Can I negotiate?

In everyday life we negotiate without even realising it – for example, with family, friends and colleagues.

Preparation is key
When you are wanting to negotiate a pay rise or a new employment package, it’s important to be prepared. There is no point in just saying “I want more money”. There is more to the package than just the salary to consider - some ideas for other areas that you may want to consider for negotiation include:

Make sure you do your research and set out a plan – this helps you understand what you really want to gain. Consider what your ‘must-haves’ are and list these in order of priority; it is important to do this so that you know where your boundaries of the negotiation are. As an example, if your highest priority is to have a clear development plan then this is non-negotiable. You would need to review your personal development plan and make sure it is relevant to your progression path so that this can be used as evidence.