The Key to Negotiating Successfully? Talk to Your Hiring Manager!

Many candidates fall into the trap of letting recruiters handle the negotiation process and ultimately lose out on maximizing their compensation – and improving their relationship with their hiring manager along the way.

The recruiter’s main focus is to secure candidates quickly and meet the company's hiring goals. Meanwhile, the hiring manager is responsible for the company’s business objectives and owns a certain set of metrics which they believe hiring you will help to achieve. This is why it's essential to take charge of the negotiation process and communicate directly with the hiring manager to get the best possible deal.

As an example - we recently worked with a candidate who’d received an offer from Bloomberg and wanted more time to make a decision on the offer so they could finish up some other interview processes and increase their leverage. 

When they asked the recruiter for 5 more weeks to make a decision the recruiter said that 1 week more was the max they could give because they had other candidates in the pipeline. However, when they asked the hiring manager the same question the next day, the HM said ‘No problem. I understand that this is a big decision - do you need more than 5 weeks?’

Because of this extra time, the candidate was able to finish out their interviews with four other companies -- and receive three additional offers which helped them ultimately negotiate a 33% increase in their offer.

This is why we focus on helping our clients build relationships with their hiring managers – so they increase their leverage and sign offers knowing they fully advocated for themselves.

Here’s a quick overview of how to manage conversations with both your manager and recruiter during the negotiation process:

Why Negotiate with the Hiring Manager

Recruiters often have limited knowledge of the specific role you're interviewing for, and their primary concern is to fulfill the company's hiring needs. 

Because they are the one interfacing with you most frequently companies intentionally give them little ability to substantially change your offer – otherwise the offer would change for every candidate a recruiter works with. 

By negotiating directly with the hiring manager, you shift the conversation to one focused on value and mutual benefit. A manager who is enthusiastic about hiring you can have a significant impact on your compensation package, going beyond what a recruiter might be able to offer. 

Managers have more insight into the potential value you can bring to the team and the company's overall success, making them better advocates for your case. 

Plus, compensation committees often listen to the hiring manager more than the recruiter because the HM is ultimately responsible for meeting the company’s business objectives.

What to Negotiate with the Hiring Manager

The Level of Your Offer: This directly impacts your compensation, and your manager might have the authority to adjust it based on your skills and experience. Ask your manager - “Is there a possibility to discuss me joining at a higher level? I’m happy to do more interviews.”

Career Scope & Future Development: Discuss opportunities for growth within the company and how your skills align with the organization's long-term goals.

Offer Deadlines: If you need more time to consider the offer or evaluate other options, discuss the possibility of extending the acceptance deadline. HIring managers know how urgent it is for them to fill the role – or if they can give you a few more weeks to decide. Meanwhile, hiring managers are incentivized to close out roles as quickly as possible.

Their Support of a High Offer: As you start negotiating, it’s helpful to ask your hiring manager to provide their support for you to the compensation committee. Typically we have candidates build out an impact roadmap (see example below) of what they hope to accomplish in the role and the metrics they plan to impact – and discuss it with their hiring manager. Then, at the end of the call, ask for the hiring manager to express their support to the compensation committee so the candidate can get the best possible offer.

How to Negotiate with Your Manager

Negotiating with your manager should be viewed as a chance to demonstrate your value and how your skills can contribute to the company's success. Instead of focusing solely on your own interests, consider how your contributions will benefit the organization and make your manager's job easier. Emphasize the positive impact you can have on the company and how your skills align with the role's expectations, challenges, and goals.

We love using an Impact Roadmap (example here) to help facilitate this conversation and get you and your manager aligned on what impact will look like at the company.

We’ve guided hundreds of candidates through the impact roadmap process. At worst, a hiring manager says “Thanks for sharing - so when are you going to sign?” And, at best, they say “Thanks so much for putting this together. It’s really exciting to think about all of the impact you can have in this role. What do we need to do to get you to sign?”

Remember - at the end of the day - negotiation is about establishing a mutually beneficial deal where both parties win. By showcasing your ability to meet and exceed expectations, you can increase the likelihood of getting the compensation and benefits you deserve while fostering a positive and long-lasting working relationship with your future employer!