Salary negotiation doesn’t have to be adversarial. But many employers handle it in ways that damage relationships before they begin—or lose candidates they should have won.
Starting With a Lowball
Making an offer significantly below your budget, expecting to negotiate upward, is a common mistake.
What you think: “Smart negotiating—we’ll end up somewhere in the middle.”
What candidates think: “They’re trying to underpay me from the start. What else will they cheap out on?”
Better approach: Lead with a fair offer within your realistic range. You can still have room to move, but the starting point shouldn’t feel insulting.
Hiding the Range
“What are your salary expectations?” as an early screening question puts candidates at a disadvantage and wastes everyone’s time when there’s a fundamental mismatch.
Better approach: Be transparent about your range upfront. “This role pays between $90k and $110k depending on experience. Does that align with your expectations?”
This filters misaligned candidates early and builds trust with aligned ones.
Making It Personal
“That’s a lot of money to ask for.” “We’ve never paid anyone that much.” “You’re already making less than that.”
These responses make candidates feel judged rather than negotiating in good faith.
Better approach: Respond to salary requests with questions, not judgments. “Help me understand how you arrived at that number.” “What would it take to get to yes at $X?”
Slow-Playing Decisions
Making candidates wait weeks for offer decisions—or deliberating extensively over small differences—signals that you’re not excited about them.
Top candidates have options. While you’re weighing whether they’re worth an extra $5k, they’re accepting elsewhere.
Better approach: Make decisions quickly. If you want someone, act like it.
The “Take It or Leave It”
Presenting offers as completely non-negotiable—especially when that’s not actually true—creates unnecessary adversarial dynamics.
Even if you can’t move on salary, there’s usually something you can discuss: sign-on bonus, start date, vacation days, title, remote work flexibility.
Better approach: Be clear about what’s flexible and what isn’t. “The base salary is fixed at this level, but I have some flexibility on start date and we could discuss a signing bonus.”
Ignoring Total Compensation
Candidates fixated on base salary sometimes miss that your total package is competitive. Employers who only discuss base salary let that misunderstanding persist.
Better approach: Present total compensation clearly. “The base is $95k, but with our bonus structure, equity, and benefits package, total compensation is closer to $120k.”
Getting Emotionally Invested in “Winning”
Negotiation shouldn’t feel like combat. If you “win” by grinding a candidate down, you’ve started the relationship with resentment.
Better approach: Aim for an outcome both parties feel good about. A slightly higher salary in exchange for a genuinely enthusiastic new hire is almost always worth it.
The Pressure Close
“We need an answer by end of day.” “This offer expires Friday.” Artificial urgency pressures candidates into decisions they might regret—and then leave.
Better approach: Give reasonable time (typically 3-5 business days). If you’re worried about losing them to other offers, address that directly: “I want to give you time to decide, but I’m also aware you’re in other processes. Can you tell me your timeline?”
The Right Mindset
Good salary negotiation is collaborative problem-solving: “How do we get to an agreement that works for both of us?”
Both parties should walk away feeling respected. That foundation matters for everything that comes after.
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