you stay. Once the initial shock subsides, resentment will build and the Company may feel it has
been blackmailed.
Be consistent with everyone about the reasons for leaving and the new job. Do everything possible to
strengthen and maintain your relationship with the old organization. Dont be hostile or burn your bridges
behind you. Sound relationships along your career path make sense, particularly when you need a good
reference in the years to come on your next job.

7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE

STEPHEN COVEY
This is about Effective people who taste success; Covey simply guides us to be effective: by accomplishing
our goals to what he calls "true north" principles of a character ethic that he presents as universal and
timeless. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989, is a wonderful, self-help, and
business management book, if you will, written by Stephen R. Covey. It has been the bestseller and sold
more than 15 million copies. It has been written in 38 languages worldwide, and remains one of the best
selling nonfiction business books. U.S. President Bill Clinton invited Covey to suggest him on how to
incorporate the book into his presidency. Here is an attempt to introduce our readers to this excellence in
possible chunks & trenches
Tree Activity
Draw a tree, giving yourself 2 minutes to do it. To make it more interesting ask your family and friends to
do it too. After a couple of minutes, check what people have sketched on the paper: few would have drawn

a root long or bushy to the tree!!! A few, you would notice, have drawn apples on their trees perhaps,
but hardly do they remember the roots. Covey says that Character is the root of all effectiveness. Like the
upper part of a tree, our personality is what is visible to people at first. Although our persona, expertise
and competencies can influence our success, the real source of long standing effectiveness remains in a
strong character the roots. The 7 habits cover both competency-building & character-based content that
addresses our personal & professional life. So, basically the change starts from Self and our roots
Character & Competence
While a person with high character exhibits honesty, maturity and an Abundance Mentality, a person with
high capability has knowledge and competency in a given area. As people balance these two elements,
they build their personal dependability and their faith with others. As people strike a balance between
these two elements, they increase their personal capacity to hold trust of others in them. And the most
important thing: Habits are intersection of Knowledge, Skills & Desire. Therefore, our habits form our
character.
The 7 Habits
1. Be Proactive: This primarily talks about all roles and relationships that we have and make in life. As
change comes from us, and ourselves, just like a stone thrown in water creates ripples, the same way does
our internal change of being proactive and taking initiative have ripples on the minds of others and the
environment around us.
2 - Begin with the End in Mind: Covey gives a wonderful envision what you want is the picture you should
have in mind before you start setting yourself to a task; that is what primarily makes to turn your picture to
reality.
3 - Put First Things First: A person or a professional must manage his own person, personally and
professionally. When we implement activities that aim to reach the bigger picture at the end, we must start
with prioritizing every moment, once the map of goals is set. Covey says that rule two is the mental
creation; rule three is the physical creation.
4 - Think Win-Win: Theres no stopping or looking back when you have an attempt to genuinely feel for
mutually beneficial solutions or agreements in your relationships both personal & professional. Once we
value people by realizing a "win" for all is a better long-term resolution than if only one person got his way,
we have a hang of the 4th Habit: there we are!
5 - Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Empathic listening is basically feeling what the
other person feels. Covey suggests your listening to have real empathy to be influenced by a person, which
actually in turn forces the other respond similarly to you, thereby having an open mind to being influenced
by you too. This leads to positive problem solving.
6 Synergize: Covey suggests combining the strong points and capabilities of people through positive
team spirit in order to achieve goals that we cant do alone if we work singularly.

7 - Sharpen the Saw: The final habit is that of continuous improvement in both the personal and
interpersonal domains of influence. It asks you to keep balancing and renewing your resources, energy,
and health to create a sustainable, long-term, effective lifestyle. It primarily stresses on mental & spiritual
well being & practices as well as a good reading for mental refreshment.
The Final Word: Effectiveness
Effectiveness is defined as an inside-out approach: It is getting desired results the P/PC Balance. P =
Production = what is produced, or the desired results produced; PC = Production capacity/asset, which is
our character, or Habits the roots. Maintaining, preserving and enhancing the resources that produce the
desired results. The key is to continuously maintain the p/pc balance: balance your short term & long term
goals; Spend time in relationships that matter; and finally the person behind the work/assignment
becomes more important
In a nutshell
The crux of this unparallel piece of writing is being successfully effective by understanding and imbibing
Habits. Thus personality changes moves one on from dependence to independence and then finally to
interdependence.

Tell Me Something About Yourself

We have all heard terrible narrations of interviews and are mostly more than horrified & anxious most of
the time about handling an interview. So, to start with thinking of the interview, the first obvious question
he & she & you & I expect is, Tell me about yourself.
Now, please!! Here is not an invitation to go over your whole life story or even to go line by line through
your resume you just submitted to the company. More importantly, here is probably your first and best
chance to market yourself to the other person or panel over the table on why youre the best man for the
job. Here all you need to do is keep in mind that you have to impress your panel in the first 1 minute time
you have. This question, if asked, is just a lucky chance you have to shortlist yourself. This is asked for a
good & different number of reasons, most importantly of them is to check how you handle yourself in a
free/unexpected situation. However interviewers, nowadays, are aware that you have prepared yourself on
the need to talk About Yourself. Having said that, the most pertinent trick here, then, is to act that the
answer is natural & spontaneous, how many every times you may have learnt it by heart.
The best thing to do would be to think of what others would answer & definitely exclude them to start your
answer for the same. A good strategy you may use here is the Present-Past-Future formula. So, begin
talking about your presentwhere and what you do right now; what your profile demands of you, and so
on. After that, you may move into the pastan array of responsibilities you have handled & their
experiences youve had while also informing the skills you gained at the previous designation. Finally, end
with what you are looking forward to why you are really looking forward to this particular opportunity.
If you are a fresher, you may recount your just accomplished highlights (projects, commendations,
specializations) and then move on to talk briefly about your high school-life achievements with a strong
and persuasive talk as to why & how, given the specializations you have, do you aim to do well. And finally,
never be scared to relax, retell incidents & anecdotesSince the hiring manager already has your chronicle
of skills & competencies, they may also want to know a little more about you that is not included in your
submitted resume.
The Only Wrong Response
You may use several ways to respond to this question; the one & only incorrect response to this question is
What would you (the interviewer) want to know? It gives a signal that you have not prepared enough or a
bit for your interview and are likely to be unprepared on the job, if offered. So, it is important you prepare
a reasonably good, unique yet realistic answer to this question, rehearse it & deliver it with calm,
composure and confidence.
The Right Response
The right response should necessarily include a couple of things:

What most interests the Interviewer

Bring to light your most important accomplishments

The Para Language

The panel actually, at a stage, cares less about your answer to this question and stresses more on

observing your confidence, initiative and passion, intonation & body language when you
respond. Your speed & confidenceof the response is the response.
Final Tips
Next time, try these:
I can sum up my personality in just two/three words... immediately draws attention to your
confidence.
The philosophy I live by is.... shows that you are a thinker, not just the average interviewee
My close peers say I am ... shows your own level of self-esteem & self-awareness
I am terribly passionate about ... indicates what you actually are as a person, not only what
you do
These are examples you can build on. The secret is how you will extract from the heavilybored-by-candidates interviewer, Wow! Thats the most unique response Ive got all day!In
short, this question is all about your Impression Management