Negotiation Matters
Why negotiation skills are more important than ever if you love the freedom of remote work
Did you know that the number of remote jobs is dropping (down 30% since last quarter), while the number of job applications for remote jobs is growing (52%, up from 50% last quarter)? If you’re in that 52% that value the flexibility, convenience and comfort of remote work – or even the choice to work remotely – then strengthening your negotiation muscles matters now more than ever.
Upgrade Learning compiled data (LinkedIn Global Talent Trends 2020-2022) to compare a market perspective of remote work pre-pandemic to now. When the world experiences tectonic shifts like the pandemic, the disruption brings change at breakneck speeds. We saw this almost immediately: in 2019, 4% of the US workforce worked from home full-time; just a couple of months after the Covid-19 reared its global head in 2020 that number jumped to 43%. Remote job listings skyrocketed 400% from 2% in 2020 to 10% in 2021. In the first half of 2022, they rose again to 20%.
Suddenly at the end of 2022, we’re seeing that decline steeply by a third: only 14% of job listings in Q4 2022 are remote. Remember, that’s compared to growing demand from workers, who love being able to put in a load of laundry between meetings and free up some more family time in the evening; reclaiming countless wasted commuting hours; saving money on dry cleaning; etc.!
Why do I need to be able to negotiate if I love working remotely?
Negotiation is a powerful tool in advocating for a scenario that benefits everyone, whether:
- You’re one of those job seekers competing with tons of other applicants for that in-demand remote role
- You have to persuade decision-makers at your company to agree your existing role remains remote
- Everything about a prospective role is perfect, except for its remote work policy
Negotiation matters because, in any of these scenarios, your goal is to persuade a decision-maker to see you performing the role with great success in the way that works best for everyone… especially for you.
But I’m just not (insert: aggressive, brave, hard-nosed, etc.) enough to be good at negotiation!
Contrary to what most people think, successful negotiation is about advocacy and empathy (a couple of great sources on this: Lens, 2004; Barsky, 2017). Skillful and successful negotiation happens when you understand the other side’s perspective, purpose, and ideal value. Then, you can make the most convincing offer that advocates for your own needs.
Yes, I just said “offer”. Too often people get stuck in the trap of reacting instead of offering solutions. If you’re negotiating right, you’re looking for solutions that work for both sides. It’s not a face-off: your counterpart and you are on the same side, looking at an agreement, opportunity, or conflict from all sides with the intention of solving it to the benefit of both. The problem between you is the adversary — not the other person.
This approach is especially important for employment negotiations: this isn’t a one-off negotiation to buy a used car, you’re looking to create (or maintain) a long-term working relationship. This is why so many of us don’t resonate with negotiation tactics that come from FBI hostage negotiators: hard-ball bargaining tactics that use aggression and mild deception might be exciting to a few, but are off-putting to more of us. This just isn’t how most of us approach life… and it’s anyone’s guess how anyone works with people after approaching a job negotiation like that!
So… how do I learn to negotiate like a human and not a hostage negotiator?
Upgrade Learning’s Negotiation for Everyone course is designed precisely for those of us who want to achieve the life we love and deserve, without the conflict or hard-ball tactics traditional negotiation tells us we need. In just 5 hours of self-guided learning, you’ll master key tactics like:
- Building relationships during negotiations
- The great power of shifting timelines
- Understanding your deal-breakers and walk-away points and feeling great about them
- The critical research you must do to enter any negotiation with confidence
- Mental preparation techniques
- And much, much more
If you want to ensure you’re able to advocate effectively for the flexibility to work remotely as opportunities get tighter and tighter, set yourself up for success now.
Sign up for the newsletter and enroll today for the updated Negotiation for Everyone course, re-opening December 9, 2022!
