Q: What Salary Are You/were You Asking At Your Last Job
A: #1 – It would be very difficult for me to compare my last salary with this position for various reasonsprimarily because I dont have enough information about your whole package. Im sure we can discuss this subject and your entire package before an offer is made.
A: #2 – That would be like comparing two jobs that are entirely different in responsibilities and in the base and bonus structure. I would be more interested in hearing what the package you offer is, before I compare the two jobs. I hope we can postpone this subject until we both have more information to discuss salary and benefit comparisons.
A: #3 – I had an unusual situation at my last job where I took less salary to own a share of the company. I also had a bonus structure that I was receiving. I would have to look at the entire package that you offer before comparing the two jobs or salaries.
Q: What Are Your Salary Expectations
A: #1 – I was making $60,000 at my last job, plus bonuses. I would be expecting at least that and a 15 to 20 percent increase.
A: #2 – Im sure whatever you offer will be a fair amount for a person with my qualifications. Salary is not the most important factor to me. Im looking for opportunity.
A: #3 – I really need more information about the job before we start to discuss salary. Id like to postpone that discussion until later. Maybe you could tell me what is budgeted for the position, and how your commission structure works.
Dont Initiate The Salary Conversation On The First Interview
We all know that salary is an important consideration when deciding whether or not youre willing to accept a job offer. But the first interview is not the time to launch the discussion. While you may want to do it earlyto prevent wasting your time if the salary is totally unacceptableits counterproductive to do so.
At this early stage of the game, youre still selling yourself. You want to convey your enthusiasm for the role and emphasize your amazing qualifications. You want them to really want you before numbers are ever discussed.
If you bring up salary right away, youre immediately suggesting that money is your deciding factor. It might honestly bebut you dont want that to be the focus at this point. Youre still wowing them. Let that be the dominating concern. Later on, when money is being discussed, you want to refer back to all of the compelling reasons that youre the right person for the job, and you want them to already know these things from your earlier conversations.
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Mention All The Experiences That You Have:
If you want to get a good salary, you should always mention the experiences you have had in the past. People will only be convinced to give you a good salary if you prove it to them that you are absolutely worth it. In that way, you will have a bigger chance of getting the salary expectation you had and hopefully, you will not have to negotiate for it . Now doesnt that seem like a smart thing to do?
Consider The Complete Compensation Package
Next, consider how flexible you are willing to be. What other benefits do you consider vital that could potentially offset some salary? For example, continuous flexible working, bonus schemes, upskilling or career progression. During the interview process, you’ll come to understand if the organisation has the resources to pay your desired salary some may not, particularly if they are a start-up or not-for-profit. But perhaps they could meet your other career needs in terms of progression opportunities or work-life balance. The key is to assess your list of must-haves, then identify where salary sits on this list.
Again, remember to be realistic in how much your skills and experience are reasonably expected to attract.
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Give A Salary Range Not An Exact Number
If youve delayed answering the question and the interviewer asks you again, its time to respond. Avoid giving a specific number. Instead, you can provide a range. Cite your research and frame the conversation as being about what is fair rather than what you want. Here are some examples of how to answer:
For the less experienced candidate:
Example 1
I understand from my research and experience that low 50s to mid-60s is the competitive range for this role in this industry and city.
Example 2
In this environment and in this location, my research indicates that mid-50s to low-70s is a reasonable range.
For the more experienced candidate:
Based on my experience in this field and my research on the current market, I understand that mid 70 to low 90s is a competitive range.
Plan The Right Timing
Turns out, timing is everything. Most people wait until performance review season to ask for a salary adjustment, but by that time, your boss has probably already decided what raises will be doled out to the team.
Instead? Start talking to your boss about getting a raise three to four months in advance, writer and former human resources professional Suzanne Lucas of EvilHRLady.org told LearnVest. Thats when they decide the budget.
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Expecting A Job Offer Soon
Just in case youre not quite ready to negotiate your salarymaybe youre skeptical that negotiating salary actually works, or youre concerned about coming off as too aggressive or rubbing someone the wrong waylets start with why you should negotiate your salary.
