After going through series of interviews and meeting with a variety of candidates, you’ve finally found one that you are ready to make an offer to. Now is the tough part: salary negotiation. This can be a make-or-break part in winning over the candidate. This is a tricky part in the offer process because no one wins if the company and the candidate don’t both feel like they have won. There are plenty of tips out there for candidates on salary negotiations, but not nearly as much for hiring managers. From Chemical Recruiters acting as a resource during negotiations on a regular basis, this one is for you hiring managers:
Know your range
Before starting the interview process and before looking at candidates, have salary ranges figured out and ready. Evaluate how important this position is to your organization and what can be budgeted to pay for this person. Be prepared to do some research on what the industry standards are for the role. Candidates will likely be doing the same research, so you want to make sure your range is appropriate for what they will be expecting in the chemical industry.
Offer more than just a number
When negotiating salary, discuss the entire package. If you can’t offer more base money, what else can you offer? Think about what other benefits or great perks your organization has. This can be sign on bonuses, performance-based bonuses, more vacation time, great benefits, schedule flexibility, stocks or equity, relocation packages, working from home, etc. People often see the value in these parts of the package sometimes as much or even more than just a high compensation number.
Work with industry experts
One of the benefits of working with Chemical Recruiters is help in the offer and negotiation process. Recruiters will know the expectations for salary for both the client and candidate. If a client offers a candidate a number that they feel is too low, they may feel devalued causing a lose for both parties. A recruiter can avoid this issue by being a middleman gathering and setting expectations so that there are no surprises. If it is a higher level or very technical role, it is likely that it’s not something you hire for on a regular basis, so deciding on a compensation range might be tough. Chemical recruiters work in the industry daily and gather all sorts of industry knowledge including salary. They can be a resource for deciding on what range to set or insight to what other companies are offering to win over the best talent.
Salary negotiations are not expected to be easy. Expect to have candidates ask for more and know how much more or what else your company can offer. In the end it is about coming to an agreement that each side can leave feeling excited about. Give candidates time to think on their offers and be available to talk through it. If you need salary or industry trends or talent help, Chemical Recruiters, such as ourselves, are here to help guide the process.
-Written by Brooke Hughes: Researcher for Specialty Chemical Recruiters