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You can, and should, negotiate for more than just salary—here are the easiest asks to bump up your comp package

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You can, and should, negotiate for more than just salary—here are the easiest asks to bump up your comp package

There are few things as stressful — and consequential to your future earnings — as negotiating the salary of a new job. We’re routinely told that hiring managers expect you to negotiate when they make an offer, yet a majority of workers don’t initiate it at all.

Even fewer people, then, may think about negotiating aspects of a compensation package beyond the base salary on offer.

But negotiating non-salary perks can be a relatively easy ask on top of a salary discussion, or they can sweeten the deal if you don’t land on the number you want.

“The hardest thing for the company to do is give you money upfront,” as in your base pay, says Tessa White, a career coach and founder of The Job Doctor with over 20 years of HR experience.

But there are plenty of other benefits that are more likely to get approved when you’re hired, she adds: “Companies are going to tend to give you what’s free.”

Here are the best things to negotiate in a job offer, beyond salary, for an easier “yes” from HR.

1. A higher title

Negotiating for a higher title in a new job might not lead to more money right away, but it could pay off in the long run, White says.

“If you can negotiate a higher title now, then when you leave, it’s worth more on the job market — your resume is worth more,” she says. “So while it’s free to a company to give you a higher title, you’re actually going to get a delayed value to that, because when you go to the next company you’re starting from a higher point.”

How much of a title change should you push for?

As White puts it: “Ask for the title you want, not the title the job is listed at.”

For example, maybe the position was listed at a more junior level, and you’ll bring in a higher level of experience that could warrant an adjustment. Or maybe the organization uses titles that don’t fully align with your industry’s standard, and you want to bridge the gap.

To set up a successful negotiation, White says, ask HR: “Can you explain to me the leveling for this position? What is the job title above this, and what’s required for that?”

Then, when you make your case for a title bump, demonstrate how you already have the qualifications that justify that higher position.

2. An earlier review period

If you don’t get to the maximum salary number you were aiming for, White suggests negotiating when you’ll be up for your next salary review period.

Come to an agreement on when that review will happen and what you expect to come out of it. You should also be ready to discuss how an adjustment will be awarded if you hit certain benchmarks or meet your manager’s expectations of successful performance.

White explains it this way: “It’s free to say, ‘Can we do a review six months in, and if I’m getting all of these things done and making a great big difference, can we give the second half of the base pay increase that I was expecting?”

DON’T MISS: The ultimate guide to negotiating a higher salary

3. Flexible office hours

Amazon and other big companies are walking back their remote policies, so asking for more flexibility in a new job might feel like a risky move.

If you do want to negotiate for more flexibility around your work-from-home days, or even the hours you work, White says the most important thing is to have sound rationale that demonstrates how the company wins in the scenario, too.

“We don’t like people who come in and just ask for things for the sake of asking for things,” she says.

But, if you can describe how having more remote days “motivates you and how it brings out the best in your work, that your optimal self is being able to be in the office but also have private locked-in time at home, that’s going to bend the curve on loyalty for the company,” White says.

Focusing on what keeps you highly engaged and, ultimately, a loyal employee could be a smart move, White adds. As an HR professional, she’s dialed into the fact that young people are leaving their jobs every two or so years. Turnover is a huge drain on companies.

“So if you can say, ‘This is going to engage me and keep me, and I find that I’m really happy and really productive in an environment like this,’ then you’re going to have higher odds of getting” flexibility about where and when you work.

4. Your full bonus

If your current workplace has a bonus structure, then you’re likely leaving it on the table once you quit. That could mean missing out on tens of thousands of dollars, White says.

If you’re going to another employer that pays out bonuses, White recommends negotiating that your first-year bonus is not prorated, meaning that you’ll get your full allotted bonuses when the time comes, and not based on your start date.

If that’s not possible, consider calculating what your bonus would be at your old job and working it into your new comp package as a signing bonus, White says.

It may be a financial cost to the company upfront, she says, but it’s generally easier to negotiate for because it doesn’t increase your base pay going forward.

Want to earn more money at work? Take CNBC’s new online course How to Negotiate a Higher Salary. Expert instructors will teach you the skills you need to get a bigger paycheck, including how to prepare and build your confidence, what to do and say, and how to craft a counteroffer. Pre-register now and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 50% off through Nov. 26, 2024.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.

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