How to answer the “What’s your current salary?” job interview question(medium.com)
medium.com
How to answer the “What’s your current salary?” job interview question
https://medium.com/@JoshDoody/how-to-answer-the-whats-your-current-salary-job-interview-question-486254cb59ad
32 comments
Totally agree. Its the same as when a cop pulls you over. Being abrasive yet technically legally correct will just get the cop to royally shit on your situation.
See my relevant comment in the thread below:
https://news.ycombinator.com/reply?id=13947819&goto=item%3Fi...
See my relevant comment in the thread below:
https://news.ycombinator.com/reply?id=13947819&goto=item%3Fi...
you can put a human being in a uniform and give them authority but they're still a human being with all the complexity around ego and personality.
Absolutely, I think this question is much better dealt with bluntness.. call their bluff.
"Is this a salary negotiation? Lets talk about what I am worth."
"Is this a salary negotiation? Lets talk about what I am worth."
What if they say you are worth what you were paid in your last job!
Laugh at their crappy joke and start talking about what you delivered at your last job. Ask if cashmoney is tight, so what can they offer you besides salary.
The point is you are now firmly in negotiation mode, you just said so! But you have turned the question into what you are worth and what can they do to secure you.
But if they are really pushy and say, no seriously what did you get at your last job, push back. Seriously, is this an interview or are you just looking for market data... and always be prepared to walk out.
The point is you are now firmly in negotiation mode, you just said so! But you have turned the question into what you are worth and what can they do to secure you.
But if they are really pushy and say, no seriously what did you get at your last job, push back. Seriously, is this an interview or are you just looking for market data... and always be prepared to walk out.
I don't know what kind of positions you are applying for but if a recruiter started antagonizing me like that I'd say "well it looks like we are not a good fit for each other. Have a nice day!"
If the applicant has the upper hand (i.e. if he has highly desired rare skills), this will not happen.
And if he doesn't because you are applying for the 99% of jobs that require no unique knowledge - then it is no loss for the recruiter to antagonise the applicant. The worst outcome is to get the subjectively second-best candidate out of a hundred who can all do the job just as well.
And if he doesn't because you are applying for the 99% of jobs that require no unique knowledge - then it is no loss for the recruiter to antagonise the applicant. The worst outcome is to get the subjectively second-best candidate out of a hundred who can all do the job just as well.
They were looking for somebody cheap. Bullet dodged.
Then why would I care to switch jobs?
> Another one is about my children. They are five and seven and finish school in the
> afternoon, when they are collected by their after school service. Under EU law
> interviewers cannot ask about my family life, but they do.
I would find the time to have a brief consultation with a lawyer familiar with workplace & EEO law, and hear what they think.
Note that EEO law usually aren't regulated (companies don't need to show they are in compliance, and government agencies don't conduct spot checks with 'mystery candidates'); they have to fear the punishment of a settlement in order to abide with the law. If they're a tiny fly-by-night company they might just close up and re-establish elsewhere to avoid the suit.
Oh I know, but what can you do. It's your word against theirs. And if you were to tape the interview and successfully claim for unfair dismissal your name will get around the local IT industry pretty quickly.
Talk to a lawyer to find out what you can do; they will know the likelihood of a successful case, and most would be happy to at least do a free consultation for 30m-1h.
> And if you were to […] successfully claim for unfair dismissal your name will get around the local IT industry pretty quickly.
That's also unfair discrimination! But I'd be amazed if any settlement didn't include a gag clause to prevent the parties from commenting on anything related to it. If they did, then it's back to court for a breach of contract…
This isn't personal, it's just business. Companies use these tactics because candidates let them get away with it.
> And if you were to […] successfully claim for unfair dismissal your name will get around the local IT industry pretty quickly.
That's also unfair discrimination! But I'd be amazed if any settlement didn't include a gag clause to prevent the parties from commenting on anything related to it. If they did, then it's back to court for a breach of contract…
This isn't personal, it's just business. Companies use these tactics because candidates let them get away with it.
How would one prove after the fact that they asked that question? They could just lie.
It's not criminal law, so there's no need for proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The burden is on the company to show that their interview process was in compliance e.g. with training material and documented feedback regarding the interview. A legit company would have no problem with that.
It's enough to say: I am an employee with children, I was asked about how my family obligations might affect how I would perform on the job, I was not given an offer because I was unfairly discriminated against.
