A jobseeker’s guide to negotiating working conditions

It can be difficult to find the perfect job that meets every criteria you need. Salary is the obvious one but what about the other working conditions of the job too? Instead of dismissing a job vacancy because the working conditions aren’t a good match for your needs, why not consider negotiating those conditions instead?

What working conditions can you negotiate as a jobseeker?

This will vary depending on the job itself but the working conditions you can generally negotiate as a jobseeker include:

• salary
• bonuses and incentives
• benefits, such as health insurance or travel allowance
• paid leave
• working hours and pattern
• professional development
• job responsibilities

For instance, where the job vacancy is based entirely at the work-site, you might negotiate working on a hybrid basis or on a four day week arrangement.

How to effectively negotiate working conditions as a jobseeker

Once you’ve identified the working conditions you’d like to negotiate, here are eight steps you can take to effectively discuss those changes with the employer:

  Research

Research industry standards and market rates, for instance, the type of bonus provided by competing employers in the sector. It can also be helpful to research the company’s policy on that working condition. What do they normally offer?

  Practice

Practicing what you will say can only be of benefit to you. If it helps to write down and script what you will say, go for it. Practicing your request for a change in working conditions will help you to:

• get clear on the changes you want to negotiate
• build your confidence in asking for what you want
• root out any objections the employer may have to your request

Write it down, say it out loud, and even record it so that you can perfect your request.

  Focus on your needs

There may be several working conditions that you’d like to alter but what are your priorities? What are the working condition changes that could make a real difference to your fit for this job and employee? Focus your negotiations on those.

  Put yourself in the company’s shoes

Try to understand the employer’s perspective on making changes to working conditions. What is in their interests? Is it advantageous to the company to make those changes to get you on board? Are they limited on the extent to which they can make changes, for instance, can they afford to increase the salary or bonus? Understanding the employer’s perspective will help you to negotiate in a way that benefits both of you.

  Showcase your worth as an employee

Demonstrate the value you can bring to the company based on your skills, qualifications, and experience and how your requests for a change to working conditions will have a positive effect on your performance. Explain how you can contribute to the company’s success.

  Be positive, flexible, and professional

Act in a professional manner when negotiating changes to working conditions: the same professional manner that you would adopt in an interview scenario. Be positive in your dealings too, explaining the advantages to your request being met.

This is a negotiation, that is, a two way dialogue, so remember to be flexible and open to alternative solutions.

  Provide supporting evidence

Support your request for working condition changes by providing relevant evidence. That might be demonstrating your worth as an employee or research findings that demonstrate the validity of your request. This evidence will strengthen your case.

  Get the agreement in writing

Should the employer agree to change your working conditions, it’s important that you receive this agreement in writing, for instance, in a letter or in an email. This will avoid any misunderstandings or disputes in the future.

When to begin your work condition negotiation

This will vary depending on the employer’s recruitment process, the point at which you discover the working conditions that you wish to change, and your own comfort level.

  During the interview with prior preparation

If you know from the job advert and description that there are work conditions you’d like to negotiate, then your job interview provides the ideal occasion to open that discussion. Make sure you’ve carried out the relevant research and know what you want to say.

  During the interview as you find out about the job

You may enter the interview with no prior thought of negotiation. If you realise that you’d like to negotiate certain work conditions as details are revealed to you in the interview, this can be the ideal time to make a brief mention before following up later.

  After you’ve received a job offer

Once you’ve received a job offer, you know that the company is interested in you and the value you can provide as a new employee. This is probably the best time to begin negotiating changes to your working conditions.

Respond to the job offer with thanks, express your enthusiasm for the opportunity, and then mention the specific working conditions you’d like to negotiate. This could be by phone call or in person, but it’s often easiest to start your negotiation in writing.

Wrapping it up

Negotiating working conditions is a two way process that should ideally result in an outcome that benefits both you and the employer. Prioritise the factors that are most important to you and be ready to support your requests based on your skills and experience, the value you bring to the organisation, and your research. Throughout the negotiation, take a professional, positive, and open-minded approach.

The thought of negotiating working conditions can be uncomfortable but if those changes are important and you believe in your worth as a candidate, then why not take the chance?