From: bizwoman

Some people will tell you that job titles don’t matter.

Negotiation expert Katie Donovan is not one of them.

“[The title] is how the value of the job is determined,” said Donovan, founder of Boston-based Equal Pay Negotiations LLC. “And the bigger the company, the more important the title is.”

Some people will tell you that job titles don’t matter.

Negotiation expert Katie Donovan is not one of them.

“[The title] is how the value of the job is determined,” said Donovan, founder of Boston-based Equal Pay Negotiations LLC. “And the bigger the company, the more important the title is.”

Bigger companies often have salary ranges written in stone, Donovan explained. And if you get to the top of that range for your particular job, the only way to get more money is to get a new title — or for the company to reconfigure its ranges.

And you can probably guess which one is easier to do.

Your title matters for more than just your salary, too. It’s about getting the respect you deserve within your company and about setting yourself up for career success and progression beyond your current job.

I spoke with Donovan about how and why to negotiate a title upgrade. Here’s what she had to say.

What are some clues that it’s time for a new title?

When there are four or five things that you’re doing that you have no business doing based on your job description, that’s the time. The day you notice it is the day to start that conversation.

The other time is when you look around and the people who are reporting to the same manager as you have a completely different level of title. If you’re reporting to the VP and everyone else is a director and you happen to be a manager, something is up.

Is it easier to negotiate a title upgrade than a salary increase?

It depends, but it’s all in the preparation. You’re going to have pushback. Expect a “no,” and be prepared to overcome it.

Look at job listings and find out what other companies are referencing as a job description for a marketing manager. Or even internally — go get your company’s internal job description.

When you’re interviewing for a job for which the exact title is not clear, can you negotiate for a title upgrade?

Absolutely. That allows you to jump much higher in the negotiation. And a lot of times, companies low-ball the title when you’re a new person coming in.

I hear this particular story often: “I applied for director of XYZ, and I got a job offer as senior manager, a layer lower.” And the company will say something like, “You’re missing this or that.” Whether it’s an internal promotion or they go externally, no one has everything. So companies try it to save in payroll, and it’s a pretty common tactic so don’t be hurt. Don’t think “Oh, I must suck, I should be grateful that I got this job.” Say, “No, I think I was interviewing for director. Let’s go back to that.”

So that’s one scenario. Another is, they might just have marketing and then a position and not really the level, and then, with you, they work out the level. With the conversations with your hiring manager, if you find out there’s a lot more work than what HR has in the job description, then you can say, “Given that, I would expect that to be this job.” But you need that same preparation of having some job descriptions to back you up on that.

And don’t feel like you’re going to hurt their feelings if you bring it up.

Would you recommend negotiating for a higher title without the higher pay as a career move?

This is such a common step. But remember, except for Massachusetts, recruiters look at your current pay to decide if you’re good, bad or indifferent. So if you are getting paid manager money with the title of director and you happen to be a woman so you’re already 20 percent underpaid, you look really bad for the next level step. That’s a huge issue. Plus, your promotion without a pay raise is the definition of underpaid. There is no way around that.

I would be really scared about doing it and have more questions than acceptance when it is offered to you. Because if they don’t hire you, they’re going to go outside and hire someone and pay them what the markets say. And I know they pull on your heart strings with all the, “We want to help your career, but we can’t do it with giving you more money.” They have really good stories for it; they’re just not correct stories.

So how do you start the conversation about a new title?

Use the word, “Surprised.”

Going back to that collaborative negotiating technique that women excel at, it’s more about asking questions than making a demand. It’s more about, “I’m surprised this job is only entitled X. Can you walk me through that because it seems to be more of a X-plus level job.” So you’re asking them to justify why the title is what it is, and they’re going to show holes and you just drive through the hole.