SINGAPORE: Negotiating a salary is often one of the trickiest parts of job hunting. Ask for a little more, and you could secure a better deal, but push too hard and you might put the entire offer at risk.
One man shared online that he is facing exactly this dilemma after receiving a job offer of S$7,300 a month.
In a social media post, the man said he had already been prepared to accept a monthly salary of around S$7,000. However, when asked about his expected pay during the interview, he decided to quote S$8,000.
When the company eventually got back to him, they offered S$7,300 and gave him a few days to decide.
After hearing about the offer, several of his friends encouraged him to negotiate. They told him he could be “leaving money on the table” if he accepted the offer without at least trying to push for a higher figure.
But the man admitted he is hesitant to take that risk.
He worries that pushing for more could backfire and potentially lead to the offer being withdrawn.
“It’s my only offer and I’ve been out of a job for six months,” he said. “So I don’t think the worst they could do is say no. The worst could actually be rescinding the offer.”
He added that he is currently in a stable financial position, which means he is not under immediate pressure to increase his salary.
“Financially, I’m stable. I don’t spend much, nor do I have any big-ticket expenses coming up,” he explained. “Most of my savings are invested in boring ETFs like the STI and S&P 500.”
When is it wiser not to push for a higher salary?
In many cases, there is no real harm in asking for a higher salary. According to global employment website Monster, around 89% of companies are open to salary negotiations. So if you feel the offer could be better, it is usually worth bringing it up.
Still, timing and context matter. Asking for more money without thinking about the situation can backfire. Career experts say there are some moments where it may be wiser to simply accept the offer instead of pushing for more.
You already accepted the offer
When accepting a job offer, it’s important not to let your emotions, whether pressure or excitement, influence your decision. Because once you do accept that offer, there’s no going back.
Trying to negotiate after you’ve already said yes can only harm your reputation with the new company.
It’s the best offer they’ve got
If the offer is already the highest the interviewer or hiring manager can give and it sits at the top of the market range, it’s usually best to accept it.
But, if you’re still feeling a bit short, rather than pushing for more money, you could ask for more perks or flexible work arrangements instead.
You may not have a strong reason to ask for more
Always make sure you’ve got a solid reason before asking for a higher salary. This could be a unique skill or talent, an impressive accomplishment and/or award, or specific know-how that adds extra value to the job.
Read also: ‘Overqualified’: Man regrets pursuing master’s degree after struggling to land jobs
