Salary negotiation is tough, and most of us aren't very good at it. Potentially, employees will be in a position to negotiate salary many times in a given career.

But if you're not good at it, it's likely to be an awkward and ineffective experience.

Nonetheless, HR wants you to know how to do it well, because it helps establish a balance of compensation and aptitude that influences the company as a whole.

The linked article lists 5 handy ways to up your salary negotiation game. Some of these include:

• Having a realistic idea of what you're worth within your company and the industry at large
• Having concrete examples of why you're worth a raise
• Knowing that benefits and bonus agreements may be easier (and even more desirable) to get than a raise

Read full article at Money.