Business English - Negotiating Your Salary and Benefits in English

Activity 1: Let's Get Started! (Warm-up)

Think about this: When a company offers you a job, do you think you can sometimes ask for more money or better things? Why might someone want to do this? Is it easy or hard to talk about money with a new company?

Activity 2: New Words (Vocabulary)

Here are some new English words. These words will help us talk about discussing your job offer.

Discuss (Negotiate): To talk about something, like your pay or job conditions, to try to make an agreement that is good for you.

Example: It is okay to discuss the job offer with the manager if you have questions.

Offer (Job Offer): When a company tells you they want to hire you and gives details like your pay and start date.

Example: She was very happy when she received the job offer in her email.

Pay (Salary): The money you get from your job, usually paid every month or every two weeks for the work you do.

Example: The pay for this new job is good, and it is paid monthly.

Extras (Benefits): Good things the company gives you with your job, in addition to your pay, like health help or more holidays.

Example: You should ask about the extras, like paid time off for vacation, when you get an offer.

Fair (adjective): Something that is reasonable, right, or acceptable for a situation, like fair pay for your work.

Example: You want to make sure the pay for the job is fair for the amount of work you will do.

Politely (adverb): In a way that shows good manners, kindness, and respect when you speak or act.

Example: Always ask for more pay or benefits politely during your discussion.

Activity 3 (Reading)

Let's read about Alex. He got a job offer and wants to talk about it with the company.

Alex got a job offer from a company called 'Tech Start' this morning. He was very happy and excited! The letter said what his pay would be each month. It also listed some extras, like health insurance and two weeks of vacation. Before Alex said 'yes' to the job, his friend told him that it is sometimes okay to discuss these things with the company if you feel something is not quite right or if you have good reasons.

Alex wanted to make sure the offer was fair for the type of work and his experience. He did some quick research online to see what other people in similar jobs in his city were earning. Based on his research, he felt the pay could be a little bit higher. Alex decided he would talk to the manager about it. He planned to ask politely if they could possibly increase the pay by a small amount. He also wanted to ask if he could have one more vacation day as part of the extras, if possible. Alex knew it was important to be respectful during this talk. He practiced what he would say so he could explain his reasons clearly. He hoped they could agree on something that made everyone happy. Being prepared helped him feel a bit more confident to have this important discussion about his job offer.

Think about the story:

What good news (job offer) did Alex get, and what details about pay and extras were included?
Why did Alex decide to discuss the offer with the manager? What did he want to be sure about (that it was fair)?
How did Alex plan to ask for changes (hint: politely), and what did he hope for?

Activity 4: Role Play

Read this dialogue with a partner. One person is Maria (who got a job offer), and the other is Ben (her friend).

Maria: Ben, I got a job offer today from that company I liked! I'm so happy about it.

Ben: That's great news, Maria! Congratulations! Are you happy with all the details, like the pay and the extras they are offering?

Maria: Well, the pay is okay, but I was hoping for a little bit more, to be honest. Do you think I can discuss it with them?

Ben: Yes, sometimes you can! The most important thing is that you need to be very polite and professional when you talk about it.

Maria: How should I start the conversation? I don't want to sound rude or ungrateful for the offer.

Ben: First, always say thank you very much for the offer, and tell them you are very interested in the job. That's important to say first.

Maria: Okay, thank them and show I'm interested. And then I just ask them for more pay directly?

Ben: You can say something like, 'I was hoping for a slightly higher pay, based on my experience. Is that something we could possibly discuss?' Also, make sure you think your request is fair for the job.

Maria: Okay, I will remember to be very polite and explain why I think it's a fair request. What if they say no to more money?

Ben: Then you have to decide if you still want the job with the first offer they gave you. But it's often good to ask politely! You might be surprised.

After reading, discuss: Why is it important to be very polite and give good reasons if you want to try to discuss your pay with a company?

Activity 5: Let's Practice

Objective: Practice using the new vocabulary about discussing job offers.

Scenario: Priya (the learner) is talking to her career advisor, Mr. David, about a job offer she has just received.

Mr. David: Congratulations on your job , Priya! That's truly wonderful news for you.

Priya: Thank you, Mr. David! I am very happy, but I was looking at the details, and I'm not completely sure if the is what I was hoping for. The money is a little bit low.

Mr. David: It's always okay to think carefully about that. Do you feel that the amount they are offering is a amount for the work you will be doing and for your skills?

Priya: Not really. Based on some research I did, I was hoping for a little more. Do you think I can it with the company, or is that a rude thing to do?

Mr. David: You certainly can try, but you must always do it very and with good reasons. Also, remember to think about the other things they offer besides the salary.

Priya: You mean the , like the health insurance and the number of vacation days? Those are actually quite good in this offer.

Try to fill in the blanks with appropriate words or phrases from this lesson!