7 Things to negotiate other than salary

You have managed to clear the interview round at your dream company, but they are not offering you your dream salary. Mentioned below are seven things that you can negotiate - other than salary. 

Clearing the interview was already difficult and now you have to negotiate salary, the most dreaded discussions of all. Many companies have a strict policy and they are not interested in negotiating salary, especially the base pay. In a situation where you have to make a choice between you dream job/company and a better pay pack, you should give the circumstance a serious thought and try your hand at negotiating non-salary benefits, after all, it all adds up at the end.

Mentioned below are seven things that you can negotiate other than salary with your prospect employers. The best part about these benefits is that they come at a low or absolutely no cost to the organization.

1. Flexi Timings: Flexible working hour or a flexible schedule is one of the best non-salary perks. Yes, you won’t be allowed to work from home on a full-time basis, but even if you manage to do the same 2-3 times in a week, it will make a big difference to your travel cost. This is also great because you will have a far more relaxed schedule and the comfort of your home while deliver your work.

2. Transportation Reimbursement: How do you commute to work? Via your private automobiles or public transport? Any which way, commuting to work is not cheap, any mode of transport you take adds up to the cost. You should calculate the amount you would spend on travel each month and ask the company for a reimbursement to ease the cost.

3. Daycare Facilities or Reimbursement: If you have a small child, you should ask what child care options the company has to offer. Babysitting costs can be far more expensive than you can imagine. Maybe your company has an onsite facility for childcare or maybe they have an allotted amount that they pay employees with younger kids. Always ask, because you won’t know unless you raise the question. Once you are sure that the company has no such benefits, enquire if you can get a partial amount of your child care cost paid by the company.

4. Reimbursement for Educaton: Acquiring new skills, getting an extra degree and growing via enriching experiences are always helpful for your career. One of the great ways of doing this is by continuing your education and making your company pay for it. You can ask your company to pay for conferences, seminars, training sessions and even a master’s degree. You must try your chances at this because many companies are willing to pay for education as they consider it as direct investment in the company. Of course, you need to sell it right.

5. A Better Title: You have to understand that a title makes a lot of difference. Let’s face it; ‘Content Specialist’ is far fancier than just ‘Content Writer.’ While negotiating your title keep in mind to ask for one that precisely imitates what your workload will be. Know that a better title will not only make you feel happier but will also help when you start applying for another job in the future.

6. Additional Vacation Leaves: There is a good possibility that the company offers 10 or less than 10 days of leave that are paid for. Find out what their policy is and try your hand at asking if they could increase it or best double it. If you get an extra five days that you spend climbing mountains, visiting exotic locations or just lying on the beach, it is most likely better than a higher salary.

7. An Office: Depending on your job or position you could ask for a specific place to work in. Yes, we understand that not all employees can get an office, especially not the corner ones, but you can also negotiate your seat. For many employees, having a seat that has a window with fresh sunlight pouring in, in winters can make all the difference.