Compensation Negotiations

Melody Fogarty

Trees

Dear Reader:


One of the toughest conversations you will have in your career will be about compensation. It is made most uncomfortable when you have little or no information and only hope that the other person will willingly offer you more money for doing the same work you are currently providing to the organization or will provide your new employer. It doesn’t have to be this way.


The best deal is made at the initiation of your employment, not with the new organization or at promotion but rather your very first job after you have completed your undergraduate education. If you have not completed your undergraduate education, then your compensation will be based on your first full-time position after high school. It is the result of one simple question, “what are you making or what were you making in your last position?”


Massachusetts led the way in abolishing the practice of using your current or last job as an anchor in salary negotiations. Several other states are following. However, anchoring to your current or last position is still part of the salary negotiation process. My advice is to gather intelligence on yourself, your future peers, the last person who held the position, the hiring manager, and the organization (internal and external market). 


Before you enter the negotiation, know how you are viewed in the organization from a performance, image, and exposure perspective (PIE). Note: Image is more than appearance. It has to do with approach ability, emotional intelligence, emotional management, ability to take criticism, and responsiveness. Exposure is related to special projects, advocacy for you by others, global exposure and most importantly potential/bandwidth.


Your PIE will be compared to your peers and the last person to hold the position you are accepting. You must properly position your PIE by helping the hiring manager and/or Human Resources/Recruiter advocate for a total compensation plan that recognizes where you sit in the continuum with your peers and the last person to hold the position. Keep in mind the goal for the hiring manager and organization is to save money while getting greater skill and capacity.


You will also need to know what the market is paying for your skill set in that location, that industry, sub-category, position (title and responsibilities) for your company’s size (revenues and number of employees).


Begin the conversation by reminding them what you bring to the table that they did not have. Remember, there is a very thin line between confidence and arrogance, so don’t overstep. Ask more questions than you provide answers. The first questions should be what is the salary range for the position? What was the last person in this position making? How does my background compare with my peers and with the last person?


Let them make the first offer. Counter with what is reasonable and appropriate for both where you sit in terms of your background against your peers and what the external market will pay for your expertise. Should they say “the jump from your current salary and your requested salary is too much” …” they have never given a person a jump so large”…etc. Remind them that your prior compensation is based on knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) you had not yet acquired. Now, you have those KSA’s, and they will have full benefit of them.


Final note, compensation negotiations are best managed from a total compensation perspective (e.g., salary, bonus, time-off, car allowance, and non-healthcare related benefits).  Negotiations are adversarial by nature. That said, remain pleasant, calm, and humble. Know what you are worth and ask for it. Never tell the prospect employer what they must do to get you. And, always say thank you not matter how it ends.



Warm regards,

Melody Fogarty

Managing Partner, Chief Business Strategist

Dakota Gray, LLC.




Sparkman Articles

April 21, 2025
Let’s be honest—Easter, for many, has become just another holiday on the calendar. Bright pastel ads, last-minute retail runs, and overflowing candy aisles often drown out the deeper meaning of the season.
April 21, 2025
Some people leave a mark on your organization. Others leave a mark on your heart. Pastor Ricky D. Floyd did both. It’s hard to put into words what this man meant to me, to Kings & Priests, and to so many others who were blessed to cross his path.
April 21, 2025
Beverly Jenkins is a dynamic and inspiring leader whose impact spans across the spheres of family, faith, and community. As a devoted wife, mother, entrepreneur, and businesswoman, she brings an unwavering commitment to service and transformation.
April 21, 2025
January 3, 2021, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois, after over six hours in the ER and numerous blood draws and testing, I was informed by the doctor.
April 21, 2025
I was seven the first time I hid a crack pipe. It was used, still warm, and I slid it under the big blue sectional before my big brother could open the door. He was at the front, shaking. “My mom said not to let anybody in,” he kept repeating.
April 21, 2025
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and an opportune time for us to examine where we are as a people as well as a church when it comes to the stigmatization that continues to follow this critical area of our well-being. While society overall has begun trending toward more awareness, there has not been that same movement in churches, especially congregations that are historically houses of worship for people of color.
April 21, 2025
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
April 21, 2025
Marriage is ministry. It’s not about who leads, who follows, who talks louder, or who works harder. It’s about two people walking in agreement under God’s covering, carrying the weight of life together, and building a love that honors the Lord.
April 21, 2025
When most people think of the Prison Ministry, they think of going inside the correctional facilities. That is my passion, and I’ve done it for forty-seven years; however, I realize that other people find going into a facility intimidating.
March 5, 2025
To everything, there is a season. As one season comes to a close, another begins. Just as Moses passed the mantle to Joshua, I am honored to pass the mantle of leadership to Evangelist Leandra Green as the new pastor of Believers Temple Word Fellowship.
More Posts