Preparing for salary negotiations means coming up with a strategy. It can be hard to predict how a salary negotiation meeting will go, but you can set yourself up for success by preparing the following information:
WHO
Who will you speak to? Most decisions regarding show budgets are handled by line producers, but if you're unsure you should make sure you know who to book a meeting with. Does the person you negotiate with have final say, or do they need approval from someone else?
Also make sure that you can demonstrate who you are to the person you will be negotiating with. This may be someone that has never seen your original application to the company. Be prepared to demonstrate what your history with the company and the industry has been, so that they can get to know you.
WHAT
Set yourself clear goals on what you want to get out of negotiation. Is it a higher wage? Better benefits?
Once you know what you want, figure out where you are willing to move to when negotiating. Often this can be visualized as three levels:
The Ideal: More than you expect your manager to settle for. This will be what you lead with.
The Compromise: This is where you can back off to but still be happy with the deal. This will likely be closest to what you expect a reasonable offer to look like. Letting the manager bargain you down to this from the ideal creates a rapport building give-and-take.
The Final Offer: This is the lowest you will go to and still be satisfied doing the job. This is where you will dig your heels in and accept no less.
WHERE
This refers to the method you will be negotiating over. Will it be an email? A phone call? An in-person meeting? Knowing ahead of time will allow you to prepare.
If the meeting will be in person or over video, make sure to dress appropriately. Dress in a manner that makes you feel confident and projects to management the way you want to be seen in your role.
If the negotiation is over email, make sure that you set aside the proper amount of time to write your messages thoughtfully and clearly while being mindful of your tone. Also check your email settings and make sure your signature is correct and the font in your outgoing messages is easy to read.
If it's a phone call, make sure you are prepared to have the conversation somewhere quiet, with a good cell signal, and have a pad of paper on hand to take notes with.
WHY
This is how you will make your case to management for why they should give you what you're asking for. Justifications can include:
Market Research on what people with your position and experience are paid. Take a look at:
Wage Shares
Forums
Job Postings
Friends' pay at competing studios
Colleagues' pay on your team
Competing offers from other studios. (This is strong leverage, but only works if you are willing to walk away and take that other job. If your manager calls your bluff and you don't actually want to leave, it can defang this kind of leverage for you in the future.)
Positive performance reviews from your current or direct supervisor (If renegotiating your wage at the same workplace.)
Records that you have kept about your own performance on the job that show a history of dedicated work. (If renegotiating your wage at the same workplace.)
Any other material use or benefit that you bring to your workplace or team. Do you mentor other workers? Do you help facilitate communication in a language besides English? Do you create resources to help your team?
HOW
This refers to the tactics you will take when presenting your position. Talk to people you trust who have previously negotiated with the person you will be meeting with. How did they do it? Was it effective?
See if you can find out what the person you will be negotiating with values, and arrange the points you want to present to best align with that. (ie: If they value a balanced budget, lead with how productive and valuable you are when it comes to completing quota. If they value a skilled team, lead with mentorship and skill sharing on the job, etc.)
Do your best to reel in your ego and emotions about work. The cooler your head is when you go into your negotiation meeting, the more likely it is that you will be able to make thoughtful arguments and be deliberate with your actions. If you are feeling very emotionally charged, give yourself space ahead of the meeting to recenter yourself or reschedule the meeting to a better time.
Often, you may find yourself negotiating with someone who doesn't have final say on the decision to grant your requests. Be mindful of this, and try to be collaborative and get them on your side. That will help motivate them to advocate for you in turn.
Be aware of how to appropriately escalate a negotiation. A negotiation may not necessarily become antagonistic! Be assertive, but adopt a collaborative and open tone. Only push as hard as is required to advance the conversation toward your goals and maintain your boundaries. It's much more difficult to negotiate when the conversation is hostile from the beginning.
Final Tips for Union Workers
If you are negotiating under a collective agreement that has Wage Minimums you can save yourself time renegotiating your rate by defining it as being a certain amount above the minimum or Scale rate.
For example, if the wage you want is $1200/week and the Wage minimum (Scale) is $900/week ask that your rate be written in your individual agreement as "Scale+33%"
This way, no matter how much the minimum increases by, your wage will also increase proportionally.
If you are ever unsure of how to interpret the wage table or the collective agreement, reach out to a shop steward for help. They can explain the agreement to you, and if needed, attend any meetings you have with management alongside you as support.
There is a special channel for sharing wages on the CAG Discord for active members, check it out!
Looking for more salary negotiation help? Check out these courses and more on LinkedIn Learning using your FREE SUBSCRIPTION available to you through the IATSE Training Trust.
