The Recruiter Lens : Salary Negotiation with Megan Applegate

Have you ever been asked, “What salary are you looking for?” and suddenly forgotten every impressive thing you’ve ever done?

In this episode of Work Besties Who Podcast, Jess and Claude sit down with Megan Applegate, a former recruiter and Talent Acquisition Director, to talk about one of the most stressful career conversations: salary negotiation.

Megan shares what professionals often misunderstand before the negotiation even starts, why knowing your market value matters, how to build proof around your experience, and why you should not wait until the offer stage to think about compensation.

We also talk about creating a “brag book,” asking your work bestie to help you remember your wins, using salary ranges strategically, and why there is often more to negotiate than just base pay.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a simple Work Besties salary check-in you can use before your next interview, review, or offer conversation.

Learn more from Megan follow her at 

Megan Applegate | Career Dev & Professional Branding Expert (@dreamjobahead) • Instagram photos and videos

Resume Writing Services - Executive Design for Professional Success – Career Blueprint Solutions

Megan Applegate, CPC | LinkedIn

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
Follow us on IG ,  TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn
Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Transcript

Why Salary Questions Make Us Freeze

Jess K 0:00

Have you ever been asked what salary are you looking for and suddenly forgotten every impressive thing you've ever done?

Claude F 0:07

Today we are talking about why that happens and why salary negotiation gets a lot easier when you understand how recruiters actually think.

Jess K 0:16

Megan Applegate is a former recruiter and talent acquisition director who now helps professionals position themselves more strategically and stop guessing their way through the hiring process.

Claude F 0:27

And by the end of this episode, we'll give you a simple work bestie salary check-in you can use before your next interview, review, or even offer conversation. Hi, I'm Clone. And I'm Jess. We are corporate employees by day, entrepreneurs by night, and work besties for life.

Jess K 0:47

Join us as we explore how work besties lift each other up, laugh through the chaos, and thrive together in every industry. Work besties!

Claude F 0:58

Work besties, welcome back. This month is all about money, power, and negotiation. Really asking for what you're worth.

Jess K 1:08

And today we're tackling one of the most stressful parts of the conversation: the salary negotiation. But we're doing it with someone who has actually been on the other side of the hiring desk. Megan, welcome to Work Best Tea Who Podcast.

What People Misunderstand About Salary Negotiation

Megan Applegate 1:22

Thank you. Thank you for having me. I appreciate being here and sharing all of my insider information for those listening. And we love that.

Claude F 1:32

We need inside information as we perfectly. So you've reviewed thousands of resumes, worked in recruiting and talent acquisition, hence, you know, the inside. What do most professional misunderstand about salary negotiation before the conversation even starts?

How to Find Your Market Value

Megan Applegate 1:52

That's a great question. And I would say I'm quite guilty of this myself for thinking about years and years of being a professional before owning a business and understanding how this actually works. And I think the biggest mistake people make is that they don't understand what their true own market value is, even going into the conversation. A lot of people will think of job search and they think of interviewing, and it's it seems like a really big, scary conversation, a big topic that's just like you know, nobody likes to do it. You know, it's one of those most stressful things that you can go into. And I my goal is to kind of change that perception into understanding that you have a lot of power as the candidate. A lot of people misunderstand, they just think it's not in my hands, it's not my decision. And then ultimately, yes, you cannot choose if somebody decides to hire you or not, but you need to have that confidence. And a lot of that comes from knowing what you're worth, right? And and knowing that that conversation starts prior to you even thinking about looking for a new job. You have to know what your market value is, you have to know what you are an expert at, what that special sauce you have is, and understand how that sets you apart, have the proof before you even go into those conversations. So that's probably the biggest thing I can I can share that if I could turn that around in people's minds, I think it would help a lot of people.

Claude F 3:23

How do you find out about your market value?

