The world is changing, and it’s important to stay at the top of your game. Just because you’re unemployed doesn’t mean that Amazon isn’t hiring during the pandemic- they are!
They want someone who will be committed long term; not just for a paycheck or two. Negotiation skills show employers what kind of person you really are: either desperate enough to take anything on offer (and possibly leave after getting your salary)or an individual with patience and focus in their professional life – one who values security over instant gratification.
In this blog, here are my top tips and advice for a senior executive who wants to negotiate their salary and land an Amazon offer:
Research About Negotiating at Amazon
The first thing to keep in mind is to take a step back before you negotiate for more money and spend the time to research:
- Rules of the company
- Values of the company – Think The Leadership Principles
- Your negotiation terms
- Salary
The objective is to help you to prepare for your job interview in the best way possible and land a job and get the best offer that you deserve. Be aware that around 90 percent of people in my coaching community have been affected by the pandemic. However, there is one thing you should never do even in the middle of a pandemic and that is settling for the first offer.
Use Google To Research Your Negotiations
Google has been my best friend for so many years and for all the right reasons. Whenever I need to know information regarding something, I turn to google.com for help. It has information on a multitude of topics, from learning how to speak to what mic to use. The platform is filled with unlimited material out there.
Now my advice to you is to look at your skill set and analyze how many years of experience you have performed in a certain job position. Do you have 20 years of experience as a software engineer, and if so, how many years did it take you to actually deliver results and gain achievement? Because this is how Amazon and all the other top-tier companies will evaluate your credibility.
Be data-driven with your research
Pay close attention to relevant market data research that impacts your salary negotiation. Still, you may ask what that has to do with negotiating your career with Amazon? A lot! Knowing your numbers will allow you to set your terms.
There is no quick and easy step to this process but do your homework. Understand what the current market value is for your salary or job title. There is no quick win to landing a job offer at Amazon or any of the other FAANG companies.
There are a lot of salary websites such as glassdoor.com, levels.fyi, and Salary.com that are generally about 15-20% as far as salary below market rate.
Glassdoor has an interesting tool called the salary calculator where it compares the same job title in the same city.
Here are the steps for relevant research:
- List your job titles that are similar
- Set a spreadsheet of your research with the following column titles:
- Job title
- City
- URL
- Salary price
- Year of detail
- Make a note of the date of information, when and how recently was it published
For example, if you found your data point was found in the year 2017, it’s quite obvious that it will be 20% below the market rate. That is why you need to be very cautious of the real-time data, and my suggestion would be to stay within 2020. All these tips are very helpful when it comes to searching for market research data.
Other Tools and Tactics To Figure Your Salary Negotiations
- Job Marketplaces
- Quora
- Talk to a recruiter
- Talk to a friend who works in the same industry or role
When You Negotiate, Be Confident & Know What You’re Talking About
When you’re negotiating, please do throw a random number when talking about salary.
Ask yourself:
- Do you have a high chance to gain an interview with your future leader or team?
- Do you understand what you’re getting yourself into?
- Is the company culture a good fit for you?
- Is the role a good fit for you?
- Do you know the market value of the salary?
- Are you prepared for your interview?
If the answer is yes to all of the above, then you are allowed to decide on a number.
Apart from that, work and prepare to your best abilities for your job interview. If your aim is to get the highest compensation, then the biggest mistake which professionals make is to be focused too much on the wrong things.
An example of this is leveling. Going after leveling only risks your chances of getting recruited. Your main purpose should be to perform exceptionally well in the entire process.
Another hot tip is to be vigilant during your first interaction with the recruiter. The moment you first meet with your recruiters they start evaluating you for the potential job position.
Dealing With Negotiation during a Pandemic
A big bummer during the interview process is when recruiters find applicants talk about money. There are some clients who want to talk about money even before the interview process and are focused on leveling on all the wrong things. Applicants should be devoted to creating their story, working on branding and networking, and building an exceptional resume and LinkedIn profile before they go for the interview.
Most professionals are afraid when the recruiter will take the offer back once salary negotiation has been mentioned. This is a very popular concern with clients who have suffered due to the pandemic. Recruiters will not take the offer back. In fact, negotiation is a skill of art that allows the employer to respect you while knowing that you’re determined and working hard to get what you want.
However, there have been about four different instances from different candidates or clients that an organization would take back an offer but they were mostly startups.
- Greed. Expecting to make 50% more without doing the research.
- They know someone at Amazon (example) who makes much more than them.
- Using personal reasonings (buying a home or paying for children’s college).
- Adding on extra expenses into the offer (free lunch, gym membership, etc)
Startups lack the budget that some clients are looking for and so they are willing to fight for the most suitable candidate.
Use The Amazon Leadership Principle to stand out
The Amazon leadership principle puts a lot of emphasis on customer obsession, customer focus, and customer service. As a potential candidate, make sure your devotion to these three reflects in the interview process. The Leadership Principle is one of the core values of tech companies all over the world. The most common thing used in such interviews is behavioral questions. Did you know that there are 20 different ways of asking one single question? Recruiters are only willing to commit to you when they know they can put trust in your ability to deliver and produce great business results.
Key Takeaway For Salary negotiation
Amazon is one of the best places to work in America and the rest of the world. It’s also a great place for senior executives and professionals to land their next job. And, if you’re lucky enough to get an offer from Amazon, you’ll want to negotiate your salary before accepting the position.
Remember to:
- Prepare your numbers
- Do your own researched homework
- Come prepared