You’ve landed a job interview and have reached the negotiation stage, the moment where you can push for not just a higher salary but a prime parking spot and free lunch on Fridays.
While it might feel scary, negotiating your job offer is crucial for getting the compensation and benefits you deserve. But beyond salary, what else should you be asking for?
According to Jane Gerard, president of Jane Gerard Executive Search and a seasoned recruiter with over 20 years of experience in the industry, it starts with getting clear on what you want.
“You need to really think through what’s most important and most valuable to you, and then negotiate from there,” she says.
Although you may not get everything on your list, prioritizing your must-haves and having an open, honest conversation with your employer can help you explore what’s possible.
Here are four things beyond salary to consider:
1. Advanced vacation days
In addition to salary, another item you can negotiate is advanced vacation days, especially if you have pre-planned trips or family commitments.
“Let’s say I give you an offer and there’s only 15 PTO days, but you say, ‘Well, I have a vacation coming up next month… I don’t have those days allocated to me because I haven’t started working,’” Gerard explains.
Advanced vacation days are something you can then try asking for upfront.
If you have a trip coming up and haven’t accrued that time yet, you can ask for that vacation to be pre-approved and paid for before you start the job.
When asking for it, Gerard says transparency is key. She suggests saying something like,
“I have these pre-planned days… for a wedding or personal family trip… and I’m not going to be able to cancel that. Would this be something that you would consider as part of my package?”
Like with anything you’re trying to negotiate, Gerard advises being very open and clear about it at the offer stage.
2. Commuting
Another item you can try negotiating is reimbursement for your commute. If your job requires you to drive to various locations, pay for parking or take public transportation, it’s worth asking for reimbursement or a stipend to cover those costs. According to Gerard, this might be determined by where you live.
In Los Angeles, Gerard says, a big concern is parking because it’s expensive to drive to the office and park. A solution is to either negotiate a parking spot provided by the company or reimbursement for parking in a garage. In New York, where far fewer people drive, it tends to be flexible spending that the company provides.
“It’s case by case,” she says. “If it’s any type of commute outside of your normal day-to-day subway or bus, that’s something that could definitely be negotiated.”
Your location also shouldn’t limit you.
“If you live in New York, maybe you can look for a job in Philly or D.C…. maybe you’d be willing to hop on a train two days a week and go to Washington, D.C., and work,” says Gerard.
If you’re willing to do it, see if your company would help you cover the cost. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
3. Gym memberships
If the employer you’re interviewing with doesn’t offer it already, you can also try negotiating a gym membership or well-being days.
According to Gerard, well-being days are becoming a big perk that companies now provide.
“A lot of companies are offering four days a year where you get a… health and wellness day. They’ll give you $100 per day to do whatever you want with it, whether it’s go to a museum [or] get a massage, and that’s additional… to your PTO, it has nothing to do with your vacation time,” Gerard explains.
Another benefit Gerard has seen companies offering recently is access to wellness services, like Wellhub, a corporate wellness program that provides access to gyms, online classes and nutritionists.
“Wellhub… is a ClassPass for working people,” she says, referring to the ClassPass fitness app that allows users to visit multiple gyms and spas via one subscription, “And so that’s a big benefit that I think people could either negotiate or bring up as part of the negotiation process.”
4. Pet services
Another option to consider is pet services. While some companies offer health insurance for your pets, you can also ask for additional perks like doggy daycare or even a dog walker.
Gerard says some employees have negotiated for these types of services, especially when forced to return to the office after working remotely during the COVID pandemic.
“These are things that could be negotiated, because these are costs that you might not be able to afford,” she says.
Negotiating pet services, such as doggy daycare or a dog walker, can be a smart move, especially if your work situation changes and these costs become harder to manage on your own.
The key to negotiating
When it comes to negotiating, Gerard recommends putting everything in an Excel spreadsheet. This includes the salary, benefits and perks your current company offers, alongside what the new company is willing to provide.
“Put down all the stuff you get now… and what you’re getting in this new job and what you’re currently paying for, and really do the math for it, and then see what you need to negotiate,” she says.
“There may be things that you’re like, ‘Wait a minute. OK, I’m not going to get the salary, but maybe [in] this [other area] they could be flexible,’” Gerard says.
When having that conversation, you might say, “I know you can’t give me more money, but would you be open to giving me more time off?” Or, “I understand that you can’t go up on the budget, but do you think you could do X because it would make up for that for me.”
Be strategic in how you ask for things, Gerard says. By comparing what you have with what’s on the table, you can confidently ask for what matters most and ensure you’re getting the best offer possible.
Photo by Ground Picture/Shutterstock.