When to Talk About Salary

Megan Applegate 3:26

I have a formula that I like to teach people when I work with clients. And a lot of that really boils down to first of all, knowing where you want to go, knowing what is that next step. You got to find a baseline, right? So that baseline is no going to glass door, knowing kind of like what your job, especially in your market, right? Because we, as we know, a job title could say, I am a hundred worth 120 in LA, but then more of like 80 if you're in like a smaller market. So you have to really understand, you know, and get an average because one company could be paying, you know, $20,000 more for something with the same kind of job. So you have to really understand that first. And then once you get your baseline, then you gotta go to what I call like a what is your scarcity? And there's a percentage that you can put on that. So if you have an extra um certification, right? If there's something that you do special that nobody else does, not saying nobody, but like you're in a 20% of 100%, right? Um differentiator, then you can take that baseline and add, you know, let's just say another 10 to $20,000 on top of that, so that you're getting your baseline positive scarcity differentiator. Then you take that and you look a little bit further into what really is my ROI. And I this is a little bit more different or difficult for people, but it really is looking at what proof do I have that I can actually show people of the fires that I put out that the the actual dollar amount you will lose if I leave you this company, company fee. Right. And so, like, and there's a little bit of a are you just baseline? I do my job, I'm just kind of here, or am I a little bit of a differentiator, or am I an architect, or am I a rarity? And if you can look at those fourth, then you can multiply that number usually by like 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, it goes up to 0.5, that rarity. And that should actually give you a true, it should give you a true market value of what you are worth. Now that and and and I don't think a lot of people understand that, right? Like they go into this and they're just like, well, I've made this much money, you know, and we're always complaining because we're hearing about, you know, the grumblings of like this person makes more than me, and blah, blah, blah, blah, like water cooler topic. All right. Um, but if you can actually put those numbers together, the trick of it though, is you gotta be able to prove it, right? You can't just be like, this is just what Megan said, and I come up with this number. But if you can truly identify with actual data-driven, market metric-driven numbers to say this is truly what I've done for this company, then you can actually lead with that. And I knowing that going in helps people with confidence too, and an understanding. You want me, there's a cost, right? That's what we do with jobs, right? It's weird to say, but we're really buying each other for our talent and for what we do. There's a lot to be said. If if people could understand that about what they do, I think that it would really help those conversations and and not waiting until the end.

Jess K 6:53

How does a candidate's positioning early in the process affect what they can negotiate later?

Megan Applegate 7:00

I think it's important to not wait till the end. Do I lead with that? I would say no. Like I said, it I don't think that there's a reason for that because that just seems like all you care about is money. Yeah, but I would also say, you know, don't wait to have it either. Maybe if it's your your first screening interview with, you know, if it's a large company, you're gonna probably screen with a recruiter first. Maybe you don't have that because they're just trying to get a general idea if you're even qualified, you know, for what they're looking for to make that next step. Um, but once you can get in in front of a decision maker, you need to be very upfront and very clear with what you're willing to do and from a salary range. And don't say one number. It really should always be um a range, you know, of what you're looking for.

Claude F 7:51

So how far from each other the rent should it be?

Applying When the Range Feels Too Low

Megan Applegate 7:53

It usually becomes 20,000 or I would say 20. 20. When we work with clients from a recruiting point of view, uh they usually give us, I would say like a ten thousand dollar range, but then in reality, I can see it stretch to twenty. If it gets to thirty, that's gonna be hard. We'd have to find that purple unicorn typically. Um, and and if we can, a lot of times they'll they'll go for it. But I would say 20,000 is you know a really good range to have.

Claude F 8:25

New York, you're supposed to list the list. Do you think that I see a wrench? But I feel my value is higher than the higher numbers. Is it still worth it applying and saying, look, this is what I can bring and this is how much I need or whatever, is it worth trying or just don't go because it's not in within your range?

Turning Your Experience Into Proof

Megan Applegate 8:51

I think it's worth trying with the caveat to say it can't be like $50,000 more. If you're above that range, I would say as long as you truly feel like you have the proof and can show why you are that special sauce, what are you bringing your rarity of some kind, then you have the upper hand in that. And I do think it's worth noting because the other side of that conversation really boils down to understanding what is most important to you because sometimes it's not necessarily the money, right? And so there's that point too of you could think, well, I love my job, but like I don't have a lot of flexibility and I'm super stressed out. So is it the work life balance that you want? Is it potentially some equity in a company? Is it amazing healthcare benefits for a long time? I mean, there's so many different things that you can work within that you kind of have to understand what that total compensation package is because salary is salary, right? So I do feel if you can prove it and you have the backing and that confidence, then it is worth having a conversation for because you know that's truly what recruiters are looking for. You know, we're trying to mitigate risk and have certainty. So if you come to me and my boss is like, I gave you uh, you know, the salary of 150 to 170, and you come to me and you're like, I've got all this proof and I'm at 190, and I can take that back to my boss and be like, dude, you know, you've got to rethink this. You know, because there's always room, especially with larger companies. There's usually room, you know, in some way. Maybe it can be within a six-month review, it can be within a signing bonus. I mean, there's a lot of different ways to finagle what that can look like. And I think people misunderstand that if it's not within the realm of that base salary, then it's not worth it. And that's simply not true.

