You find a job that ticks all the boxes - the work excites you, the team feels like a perfect fit… except one thing - the salary. It isn’t quite what you were hoping for.
At this point, many people sigh and walk away or accept less than they wanted. But here’s the secret: salary isn’t always the only thing on the table.
Perks can be powerful and can even make the role better than a pay bump ever could.
Power up with perks
Additional benefits can take many forms.
⏰ Flexible working, which can include:
Flexible start/finish times
Nine-day fortnights or four-day weeks
Working from home either full-time or in a hybrid arrangement
Asynchronous work - looking at output and delivery rather than simply time logged, and allowing employees to work whenever it suits them as long as they can meet deadlines/outputs
📆 Extra leave which can include:
A day off on the person’s birthday (or the closest weekday when it’s a weekend)
Additional annual leave
Sabbaticals for long-term staff members
Shut down periods or paid leave at times like between Christmas and New Year
Extended parental leave
Time off that can be used for volunteering
37.5-hour week vs 40-hour week (it seems small, but that extra 30 mins a day might make life a whole lot easier!)
🌱 Health and well-being benefits which can include:
Mental health days (duvet days)
Professional development or personal learning opportunities
Contributions towards healthcare, such as eye exams or glasses
Wellbeing packages (gym memberships, health insurance, therapists and more)
☕️ Other perks which can include:
Company cars either for work use only or for all use
In-office facilities such as a great coffee machine or free fruit
Discount on products or services either from the employing organisation or from other companies
So how do you negotiate perks without coming across as greedy or rude?
#1 Get set on the best benefits. Before you start negotiating, think about which benefits would be most helpful to you and weigh them according to your preferences. That way, you know what you want to ask for before you go in.
#2 Know your value. The second thing you should do before starting negotiations is to know your own value. It’s important that you can clearly articulate to the organisation what you will bring and the value you will add - why you are worth the extra attention. For example, if you are asking for flexible hours or hybrid working, be prepared to show how you will achieve the required output in the reduced time or when you are working from home.
#3 Be willing to compromise. You want to get the benefits you are aiming for, but you also want to ensure your potential employer is comfortable. That way, there is no resentment from either side down the line. You may need to be creative to create a situation that works for you and your potential employer.
Of course, not all negotiations go the way you hope, so you should also have a Plan B and decide in advance what you will do if the employer can’t meet your requests. At that point, you will need to decide whether you are still happy to go ahead or want to walk away.
Have you ever negotiated extra benefits as part of a job offer? What perks would make a difference to you?
A version of this article first appeared on the Do Good Jobs blog.