Salary Increases in 2008 Expected to Be 4%

According to the Compensation Force Blog, 2008 salary increases are expected to average 4%. With that in mind, job seekers should consider strategies for negotiating their total compensation packages that go past the base salary. By negotiating a signing bonus or pro-rated bonus based on individual or company performance, job seekers may be able to barter for a more generous total rewards package. Stock options and company perks like cell phones and laptops when appropriate may also be requested to help "sweeten the pot". Companies will only budge so far when negotiating a performance increase. Try to negotiate more of the "extras" before you take the job to help compensate for some of the "average" salary increases you may be offered along the way.