At the executive level, your value as an employee becomes a little more complex. Negotiating your salary package can be tricky, as long-term incentives (LTIs) in the form of stocks, share options and deferred cash come into the picture.

The idea of “total compensation” is often more important to professionals at this level of seniority than the base salary or guaranteed monthly remuneration. It is important to clearly relate your big-picture thinking in the package negotiation process. This will show your maturity as a senior professional and send the message to your potential new employer that you are in this for the long haul and not just looking for a bump in base pay.

It is highly recommended that you divulge all details of your executive package closer to the beginning of a recruitment process, to ensure that the new organisation that you are potentially joining can structure a total compensation similar to your existing one. For example, some publicly listed companies, both local and international, do not offer LTIs.

When starting negotiations, especially in a sales-related role, keep in mind that the revenue size you will be taking charge of will often dictate the budget for a role.

Some negotiation will be necessary but don’t assume that your new employer will offer the package that you deserve. While there is a general salary increase of 15 to 20 per cent for job movers in the market, it does not necessarily apply to the executive level. Generally, senior professionals move for parity because it is the right job at the right company in the right location.

Keeping in mind that transparency is also essential, if your first contact is with a HR representative, you can email them a copy of your current package for their reference after you have met them as a follow-up. If you are interviewing directly with the hiring manager, it is worth asking if there is any interest in referring to a breakdown of your current compensation. This should create a comfortable start to working out a total salary package with your potential employer.

This article appeared in the Classified Post print edition as Executive decisions.

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Negotiating your new salary at the highest level