5 exercises — practice the English phrases and strategies for salary negotiation: responding to "What are your salary expectations?", making counter-offers, negotiating non-salary benefits, and handling a firm offer.
Salary negotiation principles for IT professionals
Anchor in data, not need: "Based on market rates for Senior Go engineers in London, I'm targeting £85–90k" — not "I need more because…"
Give a range, not a single number: the bottom of your range should be your acceptable minimum
Counter-offer formula: warm acknowledgement → name the number → anchor in data + achievement → ask for flexibility
When salary is fixed: negotiate non-salary items one or two at a time (remote days, extra leave, signing bonus, training budget)
Never accept under pressure: "Could I have 24 hours to consider the full package?" is always appropriate
0 / 5 completed
1 / 5
The recruiter asks: "What are your salary expectations?" — early in the first screening call. Which response is most strategically effective?
Option C is the strongest for three reasons: ① It grounds the number in research and experience — not personal need ("I need X to cover my rent") or arbitrary desire, which signals market awareness and professionalism; ② It gives a range (£85–95k) rather than a single number, which preserves negotiation space without being evasive; ③ "Open to discussing the full compensation package" signals flexibility and invites a broader conversation (equity, bonus, remote, PTO). Why not B? "I'd rather hear your budget first" can work but risks sounding evasive or adversarial in a first call where the recruiter genuinely needs a ballpark to assess fit. In early-stage screening, being transparent about your range is usually more effective. Why not A? A single number anchors too low — if the budget was £95k, you left £5k on the table. Salary negotiation phrase bank:"Based on my research into market rates and my [X] years of experience with [technology], I'm targeting…" · "I'm looking for something in the range of…" · "I'm open to discussing the full compensation package" · "Could you share the budgeted range for this role?"
2 / 5
You receive a written offer: base salary of £78,000. Based on your market research, you were targeting £85,000. Which counter-offer email is most professionally effective?
Option B follows the four-step counter-offer formula that consistently gets the best outcome: ① Warm acknowledgement — thank them and reaffirm enthusiasm. This is not sycophancy; it reassures them that their offer is not being rejected, only negotiated. ② Name the specific number — "£85,000" is more credible than "more money." Vague requests ("can you do better?") signal that you haven't done research. ③ Anchor in market data + a specific achievement — "based on market rate for senior Go/Kubernetes engineers" + concrete value you've delivered. This frames the number as fair rather than greedy. ④ Invite flexibility without ultimatum — "Is there flexibility to move closer to that figure?" is collaborative, not confrontational. Option A is too aggressive — ultimatums early in negotiation damage the relationship before it starts. Options C and D are vague and unprofessional. Counter-offer structure: Acknowledge warmly → State the number → Anchor it in data → Ask for flexibility.
3 / 5
The employer says salary is firm at £78,000. You'd like to negotiate other aspects of the package. Which message best opens that conversation?
Option A succeeds because it negotiates one or two specific non-salary items rather than listing everything at once. This is the bundling vs. sequencing principle in negotiation: asking for five things simultaneously signals desperation and dilutes each request. Choosing one or two high-priority items and framing them as reasonable asks ("would it be possible to revisit those?") is far more likely to result in a concession. Negotiable non-salary items in IT roles: Remote work days (1–5 per week), Annual leave beyond the standard (25 → 28 days), Signing bonus (lump sum, one-time), Annual bonus target (% of base), Share options / equity (especially at startups), Learning & development budget (conferences, training, certifications), Home office stipend, Start date flexibility. How to frame it: "I completely understand that base salary is fixed. If there is any flexibility on [item A] and [item B], that would go a long way toward bridging the gap." Option B lists too many items — counter-productive. Option D accepts without negotiating — leaves value uncaptured. Option C is unprofessional.
4 / 5
The hiring manager says: "I appreciate your position, but this truly is our best offer — we don't have headroom to go higher." How should you respond?
Option B is the most professionally intelligent response. Here's why: ① It doesn't burn the relationship — accepting or rejecting immediately under pressure leads to poor decisions in both directions. ② It requests a specific, limited time window (24 hours) — not "a few days" or "some time." This signals decisiveness while buying you time to think clearly. ③ It communicates seriousness — "before giving you a definitive answer" tells them you are treating this professionally, not stringing them along. What to do during those 24 hours: Evaluate the total compensation (base + bonus + equity + benefits + growth), Consider the role's non-financial value (learning, team, product), If you have competing offers, this is the right time to disclose them professionally ("I have a competing offer I'm considering — would it be possible to check whether there is any flexibility?"). Phrases for gracefully buying time:"Could I have until [specific date] to consider the full package?" · "I want to give this the careful consideration it deserves — would 24 hours be acceptable?" · "I'm very close to a decision and just want to review one more time."
5 / 5
Which of these salary negotiation phrases is most effective for anchoring your request in professional data rather than personal need?
Option C uses the gold-standard salary anchoring technique: ① Named data sources (Levels.fyi, LinkedIn Salary) — these are credible, verifiable, industry-standard references. Compare to "I heard the market rate is…" which has no credibility anchor. ② Specific segmentation (Senior iOS Engineer, 5 years, fintech) — market data is only meaningful if it's segmented to the right role, level, location, and industry. Generic "developer salaries" are not useful. ③ Percentile framing (60th percentile) — this is more precise and less confrontational than "I should be paid more." It positions you as a market-aware professional, not someone making an emotional demand. ④ Tied to demonstrated value (30% reduction in onboarding drop-off) — every salary discussion is ultimately about ROI. Connecting your number to a business outcome you delivered is the strongest justification. Salary research sources for IT roles: Levels.fyi (Tech, especially US/UK), LinkedIn Salary, Glassdoor, Payscale, StackOverflow Developer Survey, local tech guild salary surveys. Option A uses personal financial need — never an effective negotiation anchor. Option B is vague and emotionally-framed. Option D anchors to past salary — somewhat useful but less powerful than market data.