Work It Like A Mum
Work It Like A Mum
Mastering Job Offers & Salary Negotiation
Welcome to the last episode of our January solo series on the Work It Like a Mum podcast! In this final solo episode, we’re diving into job offers—how to navigate, negotiate, and secure the best possible salary.
📖 This episode is in celebration of the release of my new book, Flex, which is designed to help you create a career that works for you and your life.
What We Cover
Negotiating a job offer can feel daunting, but it’s a crucial skill. This episode breaks it down step by step:
- Market Research – Determine a fair salary using industry benchmarks.
- Setting Your Ideal Number– Always provide a specific figure, not a range.
- Justifying Your Value – Use the STAR technique to highlight your impact.
- Leveraging Other Offers– Competition strengthens your position.
- Evaluating the Full Package – Consider benefits, pensions, and perks.
- Taking Time to Decide – Never accept or negotiate on the spot.
- Perfect Timing– Negotiate mid-to-late week for better outcomes.
- Collaborative Approach – Both you and the employer want a great fit.
- Knowing When to Walk Away – Don’t settle if it’s not right.
- Getting It in Writing – Ensure all agreements are legally binding.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Employers expect negotiation—ask for more.
✅ Research industry salaries to avoid underselling yourself.
✅ Justify your worth with clear examples.
✅ Weigh the full compensation package, not just salary.
✅ Take time before accepting any offer.
✅ If a company won’t budge, be prepared to walk away.
✅ Always get the final offer in writing before resigning.
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Hey, I'm Elizabeth Willits and I'm obsessed with helping as many women as possible achieve their boldest dreams after kids and helping you to navigate this messy and magical season of life. I'm a working mum with over 17 years of recruitment experience and I'm the founder of the Investing in Women job board and community. In this show, I'm honoured to be chatting with remarkable women redefining our working world across all areas of business. They'll share their secrets on how they've achieved extraordinary success after children, set boundaries and balance, the challenges they've faced and how they've overcome them to define their own versions of success. Shy away from the real talk? No way. Money struggles, growth, loss, boundaries and balance we cover it all. Think of this as coffee with your mates, mixed with an inspiring TED Talk sprinkled with the career advice you wish you'd really had at school. So grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, make sure you're cosy and get ready to get inspired and chase your boldest dreams, or just survive Mondays. This is the Work it Like A Mum podcast. This episode is brought to you by Investing in Women. Investing in Women is a job board and recruitment agency helping you find your dream part-time or flexible job with the UK's most family-friendly and forward-thinking employers. Their site can help you find a professional and rewarding job that works for you. They're proud to partner with the UK's most family-friendly employers across a range of professional industries. Friendly employers across a range of professional industries, ready to find your perfect job? Search their website at investinginwomencouk to find your next part-time or flexible job opportunity.
Speaker 1:Now back to the show. Hello, welcome back to this week's Work it Like A Mum podcast, and this is the final of our series of solo episodes. And this week I'm going to be talking to you all about job offers and how to negotiate the best job offer you can. It's all in celebration of the release of my new book, flex, which helps you get the career you want and deserve that will work around you and your life. But today we're going to be talking all about job offers and obviously it's a really important topic because, a women, historically, as we all know, are underpaid and, b the best time to get an uplift on salary is when you switch jobs. It's a lot harder to get decent uplifts on salary once you are in post, so job offers are a brilliant time to get that jump in salary and get the pay you want and deserve. So job offers. You are now at the final point of your job search, which is just fantastic news. Remember that the employer could have been hiring for the role for months. They may have received hundreds of CVs, they could have interviewed more people than they care to remember, but they've chosen you. So go into this mindset when you start negotiating your salary. Nobody recruiting, it's costly, it's time consuming and nobody wants to start the process again.
Speaker 1:I think a lot of people fear asking for more money. They worry the employer will rescind on the job offer. But in all my years recruiting my recruiting I've been in recruitment now for 18 years. This has never happened, not once employers expect you to ask for more money. You know a lot of male candidates do ask for more money. If you don't ask for more money, you could be leaving money on the table. They've probably budgeted um for you to ask for a bit more money as well. Um, so, yes, definitely. Let this episode be your permission slip to ask for more money and let's start closing that gender pay gap. Um, perhaps the thought of asking for more money brings you right in the cold sweats.