And why not have a little fun with it?
When And How To Discuss Salary In The Interview
The dreaded salary discussion. Every job seeker worries about how and when to approach this topic.
Do you bring it up yourself? Or do you wait for them to do? Should you talk about it on the first interview? How do you give an answer that wont limit your negotiation abilities in the future, but also wont accidentally put you out of the running?
The salary element adds an extra layer of stress to an already stressful situation. But it doesnt have to be so difficult. Here are a few tried and true rules to keep in mind as you head in for your interview.
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How To Prepare For The Conversation
Before deciding on the salary you are looking for, you need to answer this very important question: Is this the salary you want or the salary you deserve?If youre going to negotiate your potential salary, you must go to your interview with evidence to back up why you deserve to be paid more than they are potentially offering. In order to help you work out your ideal salary, ask yourself the following questions:
Know Your Salary Requirements
Before you ask about salary, determine your ideal salary range. Do plenty of research to see what the current market and similar jobs in your area pay, using sites like Glassdoor and PayScale to collect relevant data. Then you won’t be shocked if the employer turns the question around to you, and you can accurately assess if you’ll still be interested in the job after the discussion.
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Answer Questions Broadly At First
Of course, just because you dont initiate the conversation doesnt mean they wont. You might be asked early on what your salary expectations are. Dont dance around the topic, avoiding an answer. That only looks odd and feels awkward for everyone.
Instead, cite a general range of pay you hope to make and then add a disclaimer that shows you recognize salary isnt the only form of compensation. Health insurance, company perks and job satisfaction are also important elements. Assure them that, if you both feel its the right fit, youre certain youll be able to make something work.
Prepare ahead of time by determining the range youll cite if and when asked, and practice your disclaimer.
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The Salary Requirement Question
If your interviewer doesnt ask the salary history question, you might be thrown another curveball early in the process: the salary requirement question. In an ideal job search, you wont discuss compensation during the interview process. This allows the hiring manager to focus on learning your skills while you focus on conveying your strengths and thoroughly understanding the opportunity. In reality this is not always the case. At some point during the interview process its possible that youll be asked about salary requirements. This question can stop even seasoned executives cold in their tracks if theyre not prepared.
When you answer salary requirement questions, its important to do so in a way that reflects your value and does not reduce your hiring potential. The best way to do this is to frame language positively and do your research so you know how much youre worth in the marketplace.
Of course you know what you made at your current or last position, but perhaps this new position requires more responsibility that demands a higher salary. Start by researching online on employment websites like
PayScale and Glassdoor. Learn the salaries of professionals that are currently working that position in that location. Then weigh that amount against the cost of living.
Tactics for answering the salary requirement question:
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Take Time To Assess The Offer
Before you accept the job, you need to decide if the salary offer is high enough. Remember, you dont have to answer immediately its often okay to ask for a little time to make a decision. If the hiring manager needs to fill the position urgently, this could both influence how much time you get to decide and if your prospective employer is willing to pay more to secure you for the job than waste more time in the hiring process.
When weighing up whether or not to accept an offer, go back to our salary comparison calculator to see how it compares with the rest of your industry. Enquire about and also keep in mind any other benefits the company is offering you: a company phone, laptop and other work equipment, or a company car could save you a lot of money and saves you the inconvenience.
Also consider if the company offers opportunities to progress from your starting role will you be advancing each year after your annual review, could promotions happen sooner than that or have most of the staff had to wait a few years to be given a raise or salary adjustment? Figure out how often they reassess your work, which is typically when you ask for a raise. If your job offers a commission, make sure it is a structure that suits you and find out if the structure is changed often.
Quick Overview: How To Negotiate Your Starting Salary
Before we jump into the detailed process, lets start with a very broad overview of how to negotiate your salary.
Salary negotiation starts early in the interview process, when youll often be asked for your current salary or expected salary. Rule #1 of salary negotiation is this: Do not disclose your salary history or salary requirements. This can be uncomfortable, but its your first opportunity to negotiate a much higher salary.
