The Terms and Conditions Discussion: Negotiate Without the Awkwardness

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The terms and conditions discussion: the final hurdle, not the first

You've made it through the interviews, there's a good match, and now comes the terms and conditions discussion. This is the moment when you and your (future) employer agree on what will go into your contract: salary, hours, contract type, but also everything around it — travel allowance, training budget, extra days off. Many people find this dreadfully nerve-wracking. Unnecessarily so: your employer expects you to negotiate. It's simply part of the process.

Primary versus secondary — and why that difference matters

Primary terms of employment are the basics: salary, working hours, contract type. Secondary terms are everything around that: training budget, home-working allowance, a company car or phone, extra holiday days. No room left in the salary? There's often still movement there. Those who focus only on the base salary regularly leave part of the negotiating room untouched.

How to prepare

1. Know the market rate. Find out what's standard for your role, experience and region, and check whether a collective labour agreement applies — this often determines a large part of what is and isn't negotiable.
2. Make a list of priorities. What matters most to you: salary, days off, training, flexibility? Not everything carries equal weight for you, and you're allowed to use that.
3. Determine your minimum and your target. That way you know exactly when to say “yes” and when to push further.
4. Let the employer make the first offer. And never accept the first offer straight away — even if it's already fairly close to what you want.

How to conduct the conversation itself

A terms and conditions discussion isn't a contest with one winner, but a conversation in which you try to reach an agreement together. Be clear about what you want, but stay calm — even if things get a bit tense. Get a “no” on your salary request? Ask where there is room instead. Often that lies in the secondary terms. And if the conversation gets stuck? It's fine to wrap it up for now and arrange a follow-up meeting. Not every deal needs to be settled in one conversation.

Negotiate with figures, not with a gut feeling

Most people go into this conversation without knowing what a realistic offer actually looks like — and then negotiate on instinct, which rarely gives you the strongest position. Our Salary Negotiation Tool gives you a realistic figure along with ready-made arguments for both your primary and secondary wishes, so you go into the conversation armed with facts rather than hope.

Prepare with the Salary Negotiation Tool →

In short

• The terms and conditions discussion is about more than salary — secondary terms count too.
• Know the market rate and your collective labour agreement before you go into the conversation.
• Let the employer make the first offer and never accept the first offer straight away.
• No room on salary? Shift the focus to secondary terms.