How To Navigate Job Offer Negotiation With Recruiters

🎖️𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐖𝐢𝐧-𝐖𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧⁣⁣⁣🏆😎🚀 ⁣ As the founder of Raya Advisory, an executive and leadership recruiting firm, I’ve helped negotiate dozens of executive & leadership job offers! Over the past few weeks alone, we’ve placed multiple top executives and leaders into high-profile AI companies, including public ones. 🔥🔥 As an executive recruiting firm, we sit at the intersection of candidates and companies. I coach talents through offers and act as a trusted partner to our clients (AI, SaaS Enterprise, health tech companies), helping them structure offers that work for both sides. In my view, the most fundamental criterion for a successful negotiation is to “𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀 𝐖𝐢𝐧-𝐖𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧”! Here are 5 key factors to apply for a successful negotiation: 🔹 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲’𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬. See the world from the other party’s lens, understand their abilities & limitations, and know what to negotiate to close the deal. Creating a win-win situation is key in any negotiation so everyone walks away satisfied and excited about what’s ahead. 🔹 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦. Every negotiation is a chance to build trust and alignment; it’s an opportunity to make a long-lasting relationship and unlock future possibilities, not just extract value. This is particularly true about job offer negotiation. You want to start your new job on the right foot. 🔹 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞. Stock, bonuses, benefits, and growth trajectory can significantly shift the equation. Understand the full picture before deciding. Also, think about upside potential with the company’s stock options or RSUs. Stock appreciation for public companies and IPO or M&A exist are what form the biggest part of the compensation of those who have a big earn-out. 🔹 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞—𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞. Benchmarking matters. But also consider what you specifically bring to this role—your track record, strategic edge, and timing. That’s what justifies a premium. 🔹 𝐁𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬. If equity, scope, title, flexibility, or location matter more to you than base -- say it. Negotiate multiple factors if you are more open to different types of compensation packages. The best offers come from clear, honest priorities. To all the execs and rising leaders out there: if you’re navigating offers right now, I’m happy to share more insights or talk through scenarios. Let’s get you the right role, the right way.🍀 #ExecutiveSearch #NegotiationTips #AILeadership #HiringExecutives #JobSearchAdvice #LeadershipHiring #CompensationStrategy

Here’s the framework I used to help my client negotiate a 17% salary increase BEFORE they received an offer ↓ I call this the RAVE approach. Here’s how it works: R - Research 1. Conduct thorough research BEFORE the process starts - set goals - determine your priorities - determine your ‘walk-away’ number 2. Use sites like Fishbowl, Blind, Glassdoor to understand recent compensation packages. 3. Check sites like Payscale, and Levels[.]fyi to check general salary ranges. 4. Look at similar job descriptions in states like WA, and NY to see base salary ranges. Know your numbers before you say numbers. If you don’t know them, don’t provide them. Simply ask for more time and respond later. A - Articulate 1. Present your case clearly and persuasively. 2. Use logic, data, and evidence to support your position. 3. Address potential counter arguments proactively. ***Defer the negotiation to after the interview if possible. If you’re forced to provide an expectation, keep your answer minimally sufficient. V - Value *Your best negotiation tool is your interview. 1. Deliver clear examples of how you have created value for past customers and employers. 2. Connect your skills and experiences to return on investment (ROI) opportunities. 3. Leverage targeted pitch decks to explain how you would deliver results for the business. E - Explore 1. Consider all aspects of the offer once in hand. 2. Understand what components of the offer are negotiable, and prioritize them according to where you want to focus. 3. Common components often include: - Base salary - Sign on bonus - Equity, or restricted stock units - PTO - Work from home, or flexible location days 4. Establish common ground on areas of agreement when you counter. And remember; be reasonable and transparent. Hiring teams want you to be happy with your offer. Let them know if you’re not. - - - What would you add to this framework? Let me know in the comments.

One of my clients recently negotiated a $40K increase in a job offer - landing a $325K package as a Lead Product Manager at Yelp. And no, this didn’t happen by chance. It happened because we walked in with a clear negotiation strategy built for senior-level roles. When R first joined The Fearless Hire, she already had the skills. She was sharp, capable, and had done the work. But like so many high-performers I work with, she wasn’t playing at the level her experience deserved. - She wasn’t sure how to position her value. - She had no plan for navigating offers or negotiations. - And like many, she was afraid of asking for too much and getting screened out. What she brought was her experience. What I gave her was strategy. Here’s exactly how we made it happen: 1. Benchmarked the offer using real market data We didn’t rely on “gut feel” or what Glassdoor said. We used Levels(dot)fyi to pull comps for similar roles, locations, and industries. That data helped us anchor the conversation: → To justify the higher ask → To make sure the total comp didn’t drop when the sign-on expired → And to signal: “We’ve done our homework.” 2. Matched the equity she was walking away from This part gets overlooked way too often. She was leaving significant unvested equity behind. And we made that clear. We framed it as a business reality, not an emotional ask: “To make this move sustainable, we need to account for the RSUs I’m forfeiting.” That changed the tone of the conversation completely. 3. Offered structured options, not ultimatums Instead of making a single counter, we built two compensation scenarios: → One with a higher base → One with higher equity This gave the hiring team flexibility to say yes, while keeping our floor intact. We used MBA-level negotiation frameworks to create optionality, not pressure. Result: A $40K increase and a $325K total offer. - She didn’t strong-arm anyone. - She didn’t beg for more. - She walked in with clarity, confidence, and a strategy that made the ask feel obvious. This is exactly the kind of high-leverage negotiation strategy I’ll be teaching in my upcoming masterclass: Recession Proof Your Career. Date: July 11 Time: 12:00 PM CT You can learn how to land (and negotiate) your next $200K–$500K offer - even in a tough market. If you’ve ever hesitated to ask for more - or didn’t know how - this is the training you’ve been waiting for. Link to register is in the comments or DM me CAREER for the link.