Your prospective employer won’t budge on salary, you say? The negotiation doesn’t have to end there, according to a viral video.
TikTok creator RaShad Oliver (@rashadtheintern), a young professional who has worked in tech and shares career tips with followers, recently posted a video about alternative compensation that employees can put on the negotiating table.
The video has 184,000 views and almost 27,000 likes.
@rashadtheintern #stitch with @DeAndre Brown Salary negotiation can be very scary for us!! make sure you are practicing as well as are well prepared for your negotiation. Any questions? #greenscreen #salarynegotiation #hbcugrad #blackintech ♬ original sound – RaShad 🏆
“I hope this can be helpful for people who are just now graduating college, or my Black and brown students who are getting their first internships,” Oliver said in his video, which is a stitch of an earlier TikTok posted by creator DeAndre Brown (@imdrebrown) about the importance of new hires asking for more money than companies initially offer.
If you’re trying to negotiate for a higher salary and your employers respond that there’s no budget to go up, they can still likely give you something, Oliver said.
The creator displayed a document listing other variables that you can negotiate for in lieu of a salary bump. Some examples include a better job title, a 401(k) match, a guaranteed bonus or promotion, relocation compensation, flexible working hours, additional PTO, better insurance coverage, and more.
“If companies don’t want to give me the money I’m asking for,” Oliver said, “I’m finna get something I want.”
Oliver said that in the past, he’s successfully negotiated for a better job title, Fridays off, half-days, bonuses, and commissions.
“I feel like if y’all are nervous about this type of stuff and it does kind of scare you, the thing to remember is companies are either going to make their money or save money because they’ve employed you,” he said. The least you can do, he said, is make sure you’re paid enough to have the things you want and need.
“Facts. I liked the salary my company offered but I was with my recruiter friend & she said: negotiate anyway. Walked away with a 35,000 sign on bonus,” one commenter wrote.
“This is gold!” another said. “Y’all better ask for SOMETHING! Every company has a discretionary fund. There’s money somewhere.”
One person commented, “You are so right! I got moving costs, 1 WFH day, and negotiated my pay!! and they will adjust for cost of living.”
“My friend told her job she was shooting for a specific number after they offered her 5k less than she expected,” someone else shared. “They wouldn’t increase her salary, but gave her a sign-on bonus of the 5k. Which doesn’t make sense to me, but she got it.”
“I have a nice firm conversation that lets them know ‘I’m leaving here with SOMETHING,’” one viewer said.
Another added, “if they’re still smiling by the time you leave and not giving you death stares, you’re not getting your value.”
Oliver’s advice is sound, according to several online career resources. FlexJobs recommends negotiating for professional development support or mentorship, among other things. Forbes says that asking for a sabbatical is an option. CareerBuilder even recommends that employers offer these things instead of salary bumps, if those aren’t in the budget.
The Daily Dot contacted Oliver via TikTok comment and direct message for more information.
