In the high-stakes game of securing a new role, timing is everything especially when it comes to compensation. Too many highly qualified candidates make a critical error: they leave the salary discussion until the very last stage.
Here’s a three-point salary negotiation strategy to ensure your FM salary expectations are met without wasting time or risking disappointment, with a focus on the competitive U.S. Facilities Management (FM) market.
1. Get Aligned Early: Don’t Wait for the Offer
The biggest mistake is waiting for the formal offer to drop your compensation number. Why? Companies have strict budgetary bands, especially when hiring in facilities management . If you go through three or four intensive interview rounds only to discover a huge gap in expectations, the process becomes lose-lose.
The FM Market Reality:
FM roles often vary significantly based on the size of the facility (square footage), the industry (e.g., tech vs. manufacturing vs. healthcare), and the geographical location (e.g., NYC vs. Dallas). This variance makes a preliminary alignment even more critical.
Bring up expectations during the initial recruiter or screening call. Ask about the company’s budgeted range for the role. This acts as a critical “sanity check” to ensure you are both in the same ballpark before you invest valuable time in the rest of the interview process.
Prevent disappointment. Getting this out of the way early saves everyone time and frustration if the company has zero flexibility.
2. Understand the Buffer: Know the Budgetary Window
It’s an open secret in recruiting most businesses operate with a limited negotiation buffer. While every company is different, a common reality is that a hiring manager might have only 10% (or less) budget flexibility beyond the initial proposed salary for the role.
If your expectation is 20% higher than their max band, a final-stage negotiation simply won’t close the gap.
The Key Takeaway:
- Aim for alignment. If their stated range is close to your target, you know there is likely room to negotiate your final number up when the time comes.
Don’t over-rely on negotiation alone. Use the early conversation to ensure your baseline target is achievable within their general band.
3. Benchmark Your Value
Look for Industry Averages. Use reputable salary tools to identify the typical compensation for an FM role with the specific square footage, team size, and industry of your target company.
Benchmark Your Salary. Your research provides the factual basis to support your number. When you confidently state, “Based on market averages for a Director of Facilities overseeing X sq. ft. in [City], I am targeting a range of X to Y,” you transition from making a demand to presenting a data-backed proposal.
Ready to approach your next career move with confidence? Knowing your value and when to discuss it is the difference between an efficient job search and a frustrating one.
The Bottom Line
Actively looking for a new opportunity in the Facilities space? Get in touch with my team or me for personalized negotiation advice, or head to our vacancies today to explore top roles in the market!