3 Ways To Negotiate Non-Salary Benefits

Job seekers have a number of priorities when looking for a job, but salary usually ranks highest. While being paid well is important, applicants should also consider the benefits that are offered by the organization for which they applied.

Nonprofits offer a wide range of benefits to their employees, many of which are listed in The NonProfit Times' 2012 Nonprofit Organizations Benefits Report. Job hunters should take a look at the benefits that are usually given to specific positions to ensure they are being offered a fair deal.

With that in mind, here are three ways to negotiate benefits should you get a job offer:

• Research: As was mentioned above, you should research the standard benefits for specific nonprofit jobs. You should also investigate the organization in question; find out how it's doing financially, and only ask for benefits you know it can afford.
• Focus on the Future: There are certain job offers that are just too good to turn down despite the lack of benefits. If this is the case, consider revisiting the situation in a few months after you have shown your worth to the organization. Your superiors could be more inclined to offer you better perks if you have shown yourself to be valuable.
• Prioritize: What benefits are most important to you? You shouldn't hand the employer a laundry list of items you require, but you should be strategic about what you ask for to increase your chances of success. If you have a long commute, for example, it would make sense to ask for flex time.