Speaker 1:I've got you covered in this episode, which is basically a step-by-step guide on how to negotiate your best starting salary. So step one market research. So hopefully you did this during your job search, but you obviously need to have a realistic idea of how much money the type of of role you've been offered generally pays, so you don't undersell yourself or ask for a completely unrealistic figure. Obviously, you can do your market research by speaking with recruiters and headhunters. They generally have up to date salary information and also salary guides that they can send you. You could ask as well people that you know that are doing a similar job what the market rate is. Probably best to ask them what the market rate is rather than straight out what their salary is, particularly in the UK, where we're often a little bit shy Talking about money. You can obviously visit the website Glassdoor to obtain one of their salary guides, but try and take those salary guides with a bit of a pinch of salt, because they're often over inflated. And remember to adjust for location. So London and southeast based roles will always pay more than other regions.
Speaker 1:And then, when you get a job offer, if you're asked what salary you're looking for, then you want to give a number rather than a range. So, for example, if you want £50,000, say £50,000, rather than £45,000 to £50,000,. You give hiring managers and recruiters a range they'll always offer at the lower end to try and save the business money. And now remember, the number that you are giving should be your ideal number. So this is the number that you would dance on the spot. You'd be ecstatic, you'd feel like all your Christmases had come at once if you were to be offered this salary. So to determine your ideal number, you need to work out what your settled number is first. So your settled number is the salary that you think is justified for the role, what you need to cover your living expenses, plus extra, obviously for days out savings, the odd holiday, and what you deserve to be based paid based upon your previous experience. Add 10% to your settled number then to calculate your ideal number and then, hopefully, you and the hiring manager are able to meet somewhere in the middle.
Speaker 1:Now you might need to justify your salary expectations. So I need you to refer back to your CV and the previous episodes we've recorded and the notes you made when preparing for an interview. Consider your previous work experience using the STAR technique. So remember the STAR technique stands for situation. What was the situation, the task you undertook to overcome the challenge, what you achieved achieved from you and the results. So make some notes here. Why are you special? What makes you unique? What experiences can you bring to the table that no other candidate can? By referring back to your key achievements, you can articulate this have you saved a previous employer time or money with a new initiative or automation? Did you win a large contract that brought in a lot of extra revenue? If you've been out of work for a while, what brilliant transferable skills have you learned on your break? Chances are you won't need to justify your expectations at all um, at all, and you might just get okay. If you do, then let the hiring manager know, calmly and confidently, what makes you such a great hire and what value you are going to be able to bring to them and their organization, and then that'll be. You know they're much more likely to give you a yes.
Speaker 1:Step four is leverage. So if you have other job offers on the table, let the hiring manager know. Believe me, they do not want to lose you to the competition. They could have been hiring, like I said, for your role for months. They may have a backup candidate if you turn the role down. But you are the candidate that they want above all else. They would not have offered you the role if you weren't. The thought of starting the entire process again fills them with dread recruitment. It's time consuming, it's labor intensive and it takes individuals away from their revenue earning day jobs. So let the hiring manager know as well if you're walking away from a bonus with the current employer. Letting them know the sacrifice that you are making to join them may encourage them to increase your job offer to compensate for a lost bonus, or perhaps offer you a sign-on bonus to sweeten the deal.
Speaker 1:Step five ask for full details of the job offer package. So maybe the salary isn't quite as much as you'd hope for, but the company may have great benefits. So some businesses offer big free lunches, which obviously adds up if you work out how much you would normally spend buying lunches. Others offer flexible hours and remote working, which would save you money on a commute. Some employee employers provide on-site gyms, excellent medical insurance you know which, if you're purchasing yourself, might be cost you hundreds of pounds a month or the chance to gain professional qualifications and obviously work out what each benefit is worth. It can be quite a lot. Remember, don't forget to find out what each benefit is worth. It can be quite a lot. Remember, don't forget to find out what the employer pension contribution is and what you need to contribute as an employer. A final salary pension is like gold dust. Remember if you are disappointed with the job offer, ask if the business can make up the shortfall with a sign-on bonus. An employer may be more willing to do this, as there isn't an annual cost associated with this.
