by Optimum
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New financial year, new budgets, and if you’re like most of the professionals I speak with, a salary review sitting somewhere on the calendar in the next few weeks. After 25+ years in recruitment, I’ve sat on both sides of this conversation more times than I can count. Here’s what actually moves the needle.
If you’re negotiating at your current review:
Bring evidence, not vibes. “I feel like I deserve more” doesn’t land with a manager who has to justify a number upstairs. “I delivered X, saved the business Y, took on Z responsibility since my last review” does. Keep a running list all year, not just the week before your review.
Know the market rate before you walk in. Speak to me!! (yes, even if you’re not looking), check recent job ads for your role, or ask your network. A number backed by market data is much harder to argue against than a number backed by hope.
Separate the raise conversation from the promotion conversation. They’re related but not the same thing. If you want both, say so clearly, don’t let one get lost inside the other.
Ask, don’t demand. “Based on what I’ve delivered this year and where the market sits, I’d like us to discuss moving my salary to X” opens a conversation, rather than an ultimatum which closes one.
If the answer is no, ask what would need to change. A clear “here’s what gets you there next time” is more valuable than a maybe.
If you’re applying for a new role directly (no recruiter in the mix)
When a recruitment consultant is involved, I will handle this part for you. That’s genuinely one of the most underrated parts of the job, we negotiate so you don’t have to have an awkward money conversation with the person who might become your new manager. Applying direct means that job falls to you. So I suggest the following:
Don’t name a number too early. If asked for salary expectations before an offer, give a realistic range based on market research, not a fixed figure. You want room to move once they’ve decided they want you.
Let them make the first offer where possible. Whoever names a number first usually ends up anchoring the negotiation around it. “What’s the budget for this role?” is a perfectly reasonable question to ask.
Negotiate after the offer, not during the interview. Once they’ve said yes to you as a person, you have leverage. Before that, you’re still auditioning.
Think beyond base salary. Start date, flexibility, leave loading, WFH arrangements, a training budget, or an early review clause can all be part of the conversation if the base number has limited movement.
Get it in writing before you resign your current role. A verbal agreement is not an offer. Please, please, please, do not resign from your role until you get something in writing.
So the bottom line is whether it’s a review or a new offer, the businesses doing this well right now are the ones who’ve already worked out their numbers for the new financial year. That means there’s genuinely more room to negotiate than there might have been six months ago. Go in prepared, go in with evidence, and don’t be afraid to ask the question.
If you’d like a second opinion on where your role sits in today’s market before your review, feel free to reach out, that’s a conversation I have with candidates and clients every day of the week.
Alicia Sumich, Group Manager, Business Development
0407863652
alicias@ogroup.com.au
