Knowing Who You're Talking To
Before you talk numbers, it can be helpful to map the players at the table. The hiring manager, recruiter, and finance team each control different levers and are driven by different motivations. Understanding each actor's position will help ensure that sensitive conversations stay on target with minimal risk.
Hiring Manager
Motivation : To secure high quality talent for their open headcount
Assuming that news has been delivered that you are moving to offer, this means the hiring manager has championed your candidacy and pushed for your hire. It is relatively safe to assume that the manager is in your corner. Having said that, it is still important to reassure this decision in any subsequent conversations.
Goal :Continue to reinforce your excitement in the team and position. The more certain the hiring manager feels about you, the more they will be willing to exercise any influence they have with finance.
Feel Free to Ask : Questions about roles and responsibilities, scope and influence, or even current and future roadmap. Keep it specific to day-to-day and career focus.
Refrain from having any kind of compensation or financial conversations with the hiring manager. There is high potential for souring a relationship when money is discussed. Use the recruiter as a buffer to manage risk here. It is advisable to save conversations about start date and pre-scheduled time off for the recruiter as well.
Recruiter
Motivation : To get you (the candidate) green lit for hire with a signed offer
Once the recruiter has received news that your candidacy has been green lit to hire, it is the recruiter's job to get you to accept an offer and join the company. They have KPIs attached to the number of closed candidates in a given quarter, half, or year; they are also judged on their offer-to-close ratio. This means both you and the recruiter are looking to reach an accepted offer. This alignment makes the recruiter the safest actor to confide in.
Goal : Give the recruiter all the information they need to secure the best possible offer. This includes sharing necessary information on compensation history, start date preferences, pre-scheduled time off, visa requirements, etc. The recruiter is able to exercise discretion to make sure only reasonable asks reach finance or the hiring manager. With interests aligned, the recruiting layer serves as a buffer to protect the candidate.
Feel Free to Ask : About salary bands relating to level and job family, the strength of your candidate packet (i.e. did you pass with flying colors or just skirt by), what an ideal start date looks like, etc. Again, the recruiter is highly motivated to get you the best possible offer so you will sign. Don't be afraid to pick their brain on anything that comes to mind.
Don't change your story with the recruiter. If a recruiter senses you are playing games or being untruthful, they will not be able to advocate for you to the best of their ability. It is critical to stay consistent with your needs.
Finance Team
Motivation : To maintain compensation parity with the existing employee population, as well as the general labor market
The Compensation Analysis Team is forced to play the bad guy or gatekeeper in this scenario. There is an assumption on their end (reinforced to some extent by history) that both the candidate and recruiter will ask for more and more money. Finance will stay out of the emotional side of the deal and thus will always fall back on market data and established pay bands.
Goal : Understand the types of data that motivate finance, and use that information in your conversation with the recruiter. These are markers like current compensation, competitive offers, equity or bonuses left behind. Don't worry there are other ways to elevate offer figures if these exact data points are unavailable or unhelpful.
Don't ignore the words "best and final". When finance says this to a recruiter, it is almost always the case. Pushing beyond this line can jeopardize an offer.