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4 tips for ′paiseh′ Singaporeans negotiating their salary

Being direct is definitely not a Singaporean virtue. Many people are thus put at a disadvantage when it comes to negotiating salaries.

Most job seekers here simply accept the first salary offer they receive or walk away if it′s unsatisfactory.

The thought of doing something as confrontational as asking for a higher salary goes against everything Singaporeans have learned about respecting authority. In fact, most Singaporeans would pick job-hopping over asking their bosses for more money.

Here are four tips to not let that happen to you.

Let the employer make the first offer

The first rule of negotiation is to always let the other party make the first offer. Of course, most employers will try to get the upper hand by asking you what your expected salary is.

It′s important to note that there is no way the employer can force you to tell them your expected salary. If they ask you, always tell them you need to think about it and can′t tell them immediately. If the question is on a form you need to fill up before you go for the interview, leave it blank.

Negotiate on terms other than salary, too

Singaporeans know all too well that money isn′t the only thing to be concerned about when it comes to work. Just ask the 57 per cent of Singaporeans who said in a recent survey that they would pick better work-life balance over a higher salary. Successfully negotiating on other terms can do even more to enhance your experience on the job than getting paid more will.

Some terms you might want to negotiate on include vacation days, being allowed to work from home on some days and flexi-hours. A friend of mine once had a 6-day work week with only 7 days of annual leave. Unsurprisingly, he quit after 3 months. On the other hand, two of my former colleagues at a previous job managed to negotiate staggered hours or a part-time arrangement, even though the company did not normally have such arrangements for employees.

Get it in writing

You might have arm-twisted your interviewer into agreeing to a higher salary thanks to your glib tongue, but HR could still call you with a lower offer. Just because one guy has agreed to offer you a particular salary doesn′t necessarily mean management will agree on it, especially if it is a big company.

If you′ve managed to wrangle a fantastic salary offer, lock it down by getting it in writing. Send a thank you email to the company after receiving the offer stating the exact figure clearly. That should make it harder for them to change their tune later on.

Always have a counter-offer ready

Negotiating is like fighting a duel. Just because the employer has given you a crappy salary offer doesn′t mean you shouldn′t fight back. You should always have a counter-offer up your sleeve. In fact, you should mentally prepare more than one counteroffer, so if the first one gets shot down, you still have a chance to negotiate in other areas like annual leave or working arrangements.

For instance, if the employer refuses to budge from the salary he originally suggested, you shouldn′t just accept it as it is. Make a lower counter-offer, or ask if you may work from home a few times a month instead. Employers who are very cost-sensitive may not care as much about working arrangements so long as the work gets done at the same cost.