Speaker 1:Step six take your time. Don't accept a job offer or start negotiating straight away. Ask for details of the whole package and take these away to think through. Hiring managers expect you to take a few days to review and discuss the offer with friends and families. So don't feel you have to accept the role straight away. It has to be right for you. Nobody, least of all you, wants to start a role and then leave shortly afterwards because you weren't happy with the package after all. Remember the easiest time to get an uplift on salary is before you start. Once you are in place, getting significant pay rises are much harder.
Speaker 1:Step seven timing. Timing is really key as well, so think about typical week. For most people, nobody likes Mondays. Therefore, you're more likely to get a negative response. If you ask for more money on a Monday, you can start negotiations towards the end of the week, where people have cleared their inboxes and are in a better mood because it's nearly the weekend. You're much more likely to get the yes that you want. People want to wrap things up by Friday to start your negotiations on a Wednesday or Thursday.
Speaker 1:Step eight remember that you are on the same team who likes negotiating. The hiring manager hates it as much as you do. Don't forget that. Remember they could be your future boss and someone you will be working with day in, day out. Have got to this point. You want to work for them. They want you to work for them. It's the same goal. No, neither of you wants to start the process again.
Speaker 1:Step nine know when to walk away. If you're unhappy with the salary offered and the employer is not budging, know when to quit. The worst thing you can do is keep dragging on the negotiations. This will leave a sour taste in everyone's mouth. Respectfully thank the hiring manager and the recruiter for their time. Walk away and look for other opportunities.
Speaker 1:Step 10. Final step Get everything in writing. Verbally, negotiating your salary is excellent, but it doesn't mean anything until the employer puts it in writing. Remember this is from my own personal experience Do not hand your notice in to your current employer until you have a contract in your hand Okay, because until that point they can legally withdraw their job offer. Remember, employers expect you to negotiate. If you don't, you're selling yourself short and potentially leaving money on the table. So, to summarise, remember that the employer chose you among all other applicants, which means that you have some leverage. Fear of negotiating should not discourage you from asking for a fair salary.
Speaker 1:Do your homework, research the market rate for your role to determine a realistic salary range. Use resources like a recruitment agency, salary guide and industry insights to inform your negotiations. Be specific with salary requests. So, when discussing salary, offer a precise figure rather than range. Start with your ideal number. Knowing negotiations may bring it closer to your minimal acceptable salary and justify your ask. So prepare to explain why you're worth the salary you're asking for. Highlight specific achievements for contributions that demonstrate your value to the company, and don't forget to consider the full package. So salary is just one part of the compensation that you've been offered. Evaluate the entire offer, including benefits where life balance options, and other perks that may contribute to a lower salary.
Speaker 1:Moving on to job moving on from job offers, we're going to be talking about how to get a pay rise now. Just to reiterate the best time to get a real significant uplift on salary is at a job offer before you've joined. I've seen people you know jump increase their salaries by 10 15 000 pounds per year, which is, you know, huge. And you know, often when you're in place at an organization you may be looking just to get an inflation based pay rise. So you know you could be looking at two, three, four percent, depending what the inflation is looking like that year.
Speaker 1:So, moving on from job offers, if you are in place and you know you're being underpaid, it is essential for you to have skills to ask for pay rises and get paid what you deserve. So remember that negotiating a pay rise can be daunting. So I really do sympathize with you, but it's an essential skill get my words out that can significantly benefit your career, financial, financial well-being, your security, your pension, your prospects. And you know, unfortunately a lot of employers base a new hire's job offer on their previous salary. So you want to be getting fairly decent pay rises so you are keeping in step with what the market is paying. You don't want to get in a cycle of where you're being underpaid, as it's one you may never get out of um.
Speaker 1:So whether you're looking to negotiate a raise with the current employer or a new job offer, there are obviously loads of different factors to remember. So first thing to think about is the market. So research the market. Before negotiating your pay, it's essential to research the current market rates for your position and industry. This will obviously help you manage your expectations and give you some leverage in negotiations. You can go to your boss and say I know I'm being underpaid. Use, obviously, salary comparison websites, industry reports and job postings to get a better understanding of what others in similar roles are earning.
