All They Can Say is No
St. Louis, MO | Posted: 04/26/2019 | Author: April L. Koenig for Creatives On Call
Over the past 25 years I have helped hundreds of creatives find new permanent positions. At times, I’ve negotiated for them and at other times I’ve counseled to help them negotiate with confidence for themselves. In both scenarios, the talent almost always had some anxiety about what to ask for, what to accept and what was within the realm of possible to negotiate for without tipping the scales to a rescind.
Creatives On Call specializes in professional mid-senior level caliber of marketing, creative and digital talent, so most of the talent that I have worked with have walked the salary negotiations path a time or two before; but 2019 changed the hiring climate (again). And the talent war is more palpable than ever. The opportunities and the questions about negotiations are more fluid and topical even for the seasoned salary negotiator. So, what can you ask for when negotiating?
Today’s job seeker has all of the power. And job seekers can ask for just about anything without worry of it backfiring. The phrase “All they can say is no” has never been more real. In the past humble job seekers would worry that by asking for more the employer might rescind the offer. I have never seen ANY candidate ever have a rescinded offer for asking for a higher salary, more vacation time, flex time, etc.… The company may not agree to the request, but it should be noted that at the time of the request the employer has already decided they want the candidate. When the talent presents a counter, it is up to the hiring manager to say yes or no to the request.
Knowing this I always remind the talent the manager still wants (NEEDS) them; not to mention the hunt is hard and extremely time-consuming right now - the choices are limited. This economy is booming and the time to make hay is now. The prospect to the hiring manager of not having employees to spin that hay into gold is more threatening than a couple thousand dollars in benefits or salary.
“All they can say is no…and if the candidate is the right fit, they won’t.”