Know your worth: How to negotiate compensation at a startup

Author: Carolyn Betts / Source: Mashable

Have you ever felt you were worth more than you were being paid?

I hear you. And, I want you to know that you may never quite feel compensated for your complete worth. That’s a conversation to have internally. The number on your paycheck doesn’t define your full worth. The quality of your performance and success in executing goals will garner you the appreciation you deserve.

That said, I do have some tips on how to negotiate your compensation at a startup. Recruiting in the tech startup space for over a decade has allowed me to witness plenty of comp negotiations.

While we focus on revenue generating roles, these tips can be applied to other positions as well – in fact, we created a salary guide for a slew of roles based off of two years of data from 150 companies.

1. Levers

When you get an offer, be sure you know what exactly that number means.

There can be several different components that make up your regular paycheck. You may very well be getting cash, commission, bonuses and equity all at once – though bonuses are usually reserved for non-sales roles.

At a startup, a lower base salary may be offered, but that number comes with the expectation of a lower quota, more territory, and probably more commission. There’s a huge opportunity to establish yourself in the space, and room to do so, at a startup. If you aren’t sure how commission is paid out or are unsure of how you’ll meet quota every month, ask!

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