Most people find salary negotiation awkward, so they either ask for too little or do not ask at all. Both choices carry a cost, and it is rarely a small one.
How do you know what you're actually worth?
Knowing your worth starts with real numbers, not a gut feeling. Look at live job adverts for similar roles in your sector and region, check sector-specific salary surveys, and ask a recruiter who works in your market what similar candidates are actually being placed at. Regional salaries often sit below London rates for the same job title, so a figure pulled from a national average can mislead you either way.
Your worth also depends on where you sit within a role, not just the title on the advert. Five years of hands-on finance experience is worth more than two, and a candidate who has managed a team commands a different rate than one who has not. Build a realistic range for your salary expectations rather than a single figure, and be honest about where in that range your experience actually sits.
Is it normal to negotiate a job offer?
Negotiating a job offer is normal, and most employers expect it. A first offer often leaves room to move, because hiring managers know candidates may come back with a question or a counter. Staying silent does not earn extra goodwill. It usually just means accepting the lower end of what the employer was prepared to pay.
At ACR, we see calm, well-prepared negotiations succeed far more often than they fail. What damages a negotiation is not the fact of asking, but an approach that feels aggressive or comes with no reasoning behind it. Ask clearly, explain why, and give the employer the chance to respond properly. Most will.
How much should you ask for?
There is a real difference between a stretch and an insult, and getting that distinction wrong is where negotiation goes wrong. An amount comfortably outside the market range signals that you have not done your homework, and it can put the whole offer at risk. Employers who feel a candidate is testing them rather than negotiating in good faith sometimes withdraw rather than continue the conversation.
A sensible starting point is the top of the realistic range you built through benchmarking, not a number plucked from hope. If an offer sits below that range, say so plainly and explain why, using the market evidence you have gathered. If it sits within the range, a specific ask tied to your experience or a particular skill tends to land far better than a vague request for more.
What happens if the number doesn't move?
Sometimes an employer holds firm on base salary, and that is not the end of the conversation. Other parts of the package are often more flexible: start date, holiday allowance, remote or hybrid working, a training budget, or bonus structure. A written commitment to review salary after six months, tied to clear performance measures, can also close the gap without the employer moving the initial number.
Accepting a lower base salary purely to get the role can set your career back if it happens repeatedly, so weigh any non-salary improvements honestly against what you actually need. A good employer will engage with these alternatives properly rather than dismissing them, and how they respond tells you something about what working there will actually be like.
When is it right to say no?
Sometimes the right answer to a job offer is no, and that is a legitimate outcome, not a failure. A large, unmoving gap between the offer and your realistic market value is one signal worth acting on. How the employer responds to your reasoning is another: a defensive reaction tells you more about what the job would actually be like than the number on the offer letter does.
Turning down an offer that undervalues you protects your long-term earning position far more than accepting it out of relief that a process is finally over. A confident no, delivered professionally, also leaves the door open. Employers remember candidates who negotiated well, even when the numbers didn't work out that time.
ACR consultants brief every candidate on realistic market rates before an offer even arrives, so nobody negotiates in the dark. If you are weighing up a current offer, or simply want an honest view of what your experience is worth right now, get in touch with the team.