It's enough to say: I am an employee with children, I was asked about how my family obligations might affect how I would perform on the job, I was not given an offer because I was unfairly discriminated against.
Do you need any one job that badly? Appreciate I am in a fortunate position but I was under the impression that there is more demand for developers than there is supply.
I think there's more demand for cheap developers. There's almost no demand for expensive ones imho.
I agree. And I would even go a step further. There shouldn't be demand for "expensive" devs. Because they aren't worth their dime. No one is.
Great devs should receive their worth as compensation. But that wouldn't make them expensive. That would just make them worth their dime.
But I totally get the point you were trying to make. Lot's of employers try to get one over and not pay you what you are worth.
Great devs should receive their worth as compensation. But that wouldn't make them expensive. That would just make them worth their dime.
But I totally get the point you were trying to make. Lot's of employers try to get one over and not pay you what you are worth.
How do you define "their dime", "expensive" and "what you are worth"? Because anyone could agree or disagree with this statement, depending on those definitions.
Interesting, my view has been almost the opposite. It's difficult to get your first developer role. But after a year of that and salaries increase quite rapidly. likewise with contracting / freelancing.
Of course my view of cheap and expensive may be different from yours.
Of course my view of cheap and expensive may be different from yours.
I have found that with a shortage of developer talent companies are quite happy to pay to get staff who have no baggage that can affect productivity. In other words they'll pay you loads, but you better be in the office all the time, and maybe throw in a bit of overtime as well.
Most companies that claim to be family friendly are anything but.
Most companies that claim to be family friendly are anything but.
I once named my salary and they thought it was so high that they said they'll need a salary strip to prove it before signing the contract.
The negotiation stranded on other points, so I never had to. But I had the gut feeling this practice is not legal (in EU).
The negotiation stranded on other points, so I never had to. But I had the gut feeling this practice is not legal (in EU).
It is not legal (data protection act). And my experience is the same. I tell the recruiter this and if they persist I politely end the conversation. There are enough jobs out there.
For software engineers maybe. Not everyone has that much choice, unfortunately.
My experience is quite bad with such companies. There are some huge ones, who are mostly remote, and the first question is "how much do you want to get". I answer, then there is no negotiation, and I usually want just too much (which usually is what I was making at that time). They don't also want to talk with me about any different figures, there is no counter offer, nothing. This is really sad, seems like they don't care because they have an endless pool of talents to hire.
But then it seems like that's not true, as the companies are posting the same job ad for the next months (or even years), and cannot find anyone for that position. And people from those companies cry that they cannot find programmers. And forums keep filling with comments about their stupid recruitment process.
It seems to me that the companies which want to talk, and negotiate the salaries are winning, and can find people.
For the question about my current salary, I answer that my contract doesn't allow me to tell that. If they insist, I ask them if, after getting me hired, they would like me to tell my future employers how much they pay me. That usually ends these questions.
However I don't have any good reason not to answer about my salary expectations, but it seems like I usually want too much :)
But then it seems like that's not true, as the companies are posting the same job ad for the next months (or even years), and cannot find anyone for that position. And people from those companies cry that they cannot find programmers. And forums keep filling with comments about their stupid recruitment process.
It seems to me that the companies which want to talk, and negotiate the salaries are winning, and can find people.
For the question about my current salary, I answer that my contract doesn't allow me to tell that. If they insist, I ask them if, after getting me hired, they would like me to tell my future employers how much they pay me. That usually ends these questions.
However I don't have any good reason not to answer about my salary expectations, but it seems like I usually want too much :)
That sounds like a recruiter going off the script. If they're being that direct, turn it around: my salary expectations depend on how I'd fit in at your company, and how much value I'd add. I hope we can talk about that further along in the interview process, but for the sake of not exceeding your hiring budget, please let me know what the salary range is for this position and I will let you know what we'll need to negotiate on to get to an offer which will work for me.
The intent here is to negotiate in good faith: if they come back with upper salary that is 75% of your expected, go back with: thanks for sharing that information, in order for me to be comfortable with that compensation I'll have to (ask for extra leave/holiday, part-time hours, work from home, X conference trips per year, stock compensation, 3/6/12 month review with performance targets agreed up front which will bump your salary up).
