3 arguments companies use to pay you less - and how to respond
This week, we wanted to share with you three common (but poor) arguments companies use during salary negotiations 👇1️⃣ “If we give you the max salary...
Hi there,
This week, we wanted to share with you three common (but poor) arguments companies use during salary negotiations 👇
1️⃣ “If we give you the max salary available now, we won’t have room to increase it later”
▶ Translation: “We don’t have a sustainable way to reward employees other than pay below market now so we can pay a bit more later.”
▶Your move: Ask for the max salary now, stating that it will keep you more motivated than making less money now but more later (and hence less money overall).
Waiting on compensation with the hope of future raises rarely pays off. If the company values you, they should provide a competitive salary now—one that reflects your skills and contributions right from the start.
2️⃣ “The hiring manager [or the recruiter or someone else involved with the job offer] is on vacation”
▶Translation: We hope that you will take that as a reason to not negotiate so as not to bother the decision makers.
▶Your move: Negotiate without factoring it in at all that someone is out of office. It’s the company’s responsibility to manage your job application in a timely manner and not lose you to a competing offer.
Companies who value strong candidates don’t risk losing them over internal delays. If they’re serious about hiring you, they’ll prioritize your offer over temporary scheduling conflicts.
3️⃣ “We can’t give you more money because we aim to pay equitably across the team”
▶Translation: We care about equitability when it means paying everyone below market. But if you negotiate strategically and/or have another job offer, we will set aside equitability and do everything we can to win you over.
▶Your move: Acknowledge and applaud their equitability strategy but keep negotiating regardless.
Market dynamics take precedence over a company’s compensation philosophy (assuming they’re not just saying it to begin with) - i.e. if you have a better offer, they’ll pay more to attract the right talent.
If they need to pay you more to win you over, they could then pay everyone else in the team a bit more too then to maintain equitability, no?
🧳 Ready to get the money left on the table?
If you're job searching or expecting an upcoming negotiation, schedule a free consultation call with us here and get real-time support on how to deal with situations exactly like these.
Best,
Gerta & Alex
Co-founders of YourNegotiations.com