It's common advice to ask for more during a salary negotiation — but the conversation shouldn't stop there, even if the answer is no.
Ron Seifert, a senior client partner at Korn Ferry, who also serves as the company's workforce reward and benefits leader for North America, told Business Insider that new hires or current employees should always follow up with two questions if their salary increase request is denied.
Seifert said candidates' first follow-up question should focus on how the company approaches compensation decisions. The question is: "How does the organization make compensation decisions for this role — including market data, internal equity, performance, scope of responsibility, and timing?"
The goal, he said, is to better understand the company's compensation philosophy and decision criteria. Well-managed organizations should be able to explain the principles behind pay decisions.
"This is not about challenging the employer defensively," Seifert added in a follow-up email. "It is about understanding whether the decision is grounded in a clear framework."
Seifert said that if an employee is "materially underpaid," in the context of the market rate or their contribution, that creates risk for the employer. It could result in lower engagement and effort, or more openness to recruiter calls.
Asking about a company's compensation philosophy, he said, encourages employers to show "a little bit of self-awareness" and consider whether they may be undervaluing a candidate.
Revisiting compensation
The second question he suggests is: "What would need to be true for my compensation to be revisited, and when should we agree to revisit it?"
He said that simply meeting expectations doesn't always justify a salary increase. By asking this question, employees have a clearer timeline and goalpost to work toward if they accept the job — and an opening to revisit the conversation.
The candidate should ask about the specific outcomes, expanded responsibilities, performance milestones, and market changes that would lead to revisiting the discussion.
"That gives the employee a clear set of expectations and creates a natural point to reopen the conversation," Seifert said.
Setting specific goals
Bringing up goalposts during a salary negotiation can also help lay the groundwork for future compensation discussions.
John Gates, founder of Salary Coach, previously told Business Insider that candidates should try to tie a raise request to a specific goal to better align incentives.
Patrice Lindo, CEO of Career Nomad, a platform that helps professionals navigate career changes, also previously said that contributing to a company's goals can make it easier to justify the pay bump you're asking for.
It's a strategy that has proved to be successful for some of the world's highest-paid leaders, such as Elon Musk, who tied his $1 trillion Tesla pay package to reaching certain company milestones.
Before making any asks, Seifert also recommends that candidates do market research and gain a firm understanding of their market value. He said they should understand the pay range for comparable roles, and the business value they bring to the company.
"Keep bringing it back to the data, the situation, and then your value being delivered and created for the organization," Seifert said.
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