Oct 23

Oct 23 50+ Things You Can Negotiate

A 2021 Blind survey of 1,300 women in tech showed that nearly half (47%) always negotiate their starting salaries, even if it's uncomfortable.

30% said they "go hard."

And salary isn't the only thing to negotiate.

According to Hannah Riley Bowles in Harvard Business Review, negotiating your role or career trajectory has a BIGGER impact on:

✅ Lifetime earnings

✅ Career satisfaction

✅ Leadership potential

To help you brainstorm and strategize ahead of performance reviews, I've compiled a list of 50+ things you can negotiate with links to free articles and podcast episodes.

Check it out below. And be a friend; share this resource guide with your network.

Compensation

Stock options
- (Learn more by reading Getting Start-Up Equity? Everything You Need to Know)
Stock grants (when you get awarded company stock)
Vesting schedule (typically it's about 4 years, but you can ask to have this accelerated)
Going market adjustment to salary
- Learn more by listening to 8 Do’s and 6 Don’ts of Salary Negotiation on the Negotiate Your Career Growth podcast
- Watch 1-minute Youtube Short on how my client got her promotion and raise approved with zero objections
Merit-based salary increase
- Get prepared to ask with How to Get Promoted and Better Paid with a Compelling Ask
Performance bonus (based on specific milestones)
Spot bonus (one-time bonus for job well done)
Signing bonus (one-time bonus when you’re starting a new job)
Retention bonus (financial incentive to keep you in the job, because according to research, it can cost up to 200% of your salary to recruit, hire and train a skilled employee)
Relocation bonus (calculating all expected costs of moving will help you negotiate this with confidence)
Tuition reimbursement (make a case for how what you learn will help you perform better on the job)
Severance package (totally negotiable, check out the podcast with Jordan Sale for more details and examples of this)
Pay band (will get you eligible for a pay raise now or later, if you're already at the top end of your current pay band)
Getting paid out for unused and accrued PTO / Vacation days

Career Progression

Title (doesn't always come with a pay increase)
Job responsibilities and scope (i.e. you can rewrite your job description and get buy-in on it)
Project / team assignment (walking away from a toxic project manager will do wonders for your sanity and productivity)
Tasks you won't do (or tasks you delegate or delay or delete from your task list)
Direct supervisor (vote with your feet to a better manager who supports your growth)
Headcount and budget for hiring direct reports
Budget for consultant and/or freelancers (so you can delegate away the tasks you won't do, for example)
Team resources (i.e. software or hardware upgrades)
Final say / decision-making authority (so both the higher-ups and your direct reports know to follow your lead on your projects)
Review timing, cadence, frequency (e.g. you can ask to have a performance review six months after you start a new role and ask to have your compensation re-evaluated based on how well you’ve done)
Performance milestones / metrics (so you can hold both yourself and your manager accountable to an objective, indisputable measure of your performance.
- Click HERE for the client case study of what to do when your boss is unconsciously biased against you and makes an unfair assessment of your performance.
- Click HERE for script for negotiating with a boss who doesn’t see your value and won’t acknowledge you’re ready for the promotion you deserve
- Click HERE to watch me and my mentor Maggie Reyes discuss how to strategically get buy-in on key milestones for you to achieve in order to secure a promotion.
Back up plan (e.g. if your new role or project assignment doesn't work out, you can come back to the role you had before or be considered for a transfer)
Support to attend industry conferences (e.g. reimbursement and not having those days count against your PTO)
Support to speak at industry conferences (ask your leadership to endorse you to the industry movers and shakers, so you can improve not only your reputation but career prospects beyond your current job)
Nomination to Young Presidents Organization or other high-profile networking organizations (again, this will help cement your reputation as a leader and improve your career prospects beyond your current job)

Flexibility

Start date for new job / role (so you give yourself some time to decompress before starting a new job or role)
Hybrid work arrangement (e.g. set expectations going in by telling your employer that you'll be coming in twice a week, not three or four times a week)
When you work or when you respond to emails / Slack / Teams messages (setting expectations is a great way to set boundaries)
How long you work (e.g. no more 12 hour work days, please)
Travel and entertainment reimbursement (e.g. what can be reimbursed when you fly business class to a client meeting or order a steak dinner for you and your client)
Project deadlines

Professional Development

Association dues (e.g. Young Presidents Organization and other networking associations)
Executive coach (some of my clients have had their coaching investment reimbursed by their company)
Executive education programs
Training (i.e. certifications)

Benefits

Vacation days
Carrying over unused PTO days to the next year
Bereavement days
Going on Family and Medical Leave (direct link to Depart of Labor’s FMLA page here)
The length of your maternity leave
Pay during maternity leave
Designated space and time to pump milk after returning from maternity leave
Gym membership (e.g. company paying part or all of your Gym Pass membership)
Designated parking space
Termination date in case of involuntary termination (so that you can continue your healthcare coverage or delay going on COBRA)
Employer paying all or part of COBRA premiums (read more about this on SHRM site HERE)

Things that enable you to advance in your career faster

Administrative support (e.g. executive assistant)
Special projects budget
Invitation to leadership meeting (so you can have a seat at the table and a voice in how decisions are made, while increasing your visibility to the executive team)
Office arrangement (i.e. home office stipend)
Dedicated conference / working space (e.g. when and with whom you have to collaborate to work with special equipment that’s only available in a designated area)
Exposure to leadership (i.e. regular check-ins and coffee chats with the C-Suite that’s not golfing on the weekends)

Here are additional podcast episodes to help you negotiate with confidence:

Would you like 1:1 support to best advocate for your career growth? Click here to learn about Executive Coaching Series.

Shout out to Kathryn Valentine of Worthmore Strategies for providing the inspiration behind this list.