Jess K 10:54

Megan, you commented earlier on proving your ROI. So if you're within a company, it's a little easier to state and provide that to individuals to prove salary negotiation. But if you are interviewing from outside the company, what's that right balance of listing out your successes and really showcasing that it was value-based versus sounding more like a list of responsibilities?

Megan Applegate 11:23

What we're always trying to do, whether it's writing a resume, whether it's showcasing LinkedIn profile, anything that we are talking about, we are making a business case for ourselves, right? And that is truly what will set you apart from anybody else, is when you can have that proof. And so if you are, even if you just are like, oh my God, I've never done this, start doing it now. Because anything that you can showcase or think about future forward, because most of the time what happens is you don't think it's a big deal because it's your everyday life. Right. So you're all guilty of that. Even when it comes to like writing a resume, so many people are just like, I write it and they're like, This doesn't even sound like me, Megan. Are you sure? And I'm like, Yes, you are you are an expert. This is like what you've done because we just have this imposter syndrome. This is my life. It doesn't seem like I am that rare, that you know, commodity. And I'm like, but you actually are. And so really that's step one is understanding you really have so much to offer. If you can think about it that way, even if it's if you haven't been doing it, you need to start keeping track of all of those wins. As much as you think they're small, write them down. If you can put some numbers behind them, even if they are not revenue driven, people hire people that can solve problems. That's what we do, right? Even if that problem you're solving is to grow revenue, which seems like not a problem, right? But it actually is. And so it's it's it's really important to always have to be thinking, what problems have I solved today? Or what have I done that's different and outside of my job duties, is like you just had mentioned. Like anybody can say, I've done this, I've managed this many people, and I do this through this. And it's just like, well, you will then sit with the average of everybody else. And if you you want to really get where you're going and look at it from a different point of view and be the business case and solve the problems of the future job that you want, you have to understand how those correlate. What you've done in your past correlates to how you can solve people's problems in the future.

Using Your Work Bestie to Remember Your Wins

Jess K 13:38

Megan, does it is it fair to say it is okay if you haven't created that presence on LinkedIn, but you start just having that conversation really in the interview. As long as you have more of the storytelling aspect of the why the situation is different, okay.

Megan Applegate 13:58

I don't mean to say if you haven't been doing that, you're screwed. That's not it. I'm just saying, well, like if you if you haven't, start doing it. And if you haven't in your job interviewing, I still want people to think about it because you do have it, even if you haven't been keeping track of it, I'm sure. I've I've told some of my clients that I work with, find who at work, you know, even if you're not working there anymore. A lot of people, just like you guys, you're work besties, right? Like there's gotta be somebody you probably had a really, or multiple people you had a good rapport. And sometimes just like being like, hey, can we just like sit and chat and have coffee? Can you kind of help just brainstorm and like revive some of these things that you remember that I've done? A lot of times that will help you just be like, oh my gosh, I forgot that I collaborated with this different department and I was part of this solution. Because it doesn't always have to be what you've done. As long as you were part of a team, then there's no reason that you also can't utilize that in your in your business, right? And that in that story that you have. I love that.

Can You Negotiate Too Hard?

Claude F 15:05

Really asking someone that have seen because it's hard to talk about ourselves, but really to see someone that sees from the outside, it's really very, very helpful. So imagine you're in the top two candidate, and now the real negotiation arrives. So asking for a friend. So a lot of times it's very scary to negotiate because then you're afraid that they say, okay, I don't want this person because they are negotiating too hard. Is it a point where negotiating too hard might make you lose that opportunity?

