First, before your first interview, check the employer’s Careers page on their website for benefits information. Feel free to ask about available benefits anytime, but if you ask during the initial screening, don’t worry if their answer is vague (“Oh, you know, we offer the standard stuff—health insurance, paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave...”).If you’re invited for another interview, you can dig deeper. Once they let you know that you’ve made it to the final round of considerations, you’re entitled to a straightforward answer about what their organization offers, and what they’re giving you (there might be some benefits you’re not eligible for until you’ve been with them for a certain amount of time). If they try to dodge the question and change the subject or refuse to answer, ask if you can speak with the person who can share a detail summary of the benefits.Negotiating benefits usually comes after the base salary’s been nailed down, since benefits can make up for the shortfall between what was offered and what you were hoping for. If the employer offers a lower salary than expected due to their budget and you still want to work for them, ask if you can have an earlier performance and salary review, or whether you’re eligible for performance-based bonuses or a signing bonus.You can ask for anything you’d like, but it’s best to prioritize your top 10 most wanted benefits and start negotiating at #1 first. If you’re already on a health insurance plan that is comparable to or better than the one offered by the employer, consider declining it in exchange for something that’s really important to you. Make sure you get your due, but don’t get caught up trying to gain benefits you don’t really care about just to “win.”While focusing on the important things like insurance and retirement plans, don’t forget about the smaller stuff that employers are often willing to accommodate: compensatory time (important if you’re exempt from earning overtime pay), professional development and training, tuition subsidy or reimbursement, a new computer/laptop or software upgrades, a new smartphone or subsidizing your current plan, free gym membership and/or fitness incentives, and transportation/parking.Once you’ve verbally accepted the offer, consider it set in stone. Changing your mind about what you want while you’re waiting for them to send you the offer letter—or holding your signature for ransom—will not only make you look bad, but might make the employer rescind their offer entirely.