When You Get What You Ask For – But Still Need More

Have you ever asked for something and been told yes, only to realize you didn’t ask for enough? This was the position Kim found herself in during negotiations with a new company. She provided a $20k-range and they offered her compensation at the halfway mark. 

But there was one problem: they’d over-shot on how stellar the benefits were. While the salary was enough to entice her to leave her position, the cost she’d be paying for healthcare was not enough to cover the difference. 

“I was offered a salary that was exactly in my range, so it felt odd asking for more,” Kim explained. “However, since my initial call with the recruiter, I had been very clear that this was not just about money. Where I had amazing benefits, including affordable healthcare and 401k matching. A few times, the recruiter tried to pin me down more specifically about the salary range, but I continued to reiterate that it would never be just about money.”

Kim said her number one tactic throughout the process was to lay the foundation for what mattered to her. In addition to affordable healthcare, she was looking for an enhanced title, flexibility, more paid time off and autonomy over her schedule. 

“By reiterating, again and again, that it was not just about money, I put myself in a position to ask for more – even when the number came back in my range. I’m so glad I spoke up early on. It gave me the confidence to continue to ask for more,” Kim said.

Ultimately, she negotiated a boost in pay to cover purchasing better health benefits and the difference in 401k matching. She also negotiated a better job description and title. 

“One thing I learned from Kathryn was to ‘go until you hear a no.’ She taught me that if you have not heard a no yet, you have not asked for enough. It can be intimidating, but I’m so glad I spoke up for what mattered to me.”