A discussion about salary is no minor detail! It not only has a direct effect on the level of offer made, it can literally make or break a person's candidacy with a company. There are some definite rules to salary negotiation that every candidate should know. So keep the following ten commandments in mind during the interview process and also follow my detailed advice in a prior post on what to say when posed with a salary question during the interview.

The Salary Negotiation Ten Commandments

Thou shalt not speak in detail about salary until the final rounds
If the topic comes up any earlier than this, tell them your current salary and that you're "open" to listening to what the company may think you are worth should you be lucky enough to get to the offer stage. If pushed to discuss it during the initial interview stage, politely explain that you would need more detail in order to give them a valid answer and that you welcome the opportunity to come back for another round so that both parties can learn more about each other.

Thou shalt not discuss salary with anyone below the direct Hiring Manager
If any other members of the interview team ask you about salary, simply say that you don't want to speak out of turn on something as sensitive as the company's internal salary levels. Apologize and explain that you'd rather be safe than sorry. Tell them that if the hiring manager makes it clear that this can be discussed openly, that you'd be happy to engage them on this.

Thou shalt not provide a specific offer number that will be accepted
Again, just simply state your current compensation package, explain that you are "open" and are really interested in the opportunity and what the company may think you are worth. Don't ever give them a single number you'll accept since the chances of it matching exactly with what the manager is thinking are slim to none and you will end up either over/under pricing yourself or giving them a number that may change in the near future based on your other interview activity.

Thou shalt not provide salary expectations on a job application
This same rule applies to the written form. If possible, write in "negotiable" or "open". If this is not an option and you have to choose a number or range on an online form, simply pick the salary number or range closest to what you make now. Don't worry...no manager will use this electronic answer as a sole basis for what you will accept. So a more conservative answer here can't really hurt you. However, if you put in a salary level in that is way too high, this very well could work against you.

Thou shalt not assess an offer based on the starting salary alone
Don't get tunnel vision on the base salary alone. Company perks, benefits and additional compensation vehicles are always part of any job offer. Make sure you know what all these are when weighing a decision to accept a base salary that's a little lower than what you wanted. The big picture may indicate that you will still come out a winner when factoring in these other ancillary details of your offer package.

Thou shalt not lie about one's current salary
You will get caught; so don't do it. Also, don't try to be slick and include other compensation vehicles such as a bonus you haven't gotten yet or extra vacation time within your stated base salary. Every company - big or small - will verify your salary. So be honest and upfront about exactly how your compensation breaks down. Any discrepancies or questions of judgment at this stage of the game will affect the company's final decision to hire you.

Thou shalt not tell an employer that money is the #1 determinant to accepting a job
Be careful during salary negotiations not to come off as Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry MacGuire..."show me the money!". All this talk about what you will/won't accept can place the sole focus on cash. Make sure that you reinforce that career opportunity, skills development, company integrity and team dynamics, etc. are equally important factors for you in making your decision.

Thou shalt not be greedy
Don't get carried away if you learn that you are their #1 choice and hold the upper hand. This doesn't give you license to go back for more money three separate times and demand the VP's parking spot. There is a fine line here. Always remember that once you are done negotiating what you want, you have to work with these people. Certainly stand your grounds for what you feel you are worth, but know where to draw the line before you become entitled and flat out greedy. An overly aggressive salary negotiation may get you a few extra bucks, but this could also result in your boss resenting you for this.

Thou shalt honour the company's process to make an offer
Companies don't arbitrarily make salary offers and they certainly don't have limitless budgets to work with. As a result, big and small companies must conduct salary analysis to determine consistency in how they make offers and to ensure the integrity of the internal pay scale for its employees. Show some respect for a company's process and appreciate the fact that most companies don't just throw money at people but use fair standards and rules in how they arrive at a number to offer you.

Thou shalt use their recruiter
If you have been presented to this job through a placement agency, then let them do their job! All you need to do is answer their salary questions as we have outlined above and toss the ball back to your recruiter..."and any further details you need about my salary expectations can certainly be directed to Joe, my recruiter". Feel out your audience, but you can also even consider joking around here to deflect things and say something like "speak with Joe about this. he'll kill me if I try to negotiate things on my own"...or..."You can call Joe about all these details, let's make him really earn his commission!"

Follow these Ten Commandments and you'll go straight to "Offer Heaven"!