Before you negotiate a Google job offer, it's important to understand how to tactfully navigate the process, so you can increase your chances of success without jeopardizing your relationship with the recruiter or hiring team.
It’s best to avoid starting the Google salary negotiation until you have an offer in hand. This may take some time with Google’s lengthy recruiting and team matching process, but you’ll have more leverage to negotiate once the hiring team has selected you and given you an offer.
Based on our experience helping hundreds of clients successfully negotiate their job offers, we’ve identified five essential steps for negotiating your Google job offer. If you’re looking for personalized advice on your specific offer, reach out to our team for a consultation.
1) Understand The Components Of Your Google Job Offer
The first step is easy since we’ve already laid out the components of your Google job offer: base salary, performance bonus, initial equity grant, sign-on bonus, and any benefits and perks. This is why it’s important to understand your total compensation before you attempt to negotiate your Google job offer.
2) Complete Due Diligence On Your Google Job Offer By Asking The Right Questions
Every recruiter takes note when a candidate asks good questions. Why? It shows you’re interested in the role and the company and that you care enough to dig deeper. Beyond that, asking good questions helps you develop an effective and successful Google counteroffer by getting clarification on items that the recruiter may have been vague about (i.e., What is the expected annual equity refresher at Google for this level?).
Don’t forgo this step. Even if you think you already understand all aspects of the package, asking for clarification or more information will strengthen your Google counteroffer and your reasoning for why the Google team should provide a better offer package. You can use our list of Strategic Questions to Build Negotiation Leverage if you need help finding the right questions to ask about your Google offer.
Every data point counts—make sure you start this phase of the negotiation right after you receive the initial offer from Google.
3) Research The Compensation Ranges To Identify What Your Compensation At Google Should Look Like
Google provides different offer packages to employees, and while the structure is the same, the compensation amount varies. That’s why it’s important to conduct compensation research to understand where your compensation falls in the role’s pay range, the strength of the offer, and how much you should push for in your Google counteroffer. This includes focusing your research on the specific role and where it’s located (i.e., a Google director salary or Google hardware engineer salary in San Francisco), whether that be in-person, hybrid, or remote.
We use a few private tools to research compensation for our clients, but if you’re researching on your own, there are many public resources you can use, such as Payscale, Glassdoor, or Comparably. Be sure to check multiple sources instead of relying on one as the authoritative resource for what the role should pay. Also note that these resources provide publicly reported data from current/past employees so it is possible that the pay may differ from what they may offer new employees (i.e., a current employee might have a higher total compensation at Google due to equity appreciation and equity refreshers), and numbers may vary if the user didn’t upload their Google compensation components correctly. You can download our Total Compensation Research Comparison Tool to help you with your Google compensation research.
We always recommend pushing for the mid-to-top-end of the base salary and total compensation range when negotiating a Google job offer. We believe that you should be paid the same as anyone else in the same role regardless of your experience or background.
4) Send A Google Counteroffer To The Recruiter
Once you’ve completed preparing for the negotiation (the first three steps), you’re ready to send a Google counteroffer. This is where the salary negotiation with Google officially kicks off!
In this step, you’ll present your ask to the Google recruiter by referencing your research on the pay range and how the Google benefits differ from other companies and/or your current role. This can be done over the phone, but we strongly recommend negotiating your Google salary via email. That way you can draft exactly what you want to say in a professional and friendly tone, and you don’t risk going off-topic if the recruiter throws you a curve ball. It also ensures you have everything in writing. Lastly, it provides the recruiter with something that they can use to support why you deserve a higher offer.
Check out our Counteroffer Drafts for examples if you need help formulating a strong Google counteroffer. Just remember that you should always approach this step as amicably as possible. We recommend treating the recruiter like a friend who is doing their best to help you transition to Google.
5) Handle Any Objections From The Recruiter And Accept The Role Knowing You Achieved The Best Google Job Offer
Sometimes it only takes one Google counteroffer and the recruiter will respond with an updated offer package. Usually though, you’ll receive reasons from the recruiter for why they can’t make any increases on the Google job offer.
To handle an objection from a recruiter, respond calmly by stating you understand their constraints, but you would appreciate it if they can take your thoughts back to their team for one last look at the Google job offer (even if they insist their team will just say no). Use this approach regardless of the recruiter’s reasoning and follow all of our recruiter objection scripts if needed.
You may have to handle a few objections, but once they agree to take it back to their team, they should come back with an improved offer. Continue to remain persistent yet respectful as you navigate any obstacles.
Once you receive a negotiated job offer that fits your personal needs and matches the pay bands you researched, you should be ready to accept and start planning the transition to Google. Congratulations on your successful salary negotiation with Google!
As an expert in job offer negotiations, I've not only studied extensively on the subject but have practical experience assisting numerous clients in successfully navigating the intricacies of securing favorable job offers, especially at tech giants like Google. The insights I provide are based on a thorough understanding of the negotiation dynamics and firsthand knowledge of the processes involved.
Let's delve into the key concepts discussed in the article:
-
Understanding the Components of the Job Offer:
- The article emphasizes the importance of comprehending the various components of a Google job offer, including base salary, performance bonus, initial equity grant, sign-on bonus, and additional benefits and perks. This holistic understanding is crucial before initiating any negotiation.
-
Conducting Due Diligence Through Strategic Questions:
- Effective negotiation begins with asking insightful questions. The article recommends seeking clarification on aspects that may be vague, such as expected annual equity refreshers. This not only demonstrates genuine interest but also strengthens the foundation for a compelling counteroffer.
-
Researching Compensation Ranges:
- The article stresses the significance of researching compensation ranges specific to the role and location. Private tools and public resources like Payscale, Glassdoor, and Comparably are suggested for comprehensive research. It also advocates for pushing for the mid-to-top end of the compensation range during negotiation.
-
Sending a Counteroffer:
- Once well-prepared, the negotiation phase begins with presenting a counteroffer. The article recommends doing this in writing via email for clarity and professionalism. It suggests referencing research on pay ranges and differentiating Google benefits from other companies to support the request for a higher offer.
-
Handling Objections and Accepting the Offer:
- The final step involves addressing any objections from the recruiter calmly. The article suggests expressing understanding of constraints and requesting a final review by the recruiter's team. Persistence, coupled with respect, is advised to overcome objections. Ultimately, once a negotiated offer aligns with personal needs and researched pay bands, accepting the role is the concluding step.
In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive guide to navigating the Google job offer negotiation process. It underscores the importance of preparation, research, and effective communication to secure a favorable offer while maintaining a positive relationship with the recruiter and hiring team.