Speaker 1:Highlight your values to highlight your achievements and contributions to the company. You know you need like a go you type journal, all the brilliant things you need to be keeping a record of as you do it throughout the year. So be specific about how your work has positively impacted the business, ideally through metrics, whether it's increased revenue, cost savings or improved processes, because then it'll be much harder for an employer to say no. You know all this data, this proof that you are able to present to them will enable an employer to really see your worth and why you deserve a raise. So timing is everything when it comes to a pay rise as well. So consider the company's current financial situation as well as any recent changes or challenges. So remember that negotiating a pay rise during a downturn or after a round of redundancies will probably not result in the raise you're looking for. Similarly, it will be easier to negotiate a raise after a particularly successful project or when a company your company is experiencing growth or record revenue.
Speaker 1:Practice your pitch. Don't forget your pitch. Um. Be clear and concise about your reasons for requesting a pay rise and why you think you deserve one. Be prepared to answer any questions or objections that may arise. Consider role playing with a friend or family member to help you build your confidence and refine your pitch. I mean, you can also obviously use AI as well. There's loads of different AI tools, but you could definitely practice your pitch with that as well.
Speaker 1:Be open to compromise. So negotiating a pay rise is a two-way conversation. It's vital to be open to compromise. A pay rise is a two-way conversation. It's vital to be open to compromise. If your employer cannot meet your salary expectations. Consider other forms of compensation, such as bonuses or commissions that only reward you if you deliver on certain agreed targets. So it's much less of a risk to your employer and it's a more of an incentive to you. Um might be able to offer you rather than money. They might be able to offer additional annual leave, flexible working hours or professional development opportunities, all of which are valuable follow-ups after your meeting.
Speaker 1:Follow up with your employer to confirm any agreed upon terms. So if negotiations have been unsuccessful, then you want to ask why and if any targets could be set that, if you were hit, would mean a pay rise, say in six months time. That way you know what you're working towards and it makes it a lot difficult more difficult for your employer to say no next time if you do deliver. And if you do deliver and hit those targets and you're turned down again and you know that this isn't the employer for you, you can obviously start looking then elsewhere. So negotiating a pay rise can be challenging, but it's an essential skill that we all need to learn that will significantly benefit your career and financial well-being, not just now but in the future.
Speaker 1:So, by researching the market, highlighting your value, timing your requests, practicing your pitch and being open to compromise, you can increase your chances of getting the pay rise you deserve. So, in summary, do your research, understand the market rates for your position within your industry? So you enter discussions with a realistic expectation and something then to strengthen your negotiating position what's your value proposition? So clearly articulate your contributions and achievements using specific examples and metrics Sorry, that's my door, just ignore that. So clearly articulate your contributions and achievements, using specific examples and metrics to demonstrate how you've positively impacted the company. Timing is key Choose the right moment to discuss a pay rise, considering the company's financial health and your recent performance, and practice your negotiation and pitch to confidently and succinct, successfully present your case for a pay increase and the value you have brought to your employer, preparing for any potential questions or pushbacks. Compromise. Be ready to negotiate alternative forms of compensation if needed, such as performance bonuses, extra leave or training opportunities, and it's all in the follow-ups to confirm any agreements in writing. Understand the reasons behind any refusal and, if appropriate, negotiate specific targets for future evaluation, which will help you know what you're working towards and secure a raise down the line. And that's it.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for listening to my series of solo episodes in celebration of my new book, flex, which aims to give you smart strategies to build a successful career around your life.
Speaker 1:There are loads of tidbits and tricks in Flex to help you get the career that you want in 2025 and beyond. We cover all of the things we've talked about in the solo episodes the CVs, interviews, job offers, linkedin, plus so much more. In more detail, flex is available now from all good bookstores. Do order a copy, let me know what you think and thank you so much once again for tuning in to this week's episode of the work it like a mum podcast. I could not do any of this without your support, so thank you. Thank you for listening to another episode of the work it like a mum podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and subscribe, and don't forget to share the link with a friend. If you're on LinkedIn, please send me a connection request at Elizabeth Willett and let me know your thoughts on this week's episode. You can also follow my recruitment site, investing in Women on LinkedIn, facebook and Instagram. Until next time, keep on chasing your biggest dreams.