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How To Negotiate A Higher Nursing Or Allied Health Salary

The search for new nursing and allied health jobs can be exhausting. There is number of things you need to prepare for and stages to go through before accepting a new role. Things like preparing a well written & informative resume and tailored cover letter. Then you need to impress through multiple stages of the interview process. After all this, there comes a stage that can often make applicants feel awkward and uneasy. This is of course the ‘salary negotiation stage’.

A lot of nurses and allied health professionals do not prepare themselves adequately for this stage. They are so focused on trying to impress their potential new employer, they can forget their value and the experience and skill set they have on offer.

Continuing reading to find the top tips negotiate your pay package!

Be prepared for the ‘Salary Expectation’ question

There comes a stage in the interview process where the interviewer asks the question around what your salary expectations are. The question can take different forms, so be prepared for it. If you’re ready and expectant of the question, then you’re less likely to answer withing something you might later regret. Remember: Negotiation is a part of life. Every day you’re negotiating with people in some way or another. So, take the awkwardness out of the equation, know your worth and discuss openly about what you propose is a fair and accurate salary for someone of your skillset and experience.

Research, Research, Research

Allied health professionals and nurses should conduct research on the job opportunity and before accepting an interview, carry out their due diligence about the current healthcare salary trends. There are many types and specialties within Allied health and nursing profession so salary can range a lot. So be specific in your research. Search for salaries in the exact location of job. If you have additional certifications then research into the effect that has, if any, on salaries. Try to speak to other nurses or allied health professionals that are already working at the facility. Many will probably not be comfortable stating their salary so ask them for a range or if they think that their employer pays them fairly.

You can review salary information on websites like Glassdoor or Payscale that provide not only information on salaries but information on other benefits on offer and reviews on the company. One final note is to consider that locations have different costs of living, so make sure to know how much you need to earn to make ends meet!

Be ready to counteroffer

It is customary not to ask about the salary until it is offered in the interview. Most job adverts display a salary range so by asking this, it can show the interviewer that you haven’t researched into the job opportunity. In any case, wait for the offer to be on the table, and, if you think that you deserve more, it is very important to explain why by highlighting your skills, strengths, previous experiences, specialties, etc.

This is probably the most important stage of any negotiation. You can’t simply ask for more without some explanation why. However, be careful not to ‘over justify’. This is a mistake that many people run into when negotiating and it can come across to the interviewer that you don’t truly believe your worth. Simply state the reasons, in a clear and precise way and then wait for their response. Remember practice makes perfect so be sure to role play with some friends!

If after this negotiation you are still not sure if the offer is a good fit for you, politely ask for some time to think.

Consider other aspects of the offer

It’s important to consider the value of other benefits that might be offered within the job opportunity. These include paid time off, customized shift schedules, continuing education support, bonuses, retirement plans, accrued sick leave, medical, dental and vision insurance, the type of organization – it’s reputation, the experience of your direct line manager, among many other benefits.

We hope this helps – For more help and information on how to succeed at your next interview, feel free to reach out to us at info@amxhealthcare.com. Our specialist direct-hire team will be happy to help!

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