Getting the best salary and benefits can be the trickiest moment in a job interview — after all, no one wants to spoil a good opportunity by raising the issue of pay at the wrong time. But there are ways to get an edge in the negotiations. Recruitment consultant Artyom Denisyuk advises how.

One of the most important issues to be addressed during an interview with a potential employer comes about when it’s time negotiate your future working conditions, including salary.

I have often heard from colleagues and job seekers that the most important thing is to produce a favorable impression on your potential employer, but at the same time, a frequently asked question is how to start talking salary and negotiate the best working conditions possible.

I would advise you to get all the information you can about the salary range in the relevant profession before you set off for the interview. Get information from other agencies, friends and colleagues. Also, you can view ads for similar vacancies — sometimes they show salaries. Your expectations should be your principal guideline.

I would advise deciding on three numbers for your salary talks: the minimum acceptable, the optimal, and the maximum (optimal plus 10 percent). If during the interview you get a feeling that you are dealing with a strong negotiator, you had better begin from the maximum with the aim of agreeing on the optimum.

Should a job seeker bring up the salary issue? Of course, the answer is "yes" if you are at the stage of preliminary discussion — the stage of telephone conversations with an agency.

Otherwise, you might find yourself in a situation in which you will be offered a position with a salary far below your expectations, which would mean you had wasted your time. At the same time, I would not recommend for a job seeker to bring up the salary issue during an interview, either in an agency or with a potential employer. As a rule, if they are interested in you they will raise the issue themselves.

I would like to forewarn those who think that it is possible to renegotiate the salary after beating the other candidates to the post. You should not, for example, deliberately declare a lower salary figure at the interview in order to get the job.

I have not witnessed a single case where an employer reacted positively to an applicant’s changing his salary expectations after negotiations have been concluded. Even if you manage to persuade your new boss into a concession, you will be starting your job from a disadvantageous position. In many cases, it may cause your candidacy to be rejected outright.

All this does not mean that one should be scared, make every possible concession to the potential employer and immediately agree on the conditions offered. I have often seen how ready employers are for compromise. For example, if an applicant for the position of sales manager immediately accepts what he is offered it means that he is a bad sales manager. Therefore, bargaining is quite appropriate and sometimes, like in the sales-manager case, may even strengthen one’s position.

Now comes the happy moment when your merits have been given their due and you have been invited to take the job. Does it really matter in which form your job invitation has arrived? Perhaps the result is what really matters. Is it enough to get a verbal invitation or should one demand a written confirmation of intent from the employer?

As things stand today, many companies have adopted an employment procedure whereby candidates are given written job offers. As a rule, these are signed by the company’s CEO or HR manager and specify the position and remuneration package details.

But potential employees should understand that, although a job offer made in writing is a confirmation of intent on the part of the employer, it does not have the force of a contract regulating labor relations between employer and employee.

A contract is the only document that can be used as a basis for regulating labor disputes. A labor contract usually deals with such important issues as sick-leave payment, the duration of paid vacations, and the possibility of getting additional perks and privileges.

Unfortunately, in many cases salaries are paid in cash and not shown in the company’s official records (labor contracts and official records show "official" salaries that are often 10 times lower than the "actual" ones). The legal aspect of this problem is beyond the scope of this article, but it is a reality of our present-day market and is present in almost all companies except government structures and multinational companies.

What is peculiar about this kind of labor relationship? The fact is that in this case your employer’s obligations to you are limited to what is written in your labor contract. In other words, in accepting this form of contract you become a hostage to a situation where you are 100 percent dependent on your employer and his whims. He has every right to pay your sick leave, vacation benefits, and so on, based on the "official" salary specified in your contract.