Should I let a recruiter negotiate my salary?

”The more you get paid, the more I get paid, so I am incented to help you get the highest possible package.”

I have had the good fortune of facilitating the hire of many outstanding candidates. Almost any recruiter will tell you that we love extending offers and helping companies negotiate salaries. As a hiring manager or as a candidate, you may be able to get a lot of value from your recruiter throughout the search process. During a negotiation, however, you have an opportunity to make a hire, or secure a new position on better terms by using a recruiter.

Many professionals, who regularly negotiate complex business deals, become shy when it comes to settling on a good compensation package. Even if you are confident in your ability, what can you get out of using a recruiter to help you?

As you probably know, recruiters generally base their fee on a percentage of a candidate’s first year income. When asked about this personal interest, most recruiters will offer you some form of the statement, “My fee is based on your compensation. We are in this together!”

This is absolutely true, and you can use this fact to your benefit.

Using a recruiter allows you to get the best possible deal, while avoiding the need to confront your new potential employer or employee. You can be much more demanding with a recruiter, and if they are good at their job, they will be able to help you without create unnecessary tension. The recruiter will help you test the limits and better understand whether you are getting the best possible deal.

What a recruiter will probably not tell you is, “I am most interested in getting this deal to happen regardless of compensation package.”

Ultimately, recruiters get paid to make placements. They may create a lot more value than that simple transaction, and retained search professionals may receive their fee whether or not they fill a position. Nevertheless, a recruiter loses money or jeopardizes their reputation every time an offer fails to produce a hire.

Once you recognize the recruiter’s is more interested in placing you than in increasing your income, does that mean you should just deal with the company directly? Absolutely not! In fact, you can use this self-interest to your advantage and get a lot more out of the negotiation than you could if you went directly to your new potential employer.

Contact Jason Sanders