6 English phrases that can be used in salary negotiations with foreign companies

The topic of job search abroad has been quite popular on Habré in recent years. However, while with the professional skills of domestic engineers, as a rule, everything is fine, then the level of the English language is not always up to the mark. This can be difficult - for example, few people want to seem rude or offend someone in the process of discussing future responsibilities or salaries. At the same time, nobody will want to agree to less money only because of embarrassment.



I found an interesting post with a selection of phrases for use in conducting “money” negotiations with potential employers from abroad, and prepared an adapted translation of it.

1) “I'm happy and excited to work with you”

Great phrase to use at the start of negotiations. It shows the positive attitude of the candidate to the company and the proposed position. Also, words like happy and excited show high motivation - this is what HR specialists pay attention to. When talking with your immediate technical supervisor, you can omit them, but to go through the primary filters you need to be prepared to use similar constructions both in written communication and during the conversation.

2) “I have done some research and ...”

Again, eychars adore the word research. It is quite serious, involves some work, in general, it sounds professional. Such words help create the impression of a solid specialist who knows what he is talking about.

3) “Market”, “Value”, “Competitors” and “Worth”

Four words that also help strengthen your position. When you do not just negotiate salaries, but say that according to market data (market) salaries (worth) at such positions are so much, it sounds much more solid. And if competitor salaries are publicly available, that’s even better.



As you can see, the use of certain words implies a certain preliminary research - and this is always a plus.

4) “Are you flexible with that offer?”

Suppose you had negotiations, and they called you an amount that does not quite suit you. How to continue to communicate further? You can start by asking whether a situation is possible in which a potential employer moves a little “in salary”. At the same time, you will not look too aggressive - just redirect the ball to the opponent’s side again.

5) “If you can do that, then I'm in”

So, the negotiations continued until the moment when they called you a suitable amount. How now to agree so as not to demonstrate excessive joy? It is always useful to approach the matter carefully, because if the employer decides that you are very happy with the number n, then you can wait longer for an increase.

6) “Can I take some time to think it over?”

Even after the two sides have come to an agreement, no one can take away your right to take time to think. If in doubt and want to weigh the pros and cons again, you should ask for this using such a phrase. In addition, there is the likelihood that spending time on interviews and negotiations, the employer will ultimately want to increase the chances of a positive outcome and increase his offer a little more (but this is optional, you do not need to count on this).



Another plus of this “call” is that you can carefully transfer communication to the email format, in the event that with oral English things are not so good as with written ones.

Conclusion: “Thank you”

This is the simplest phrase, but it is important to remember that even in case of unsuccessful negotiations, it is worth thanking the participants. The opportunity to discuss new career paths, especially in a new country, is already a good idea. Therefore, it is always worth trying to finish communication on a positive note, because who knows when this particular company will have a new vacancy in your profile - maybe it will be very soon.