Megan Applegate 15:47

There has to be some balance, there has to be some humility. You can't go in with your horns out because nobody wants that. But I think that if you have the personal skills plus the backup, and you are willing to negotiate to a fair point, right? You don't want to like go in and just be this is it or super hard or I'm walking. That kind of attitude is not going to help you. But I will also say if you've proven your case, you've got your business case and you've proven it and you can prove your worth and you've been super diligent, especially if you still have a job and you're like, this is what it's going to take for me to walk and come to you, right? Because that's truly now you really have the upper hand. Um, I think that there's a balance between playing nicely in the sandbox and showing you've you've proved your value, but then in the end, you also have to think about most of the time somebody's gonna have a little bit more wiggle room. But if you get to the very end and you just haven't even had this conversation and you're just like proven myself, you know, I know what the salary range is, but I haven't even told them what it would take. And you get to the end and they give you an offer and you're just like, I want $30,000 more. I think that's a big turnoff. You can ask for that, but that needs to be in a conversation prior to the actual offer coming. Because then you're just like, well, wait a second. You know, if I'm the hiring manager, it's just like, I mean, why did you not tell me that, you know, two weeks ago? This probably hasn't been a short process, right? And you've gone through all of these panel interviews, especially if it's a large company, you're high up, a lot of money on the table. You have to understand that if you can prove it, a lot of times I'll tell people, know what your value is. Don't go in super hard and heavy at the very first time, second interview. Just give them an idea of what it potentially could take, and just say I am open to some negotiation around what that total compensation package could look like. Here's what is worth, you know, worth my value, my time right now, potentially to look at moving. But I also want to look at what the size and scope of this actual job is, too. Because there is something about saying, here's my range in the very beginning before you even learn what the job itself is. And then what happens? You kind of pigeon your hole into a corner when all of a sudden it's a lot larger than maybe what you had in mind. So stating that up front, I also want to see the size and scope of this job before I truly land on a hard number. If you can do something like that and get that in there, then you're just giving yourself a little bit more wiggle room too.

How to Bring Up Salary Naturally

Jess K 18:46

Megan, if you're in that conversation and it doesn't get brought up, how what's an authentic uh way to bring it up without it feeling forced?

What Else Can You Negotiate?

Megan Applegate 18:55

Every time I, you know, look at a new opportunity, I think it's super important to bring up what I'd be potentially looking for, you know, when I'm talking to a new company. So that way, you know, I'm interviewing you, you're interviewing me. Like I just want you to understand what potentially it would take for me to consider something, you know, in the beginning, um, just to be upfront, trans, you know, and very transparent about like what it is. Um, in again, a very like conversational, not hard-headed, not egotistical way to just say I do have some boundaries around what it will take for me to leave what I'm doing. And if you don't have a job, I mean, you can't obviously use that tactic, but I still think that those that have the ability to kind of understand that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you and you have a worth and it's not just whatever they say, and we don't look desperate, that's when you will win because people will feel comfortable and like that you are transparent. And if that truly is not a good fit and they're just like, unfortunately, like we just can't, then you're not wasting your time and they're you're not wasting their time there.

Jess K 20:08

Now that you've gone through the process, you have the potential of getting this job. What is left from a negotiation perspective? So if they say it's down to you and one other candidate, or we know it's gonna be you, is there any other elements left that could still be negotiated?

Megan Applegate 20:27

And it goes back to what's the most important to you at that point, now that you know the company, you know the people, you know a little bit more about their culture, you know if it's truly something that you want, right? Because that also plays into it too. I mean, again, if we're just a bowl in the charter shop and we're just going through and we're just like, I'm the best, right? You know, and but there has to be some idea of like, is this truly an ideal job for you? Right? Like, there's that too. And if it is, then you again you have to go back to looking at what is most important to you. And is do then at that point, do you have some flexibility around if it's not quite this 180,000 that they offer you because there is a really other good candidate that is the the you mean you probably don't know that, but you're gonna guess that like they also have been able to demonstrate their proof. Then you have to come to the thought of what would make me truly most happy. If it's I can back down to $10,000, but I want for we complication.

Claude F 21:35

Yeah.

Why You Should Not Accept Immediately

Megan Applegate 21:36

Yeah. You know, like then it's just kind of like, okay, so where can I potentially meet you more in the middle than potentially somebody else? Right. And if if it's truly down to what you want. There's a little bit to say around not accepting an offer immediately, either. Okay.

Claude F 21:53

Yeah. Oh. Can you explain a bit more that?