Once they make an offer, youll counter offer by sending a carefully written email that includes a strong case to support your counter offer. Typically, your counter offer will be 1020% more than their offer, and youll focus on your base salary at first.
After you send your counter, youll prepare a script ahead of the Final Discussion, which is typically a 35 minute conversation over the phone where the recruiter or hiring manager responds to your counter offer and you hash out all the final details of your offer. This is your last chance to improve your compensation package before you decide whether to accept their offer.
Finally, once you complete your negotiation and set a start date for your new role, youll want to give your notice and wrap things up at your current company. This is an important step because you can bolster your reputation while building your network before you leave your current role.
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Think Beyond The Pay Packet
Be sure to evaluate the entire compensation package. An interesting job with a lower starting salary could have a generous benefits package or opportunities to learn and grow with the company. You want to fully understand the whole picture, including health insurance, retirement plans and vacation days. Employers restricted by a smaller hiring budget might even sweeten the perks to close the deal.
Final Thoughts On Salary Talks
To sum up, heres what you need to remember when talking about salary in an interview:
- Know your worth and the forms of compensation that matter most to you.
- Use salary resources like Indeed Salaries to study the current trends and learn about the range for this job in your city.
- Give a range, not a specific number. Frame the conversation about salary around what is fair and competitive.
- Dont try to negotiate until you have a formal job offer.
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How Do You Ask For Payment Without Being Rude
For the best success when calling a client make sure you do the following:
When Is Salary An Issue For Women
Salary mayor may notbe an issue when youre job searching. It varies depending on what you do and where you want to work. Whats tricky is knowing what applies to the employer youre interviewing with. In general, there is more likely to be a fixed pay rate for lower-level, service, entry-level, and union jobs, as well as for positions that pay at union scale, which are sometimes called prevailing rate jobs.
Large organizations may have a structured compensation plan that pays the same wages, regardless of gender.
Dont presume that you will be paid less solely because youre a woman. Youre more likely to have to discuss your salary and to try to get a higher one when youre interviewing for mid-career to high-level positions where there are more variations in pay, not only within a company but also across industries. When you are considering jobs at a small company with unique positions, there may also be more parity issues than at a bigger employer.
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Turn The Question Around On The Interviewer
Once you get toward the end of the interview, start by trying to get the interviewer to tip his hand first, Pearl says. Ask the what the range is for the job or ask to hear the interviewers best offer.
The goal is to get them to mention their ideal range first since that will put you at an advantage for negotiations, Magas says.
You say:In general, I expect a salary thats consistent with current employees at the same level. I think I can be a great asset to this company, and if you agree, Id love to hear your offer.
What Did You Make In Your Last Position
This is the question that many job seekers dread, and you might be in the same boat.
But what is so darn scary? Well, everybody knows that the moment you reveal your previous salary you have made it much more difficult for yourself to negotiate anything much better than that.
Hiring Manager: Well, do you mind me asking you what you made at your previous job, XYZ Company?
Uh oh! This question has the potential to derail your interviewespecially if what you were making is far below what you want to be making. Many hiring managers will take your past salary and use that to decide how much theyll pay you. Instead of answering it directly, think like an executive and gently deflect/redirect.
Now this is where you need to have a little courage and more importantly, confidence in yourself
You: To be honest, I’m not sure that the salary I made in my last position is relevant with regard to this opportunity. It was a different position with different responsibilities, not to mention with a different company . More importantly, I am looking for a job that can compensate me fairly for my skills and experience.
This answer actually satisfies several criteria. Youre not answering directly and shooting down your ability to negotiate, and youre projecting confidence and showing that you know what youre worth.
Hiring Manager: Well then, how much are you expecting to make at this job?
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Master This Tricky Interview Question Today
Some interview questions are trickier than others. Being clear on when and how to talk salary is essential to your career, whether this is when you are applying for a role with a new company or asking for a pay rise in your current one. Coming to an honest and reasonable assessment of what youre worth and articulating it well takes practice, but you will soon find yourself able to confidently and assertively ask for what you deserve both now, and throughout your future career journey.
