Ex-Amazon Employee Who Negotiated Rs 46 Lakh Bonus Share Tips For Salary Negotiation

McCall recalled that the tech giant initially resisted, but once she showed them how much they would lose if she walked away, two days later, they came back

When Amazon sent the first offer, McCall didn’t just focus on just base pay

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In 2020, during her interview for the role of staffing manager at Amazon, Jasmine McCall successfully negotiated a $54,000 (about Rs 46 lakh) sign-on bonus, in addition to a six-figure salary and $100,000 (about Rs 86 lakh) in stock options. Now, as the CEO of career development platform PayBump, she advocates for discussing salary as early as possible during job interviews.

Speaking to CNBC Make It about her negotiation with Amazon, McCall recalled that the tech giant initially resisted, but once she showed them how much they would lose if she walked away, two days later, they came back and found the budget to offer her the full $54,000 she requested.

McCall also shared several tips for professionals looking to improve their salary negotiations:

Make Your Value Clear

"For Amazon, I didn’t just list my past experience on my resume. I framed it in a way that made my value clear. Some examples I used: I reduced onboarding time by 30 per cent, saving the company $500,000 annually. I led a team that generated $2 million in sales in six months,” McCall said.

Don't List Your Salary 

"I learned from this experience to never list your current salary on an application. If they ask, say it is confidential. And when asked about salary expectations, tell them you need to learn more about the responsibilities of the job first," McCall told the publication.

Don't Focus Only On Base Pay

When Amazon sent the first offer, McCall didn’t just focus on base pay. She said that the smartest negotiators look at the entire compensation package, including sign-on bonuses, equity, relocation packages, and performance-based incentives.

Know What Your Counterparts Are Earning 

When she walked into my Amazon negotiation, she already knew that her counterparts at similar companies were making more. So she didn’t just negotiate, she aimed for the highest end of the range and structured her counteroffer accordingly.

Don't Show Desperation 

The career expert said Amazon had initially not agreed to her counteroffer, but instead of panicking, she reminded them of her value and used silence as a tactic, knowing that most recruiters expect candidates to break first. She also informed them that she had other offers on the table. She added that within 48 hours, Amazon came back with the full sign-on bonus and stock package.