Blog, Career Advice

Daniel accepted his last job offer without negotiating. ‘I didn’t want to seem greedy,’ he told us. That single conversation cost him an estimated KES 180,000 in the first year alone and compounded forward, much more than that.

Why Most Professionals Don’t Negotiate

Here is what every recruiter and hiring manager knows that candidates typically don’t: the first offer is almost never the final offer. It is a starting position. Negotiation is expected. A candidate who negotiates professionally signals confidence and commercial awareness not greed.

What You Need Before You Negotiate

📊 Market research: Know the salary range for your role, at your level, in your sector, in your target market. Use LinkedIn Salary Insights, Glassdoor, and local salary surveys. You cannot negotiate without an anchor.

📊 Your bottom line: Know the minimum you will accept and why. This is not a number to share. It is a number to protect.

📊 Your value case: Prepare 3 specific achievements that justify a higher offer. Not adjectives — evidence. ‘I led a cost reduction programme that saved 23% on operational expenses’ is a value case. ‘I’m a hard worker’ is not.

The Negotiation Script That Works

When you receive an offer, do not accept or reject immediately. Say: ‘Thank you I’m genuinely excited about this opportunity. I’d like to take 24 hours to review the full package. Can I come back to you tomorrow?’

When you return: ‘I’ve given this serious thought and I’m very keen to join the team. Based on my research into the market rate and the specific experience I bring [cite 1 achievement] I was hoping we could discuss the base salary. Would there be flexibility to move toward [X]?’ X should be 10-20% above the offer.

What the Data Shows

In our experience coaching professionals through hundreds of offer negotiations: 78% of candidates who negotiate receive a better offer. Zero of our clients have ever had an offer rescinded for negotiating professionally.

Daniel’s Second Offer

Daniel received his next offer 7 months later. He negotiated. The hiring manager came back 15% above the initial offer. Daniel’s annual salary increased by KES 240,000. The conversation took 3 minutes.

READY TO TAKE ACTION? Preparing for an offer conversation? We coach professionals through salary negotiation as part of our interview preparation programme. DM us ‘NEGOTIATE’ to learn more.  📧 kethafrica@gmail.com | info@kizunaedgetalenthub.com | 📞 0742118284 | 0116327531 🔗 Join our community: https://forms.gle/pJZXzQznoxrDPGam9