Negotiating Salary Expectations on Channel 9 Today Extra

By Sue Ellson

Topic: Negotiating Salary Expectations
Sub Topics: Finding out what you are worth, Asking for a pay rise, Resuming negotiations later
Presenters and Hosts: David Campbell and Belinda Russell 
Workplace Expert and Author in Melbourne: Sue Ellson
Date: 3 September 2024 at 10:49am
Show: Today Extra
Television Station: Channel 9’s Today Extra Show, National Australian Television
Appearance Number: 20
Hashtags: #sueellson #payrise #salary
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpKP8rherqU
Time: 00:04:02

On Tuesday 3 September 2024, I appeared on Channel 9’s Today Extra show with David Campbell and Belinda Russell to talk about negotiating salary expectations.

Transcript

Talks but chatting with your boss about a pay rise can be super awkward the market rate for a new hire for someone with my experience year-over-year growth of my accounts alone the additional responsibilities I’ve taken on it’s only fair that I’d be compensated accordingly give me money money me money now me a money needing a lot now. So right. So how can you negotiate your salary without it being a daunting experience let’s bring in Workplace Expert Sue Ellson from Melbourne Morning Sue Hey Sue

Hi

So talking salary expectations you know it can be tricky how can an employee politely ask a potential employer what’s on offer?

Yes well you really need to do a little bit of research beforehand and then you can politely suggest I’d like to know more by finding out all the details of what’s on offer. If they still don’t tell you, you can ask for a salary range and if you get to the job interview and they still won’t tell you but they expect you to give an answer about whether you’d like the job or not you can say look I won’t accept the job until I’ve I’ve got an official offer in writing and then you’ll get all the details then.

All right so let’s talk about negotiations once you have the job.

Mmm.

Is there a way of finding out like I guess what your worth is as an employee?

Absolutely the Fair Work Ombudsman has a Pay and Conditions Tool which will tell you the award that you might be under and the rates of pay for that. The myfuture.edu.au website also talks about uh for each job the salary ranges and the forecast for it. Some of the job advertisement websites have calculators and additional articles on skills in demand and then of course the other job advertisements in that area. But the other thing is rather than just think about pay I’d actually suggest that working close to home is a really big bonus because you often hear of people who leave these amazing jobs with amazing pay and prestige to spend more time with their family so if you had an extra two hours a day that’s almost like a pay rise.

That’s true. All right this is a big one what are your top tips if you’re going to ask your boss for a pay rise?

Yes. Okay so you’re going to have to prepare some proof. So just like in that prelim there some details on how you’ve improved productivity, performance or profits, the skills knowledge and networks that you’ve brought in. You may also like to think of other items you can negotiate. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency has a Difficult Conversations Course that you could try uh but also don’t just think about asking for a pay rise why not thank your boss and there was a person I met who prepared a beautiful thank you card with lots of notes from everybody saying how much they appreciated their boss and they got the boss a small gift and later that afternoon that person received a $1,000 bonus just like that.

You’ve just got to bribe him. You just got to like curry up to the boss.

Say Thank You.

But here’s the thing though having this conversation it can end unhappily because there’s a thing called managing expectations Yes that bosses know what to do like oh the company going through some hard times at the moment now is not a good time. Oh Yes. So I mean if that happens do you walk out sort of a bit crestfallen?

Mmm.

Are there ways to bring it up again later on?

Well you really need to find out what you need to achieve to be able to get that pay rise. Potentially ask for a review in three months time. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency also requires people to report on their gender pay equity so if it’s less than 100 employees they don’t have to report on it but they could do an audit and that could be helpful and then another idea is to have a backup plan with those skills on demand go somewhere else but try and get advocates within the organisation. So there was another person who was in their late 20s who wanted to do an electrician apprenticeship. Now most of those opportunities are only available for people under 20 this person didn’t feel comfortable asking for it but somebody else in the organisation said this person needs to do it and they got that opportunity so sometimes somebody else can do the heavy lifting for you as well.

Right interesting. Taking notes. All right Sue, always great to have you on thank you so much. Thanks Sue.

Thank you.

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HOW TO ASK

• Do your research first
• Ask for all the details
• Ask for a salary range
• Get job offer details in writing

SALARY RANGES

• Fair Work Ombudsman Pay And Conditions Tool PACT
• MyFuture Occupations Search
• Job Advertisement Websites
• Similar job advertisements

ASK FOR A PAY RISE

• Prepare proof
• Collect a range of negotiation items
• Complete WGEA Difficult Conversations Course
• Make a confidential appointment

REVISIT NEGOTIATION

• Request review in three months
• Suggest Gender Pay Gap Audit
• Ask for specific details for an increase
• Create internal advocates or a backup plan

References

Fair Work Ombudsman has a Pay and Conditions Tool
https://calculate.fairwork.gov.au

My Future for Job Salaries and Forecasts
https://myfuture.edu.au

Fair Work Ombudsman – Difficult conversations in the workplace – employee course
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/tools-and-resources/online-learning-centre/difficult-conversations-in-the-workplace-employee-course

Workforce Gender Equality Agency Gender Strategy Toolkit (audit)
https://www.wgea.gov.au/tools/gender-strategy-toolkit#the-diagnostic-tool

Scared of including salary in a job ad? You could actually benefit
https://talent.seek.com.au/hiring-advice/article/salary-in-a-job-ad-you-could-actually-benefit

Seek.com.au Explore Salaries
https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/explore-salaries

Indeed Discover your Earning Potential
https://au.indeed.com/career/salaries

Shared Online

NEGOTIATING SALARY EXPECTATIONS 💰 // Did you know that according to Seek, 25% of people will not apply for a job if the salary isn’t mentioned? Do you know how to negotiate for what you are worth before a job starts and thereafter, each year you are in the job? What can you do if your boss cannot give you a raise right now?

Yesterday I appeared on Channel Nine’s Today Extra Program with David Campbell and Belinda Russell to talk about negotiating salary expectations.

We discussed:
💡finding out the salary on offer before a job starts
💡where to find out how much you are worth
💡how to ask for a pay rise
💡how to renegotiate again at a later date

I also shared the value of trying to find work that is close to home, saying thank you to your boss (not just asking for more) and gathering support from your colleagues to advocate on your behalf.

Thanks to Braydon Dykes, Mia Rakhit, Kaitlyn Mackenzie, Ashleigh Sculley and Josh for coordinating the segment.

#sueellson #payrise #salary

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