Megan Applegate 21:57

Yeah. So this goes back to your comfort level. And how confident you are, right? Because again, if you've shown you're a true person, you're not egotistical and you're a team player and all these things. But if they come to you and say, okay, we're ready to make an offer and they give you an offer, you know, if you are just like done, I'll take it. Right. Then that's like, even if you want to, you're just like they're like, oh wow, that's, you know, okay. Yeah. Yeah. It's not a little bit dis desperate, but I do think that there's a little bit to be said to say, I truly appreciate this offer. I am very excited about, you know, the potential, because you always want to show your enthusiasm for the job. I think a lot of people also get that wrong. You want to be somebody that shows a lot of excitement towards your interest in the role. That will help you as well. However, when you get to that point of negotiation and they make you the offer and you know at that point that you have the upper hand and that you were chosen out of all the candidates, I think it's rightful to say, even if you're just like, oh my God, that's like totally awesome and I'll take this job tomorrow. Like, so appreciate it. I'm super excited about this. Can you give me 24 hours or 48 hours to think about it? Because again, then it shows you're gonna think about it. You potentially might negotiate some more, right?

Jess K 23:21

From the flip side, I was do you they come to you, they offer you um pretty close to what you were expecting or have been stating along. Should you still wait the 24 or 48 hours and still have the ability to still negotiate? Can you say, love this? Was also thinking you could offer another week of vacation or the 5k more or something.

Megan Applegate 23:43

I say as long as it's not ridiculous, yes, right? Okay, you can't go back and be like, especially after you've given them a range and blah blah blah and be like, okay, it's gonna take me another $20,000. That's like you just wasted my time. No, thank you, right? But if you're just like, I'd love to join you, I'm so excited. You have done a lot of thought about this. I I'm I feel like I'm a great fit when I think I've done my my due diligence and proved why I I'm I would be a benefit to you and help this company succeed in the moving forward. But I also have a job and would love another five days of vacation, right? Or like a lot of times it will be if you're relocating or a signing bonus where it's a one-time thing and it's not like I want $10,000 more every single year, then you've got some power there. But I wouldn't, unless you just haven't talked about it at all. But then again, then it's yeah, no, this is then you're not you then you haven't then you're not on the right foot to begin with. So yeah, yes, but it needs to be something attainable and small that's not going to break the bank or their faith in the fact that you've just not been transposed.

Claude F 24:52

At this point, it's very rare that they would take away that offer, right?

Where to Start This Week

Megan Applegate 24:57

Yeah, I mean, if they've made you an offer and especially if you've told them what you want, if it's over what they initially said the range was, you have to be careful. But as long as it's something small and you have, again, you are in the driver's seat at that point. I think most companies expect some kind of negotiation. Let me just say that. There's always some room, some wiggle, as long as you have presented yourself and they are super eager and think that you are the right fit. There is room as long as it's not ridiculous, because then you've just lost their trust altogether. Awesome.

Jess K 25:33

Megan, if someone listening wants to get better at salary negotiation, where should they start this week?

Final Work Besties Takeaway

Megan Applegate 25:42

The first step I would take is going back to that market value and understanding that, you know, and and I wish I could say I had a corner on that little um formula I gave you, but I don't, right? You will be able to find that on the internet if you look that up. So, you know, if you're if you're looking to start, you've got to you gotta figure out that baseline. What is the baseline? And then then you'll get the light bulb effect of like, oh my gosh, I'm being totally underpaid, or hey, I'm actually doing pretty good, right? Of where I'm at and understanding that. And and that's really the first step in and truly understanding where you have that upper hand and where to start. Perfect. Thank you, Megan.

Jess K 26:20

For the listeners out there, please think about what Megan's been saying and take that next step.

Claude F 26:26

And that confidence does not come from memorizing a perfect line, right? It really comes from understanding, knowing our value, and really showing up to doing the interviews, right? Yeah.

Jess K 26:39

So if this resonated with you, please send this to your work bestie and chat about it with them. Um, you never know where that next lead will come from.

Claude F 26:49

Yep. And to all the work besties, keep supporting each other.

Jess K 26:56

Remember, whether you're swapping snacks in the break room, rescuing each other from endless meetings, or just sending that perfectly timed meme. Having a work bestie is like having your own personal hype squad.

Claude F 27:09

So keep lifting each other up, laughing through the chaos, and of course, thriving. Until next time, stay positive, stay productive, and don't forget to keep supporting each other. Work besties!