Negotiating

• SALARY EXPECTATIONS QUESTIONS - HOW SHOULD YOU ANSWER THEM?
• Salary negotiation strategies everyone in tech already knows — but you don’t
• Ten Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer
• Salary Negotiation: Make More Money, Be More Valued

Level

The biggest lever that controls compensation is level. Each level has a salary range and they overlap: if level 4 is $125k-$155k, level 5 might be $145k-$160k. There are separate bands for base and equity.

However, a higher level isn’t just a free higher salary: it comes with higher job expectations. It’s better to be on the high end of lower level band. You should target a level you’re confident you can be promoted within 1 year and target the higher end of the band.

Tell the right story to avoid being downlevelled. But don’t try to be moved to a level where you are not capable of performing at, as that is bad for everyone involved.

When getting an offer, ask the following:

• What level is the job offer? What are the requirements for this level vs. the level above it?
• What is the salary band for this level? This is 100% completely reasonable thing to ask.
• How much is the equity worth currently? You can also ask: what percentage of the company does the equity represent? What is the valuation of the company?
• What is the vesting schedule? Is there a 1 year cliff? Are there quarterly vesting deadlines I should know about? Confirm whether the equity was quoted to you on a yearly basis or over 4 years.

Start negotiating once you’re convinced the level is right. Target a total compensation number that’s in the upper half of the band for your level.

The most reliable way to get more money is through competing offers. Consider interviewing with your 2nd or 3rd tier choices or getting a counter-offer from your current employer.

If you can’t get what you want, offer to shift between compensation components but don’t back down on total compensation. In order of difficulty: base salary, equity, signing bonus. Offer to shift some base to equity first and as a last measure, ask for a larger signing bonus.

Options

• Equity 101 for Software Engineers at Big Tech and Startups

Mental Model

Don’t hesitate to negotiate for e.g, $x000 more. That money is a tiny chunk of the hiring budget unless you’re in a small startup. That money also comes out from the hiring budget, not by whoever you’re talking to.

Answering Expected Salary Questions

1. “I’m not comfortable sharing my current salary. I would prefer to focus on the value I can add to this company and not what I’m paid at my current job. I don’t have a specific number in mind for a desired salary, and you know better than I do what value my skillset and experience could bring to your company. I want this move to be a big step forward for me in terms of both responsibility and compensation.”
2. If they need this information to not waste each other’s time: “It sounds like you’re trying to qualify me for a salary range. If you want to tell me what that range is, I’m happy to tell you if it’s in the ballpark.”
3. If they keep pushing: “I’m not comfortable sharing my current employer’s proprietary compensation information, and I know they wouldn’t appreciate it if I did. I still work for them, and I’m just not comfortable sharing their proprietary information about how they pay people like me. I look forward to hearing what you suggest.”