Unlocking a Bigger Paycheck: Navigating Salary Negotiations with Confidence

One of the most uncomfortable conversations to have when you're trying to navigate your career in HR, especially when you're trying to seek new levels, is negotiating your salary -- whether you're in a new role, whether you're in between opportunities, or whether you're trying to get up to that next level within your current role. So what do you say? And how do you get over this? Let's talk about it.

Hey hey! It's Bryttani Graddick, CEO & Founder of Talented Teams Consulting, and today, we're talking about navigating your salary negotiation conversation with confidence and clarity. Let's get into it.

Over my 15 years in HR, I've seen a lot of success moving from unpaid HR intern all the way up through executive leadership. And I can confidently say that a lot of that growth would not have happened had I not advocated for myself. Especially when you're working as an HR department of one (who I primarily serve), you have to make sure you're advocating for yourself. But that comes with first being aware of where you stand and being able to know how to navigate those conversations appropriately.

Know and Embrace Your Worth

The first piece of the puzzle here is to know your worth and evaluate your worth. If you feel there's a discrepancy between what you make and what you should make, go to the market. See what other jobs are out there to see what they're paying. Use resources like Glassdoor, Indeed, or even the BLS website and figure out the average market rate not only for that department and for that role, but for your geographic region as well. Knowing this information is going to arm you with the confidence to go into that office and ask for more.

But knowing the market rate is only a piece of the puzzle.

Evaluate Your Skills & Performance

Once you know that market rate, then take time to really inventory yourself. How are you working? Are you consistently working in excellence? Are you navigating good relationships in the work environment with your peers and with your leadership team? Are you consistently learning to hone your craft and perfect your skills? Are you creating your own resources to make sure you are able to grow your career on purpose?

When you walk into the room with the main decision maker and you're talking about what's going on with the market rate, the first thing they're going to ask you is, "What does that have to do with anything?"

It's a good thing to know the market rate, but you've got to make sure you're doing your part and that it warrants a promotional increase.

Typically, no matter what it is, I put it on paper. If I have to put it on paper and I can make it make sense to myself, I can make it make sense to somebody else. So whether it's navigating your own salary negotiations or anything of that nature, you've got to make sure you are completely in tune and satisfied with what you put on paper.

So you know the market rate and you know your skills want that promotional increase, but how do you have that conversation?

Before the Conversation - Stay Calm and Objective

My biggest piece of advice when it comes to navigating salary conversations is to keep your composure. Don't get emotional. Don't let your emotions run wild. While it's easy to feel undervalued at times, feeling undervalued is going to stir up some emotions you'll want to keep in check.

But remember, feelings are not facts. Let me say it again: feelings are not facts.

When you find yourself feeling this way, take a step back and ask yourself:

- Okay, how am I feeling?

- Why am I feeling this way?

- How is how I'm feeling impacting how I'm thinking?

- How is how I'm feeling impacting how I'm interacting?

- How is my energy going into this meeting?

If you know that you're going into a conversation where the odds are kind of stacked against you, that's when it's even more important to have your data to back up your claims.

When I first started out in my HR career, I literally kept an email folder in my email account full of my accolades. If someone wanted to send me something, saying, "Oh, gosh, you handled that the right way." Or, "I loved working with you on this." Or, "You're so easy to work!" I used that not only to build myself up because I knew that I needed that confidence boost, but also used it as a record so I could look back and say, "Hey, these are the things I'm doing, this is how I'm doing it, and this the impact that I'm having on those that I'm serving."

When you're going into these conversations, timing is everything. My best rule of thumb is to see if you can pair up your salary conversation with some type of evaluation -- whether it's a mid-year evaluation or year-end evaluation. The reason for avoiding doing an off-cycle discussion is that people aren't in the mindset of salary negotiation conversations and promotional increases. But when you have these conversations around performance evaluations, especially if you get a glowing review, that's the best time to have that conversation.

Also, be wise to gauge where the conversation is going. You may have thought that you did a really great job, but if your supervisor is telling you all these inadequacies you have and all the things you need to improve, maybe now's not the time for the conversation.

After the Conversation - Keep Your Composure

When it's all said and done. It's so important to keep your composure and carry on. Now's not the time to panic. And again, now's not the time to get emotional.

Whatever answer you get -- whether it's a yes or a no -- expect that and know ahead of time what you're going to do if you get either answer.

You could be so grossly underpaid that you may say to yourself, "If I don't get this pay increase, I'm going to walk." If you say that out loud, be prepared to do it because if you say it and you cry wolf, you'll lose all credibility.

I don't advise you to make threats in the workplace like that because no one likes to be backed into a corner. If anything, you want to be rewarded for your due diligence, hard work, and dedication to your role.

Steer clear from negative conversations or bringing other people and examples into the room. This conversation is about you, your role, and your value to the organization. Make that point clear and forget all the rest.

Putting it all together...

I understand firsthand that it's difficult to have these conversations and to do so it's really a learned skill. If you want any assistance with navigating this conversation with me feel free to book a call with me.

I would love to learn more about how I can serve you best. At Talented Teams Consulting, I work primarily with HR department of one professionals, and the three types of professionals I typically work with are those who feel stuck either between roles, in their current role not sure of the next steps, or in their current role without the support they need.

Regardless of the category you fall into, I would love to support you wherever you feel is needed. If you have any questions, drop a comment down below and let's connect.

Until next time,

~ Bryttani