One of the most awkward parts of an interview is salary discussions. Whether you’re a job seeker or an interviewer, the topic can be extremely uncomfortable and potentially nerve-wracking. The good news is that there are some guidelines you can follow to help make this discussion go smoothly.
Discussing Salary In Interview
Introduction
Many job seekers worry about the question of salary expectations in interviews. The fear is that if you answer too low, you won’t get paid as much as you want or deserve. On the other hand, asking for more than the company is able to pay can lose you the position. In this excerpt from my book Interview Intervention: How to Take Charge of your Career and Create a Path to Employment, I’ll share all you need to know about discussing salary in an interview.
Why do recruiters ask for salary expectations?
Recruiters want to know what you are worth.
Recruiters want to know if you are undervaluing yourself.
Recruiters want to know if you are overvaluing yourself.
Recruiters want to know if you are realistic about your skills and experience, and how much of a raise or promotion path is possible for them at this company.
When do employers discuss salary?
When do employers discuss salary?
The answer is: It depends. In most cases, the employer will discuss salary after you have been offered the job. However, if you are in an interview for a senior position or a highly specialized role, they may ask about your current salary before offering you the job. If this occurs and you are not prepared to answer with confidence, then it will be difficult for them to make an offer because they cannot factor in how much money they need to pay you in order to get what they want out of your skillset while also being able to afford it themselves (i.e., making a profit).
Once an offer has been made and accepted by all parties involved and paperwork has been signed (if necessary), then most employers will wait until after new hires have started their jobs before discussing salary packages again—usually around 3-6 months into their employment period. Other companies may choose instead not
to wait so long; some companies like Amazon even require new employees within their first month on the job!
What can you say when asked about salary expectations?
When asked about salary expectations, you have a few options. You can go with the “generic” response of saying you’re looking for something competitive, or you can be more specific by stating exactly what you’re looking for. If you don’t know what you want to make, then say so and explain that it’s important for employers to understand your needs and goals.
If an employer asks a question about pay rates or salaries during an interview, then be prepared with a good answer that supports your candidacy without giving away too much information.
What is a salary requirement question?
What is a salary requirement question?
A salary requirement question is a question that asks you how much you want to be paid. It’s an important question and one that you should be prepared to answer in the first interview, as well as during any subsequent interviews.
How to figure out how much to ask for in salary
When you are negotiating a salary, you will want to know the going rate for someone in your position. It’s important to look at similar roles in the same industry, as well as the market value of the job, but there are other factors that can come into play when determining how much you should ask for.
Look at similar roles in the same industry
Look at salary ranges for similar jobs across different locations and companies (e.g., Glassdoor)
Consider industry standards or norms (i.e., if everyone in your company makes $100K+, it may be time to look elsewhere)
Find out what others are making by asking friends who work in similar roles
You should research how much you are worth before interviewing.
To make sure you’re prepared for the salary negotiation process, you should research how much you are worth before interviewing. And by “worth,” I mean your market value and what other people with similar experience are being paid in that area.
If you’re not familiar with salary websites and calculators, use one of those to get an idea of what your base pay should be. In most cases, this will be a starting point for your discussion during interviews. But there are other ways as well: talking to people in your industry or using salary negotiation tools like Salary Negotiation Strategies [https://www.slideshare.net/salarienegotiationstrategies/].
Conclusion
Oops! Click Regenerate Content below to try generating this section again.
