As MBA student Lisa Malachowski negotiated her salary for a job set to begin this summer, a thought familiar to many young workers crossed her mind: 鈥淢aybe they鈥檒l withdraw the offer.鈥�

Malachowski, a soon-to-be-graduate of Concordia University鈥檚 John Molson School of Business (JMSB), had been offered a full-time position at the same tech company where she鈥檇 completed an internship last summer.

The 36-year-old also had 10 years of professional management experience, but said she wasn鈥檛 sure how valued those skills would be in her new career path.

鈥淥ne of the hardest things is the knee-jerk reaction of, 鈥業f I ask for too much, I look ridiculous,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not ever an easy conversation to have. But I think one of the things that made it easier 鈥� is that I did so much market research beforehand that I was really confident about the range I was asking for. I didn鈥檛 feel like I was asking for anything unreasonable.鈥�

While salary negotiations are a normal part of the hiring process, experts say it鈥檚 a stone often left unturned by young candidates unsure of how to ask for more money from an employer. That same sense of intimidation is often also felt among young employees hesitant to ask for their first raise.

鈥淭he biggest mistake is not doing it,鈥� said JMSB graduate career adviser Bob Menard.

Menard, who leads workshops on how to negotiate salary and advises students on an individual basis, said most indicate they have never negotiated a job offer.

He said a common sentiment he hears is that it doesn鈥檛 seem appropriate with a first job.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always appropriate,鈥� Menard said. 鈥淚 try to really stress with them if an employer is giving you an offer, it鈥檚 not just like you鈥檙e pulled out of a hat. They鈥檝e gone through a process to select you, so they have as much in it to lose if you walk away, or if they can鈥檛 meet your counter-offer.鈥�

Menard added most employers build in 鈥渟ome wiggle room鈥� to an offer 鈥� often around seven to 10 per cent in extra value 鈥� that they are willing to add if requested by a strong candidate. He suggested keeping a maximum counter-offer within that range.

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 try to access it, well, you鈥檝e left that on the table and long-term that could actually mean quite a bit of lost earnings for the person,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 OK to be nervous, but the employer has a lot invested in this, especially in today鈥檚 market.鈥�

Research published by Robert Half, a human resources consulting firm, in its 2023 Salary Guide suggests Canadians are increasingly overcoming the awkwardness of asking for more money.

Its poll of more than 500 Canadians last August found 47 per cent of respondents were more likely to request a higher starting salary compared to a year earlier. Fifty-seven per cent felt they, rather than employers, were in the driver鈥檚 seat in negotiating pay, perks and benefits.

Presenting a well-researched range in salary expectation, rather than a single target, can make the negotiation process smoother, according to Georgia Harper, president of Vancouver-based recruitment firm The Headhunters.

鈥淚 always suggest to people that everybody has a bad day at work,鈥� she said. 鈥淣o matter how excited you are, make sure that you鈥檙e going to be comfortable with that compensation on a bad day. I think it鈥檚 also really important that number doesn鈥檛 change during the conversation.鈥�

For those already employed, preparation is also key when knocking on a boss鈥檚 door to talk numbers, added Harper.

The Robert Half poll found 34 per cent of respondents planned to ask for a raise from their employer if they didn鈥檛 get one 鈥� or the amount was lower than expected 鈥� by the end of 2022.

More than two in five respondents 鈥嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�媠aid they were taking on responsibilities outside their job description to better position themselves for a raise, while north of a quarter said they research salaries and share discrepancies with their manager.

Before having that conversation, Harper said she urges employees to research the market rate for their role and be ready to discuss how they鈥檝e grown in their responsibilities to justify a higher salary.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e looking for a raise, and you know that the market is paying higher, sharing that information is really valuable,鈥� said Harper, cautioning the research should not necessarily focus on individual postings.

鈥淟et鈥檚 say your job is the administrator; one company鈥檚 administrator does a different thing than another company鈥檚 administrators. You don鈥檛 want to [say], 鈥業 saw a job for an administrator that paid way more.鈥� You鈥檝e got to be a little bit careful that the work is aligned.鈥�

Malachowski, whose counter-offer was accepted, said her advice for other young professionals itching for a higher salary than offered is 鈥渄on鈥檛 be afraid to ask for it.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 about making that kind of human connection with a place that you actually want to work too,鈥� she said.

鈥淚f they鈥檙e the type of company that would pull the offer just because they feel you don鈥檛 provide that amount of value, that鈥檚 probably not a place that you actually want to work for.鈥�

鈥擲ammy Hudes, The Canadian Press