Raising the boss' interest in how much you get paid

Talk isn't cheap when it comes to negotiating your salary. So how can you get more money, whether you're getting hired or nudging your boss for a raise? Try this approach:

-- Do your homework. Find out how much money other people get paid for doing similar work. If you feel comfortable discussing salary with colleagues, do it. If not, check with labor unions or over the Internet for listings of comparable salaries. Two useful sites are jobstar.org and salary.com.

-- Use leverage. The best times to negotiate are when you're offered a job but -haven't yet accepted or when your employer is afraid of losing you. If you get an offer that you know you'll accept, but the salary is lower than you would like and the company won't budge, ask for a promise the salary will be reviewed in three or six months. And get every job offer in writing.

-- Back it up. Provide business reasons why you should receive more money. Show how you've made the company more money or improved its image. If you've raised your sales 30 percent or you write 15 percent more code than a typical colleague, the company has more incentive to keep you happy.

-- Don't ignore benefits. If the economy is too tough to give you - or anyone else - a raise, push for other benefits. Telecommuting could save you money; more vacation could save you stress.

-- Be careful about ultimatums. If you threaten to quit, things will never be the same between you and your boss. Use it only as a last resort - and only if you're willing to back it up.


Source: San Francisco Chronicle Publication date: 2002-01-20

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