The intent here is to negotiate in good faith: if they come back with upper salary that is 75% of your expected, go back with: thanks for sharing that information, in order for me to be comfortable with that compensation I'll have to (ask for extra leave/holiday, part-time hours, work from home, X conference trips per year, stock compensation, 3/6/12 month review with performance targets agreed up front which will bump your salary up).
they probably need to post those position so that they appear legit at an audit, for whatever reason (anti discrimination quotas, visa regulations, need to make hiring a cousin's wife legit in front of hr etc)
Say "My contract prevents me from disclosing my compensation package" (probably true), "and I treat my commitments seriously."
This! And if it does not say so in your contract you can add a little "I believe my contact..." in there.
Many other advocate lying. I'm kind of hesitant to do that because of my believe that it is "starting off on the wrong foot".
Many other advocate lying. I'm kind of hesitant to do that because of my believe that it is "starting off on the wrong foot".
You can say, I'm sorry but I'm restricted as to who I can share that information with. Who's restricting you? me, falsedan! Don't tell potential employees your current salary, unless they've given you an offer and you want to negotiate up.
By law (in the US anyway), employer's can't keep you from disclosing your salary.
If you are thinking of the National Labor Relations Act, that is not quite correct. Disclosing your pay to fellow employees is allowed, but the employer can prohibit disclosing your pay to outsiders. Also, this does not cover supervisors or contractors. (These limitations make some sense, as the purpose of prohibiting discussing pay was to facilitate collective bargaining).
I believe that some states have laws that provide more extensive protection for pay disclosure, including to outsiders.
I believe that some states have laws that provide more extensive protection for pay disclosure, including to outsiders.
Yes, I belive "recruiters" should be dealt like that when they ask such question. They can use that information to pitch some guys they have in line for your position as well.
I am not going to give free information to third party which might be actually affecting my employer.
I am not going to give free information to third party which might be actually affecting my employer.
Here's something that worked well for me: I deferred the salary question until after I'd had some contact with my potential employer (rather than the recruiter) so they had a sense of my value. Then, when asked what my current salary was, I said something along the lines of the following: "my current salary is well below where I want it to be, because I started out in a low-level job and worked my way up getting the usual incremental pay rises when I changed jobs. I'm currently on £XX,XXX but rather than give me an incremental offer I want you to give me an honest offer of what you think I am worth".
It depends on the company, but in my experience SMEs aren't out to screw people on salary and being honest and straightforward netted me a much more generous offer than I would have gotten otherwise. Many of the comments in this thread seem to advocate using tricks to fight the tricks that recruiters use, but sometimes being honest and letting your potential employer see your perspective can work wonders. Especially once you've gotten to know them a little bit in an interview or phone call so they don't feel like they're taking a gamble by employing you.
It depends on the company, but in my experience SMEs aren't out to screw people on salary and being honest and straightforward netted me a much more generous offer than I would have gotten otherwise. Many of the comments in this thread seem to advocate using tricks to fight the tricks that recruiters use, but sometimes being honest and letting your potential employer see your perspective can work wonders. Especially once you've gotten to know them a little bit in an interview or phone call so they don't feel like they're taking a gamble by employing you.
It has nothing to do with "screwing people". This is terrible advice. Salary negotiation is the single most important financial decision you will make in your life. That shit compounds, son!
Do. Not. Give. Them. A. Figure. First. Don't!
@patio11 explains why in exquisite detail here: http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/
Do. Not. Give. Them. A. Figure. First. Don't!
@patio11 explains why in exquisite detail here: http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/
you say all this like I suggested anything different. Salary negotiation is important, and in my experience the worst thing you can do is either mentally commit to taking the job before you negotiate a salary, or sow the seeds of mutual distrust early on. If you try to pull the same bullshit on the recruiter that they're pulling on you then you're playing their game on their terms.
What I've suggested, contrary to your (unnecessarily abrasive) reply, is not to give up on negotiations but to push past the impersonal arguing over numbers and get to the actual negotiation at hand by laying not only your own cards, but the other person's cards, on the table. You implicitly say up front "if you try to pull the same old $salary * 1.1 game with me I'll turn down your offer" while also laying out what your expectation is. You name a number, and say "that number is not good enough, make it better" and thus leave the ball in their court. This is not you saying "well I want a better salary than I have now, I make £20,000 and I will accept £27,000" - you're saying "well I want a better salary than I have now, I know I'm underpaid, I make £20,000 right now - it's on you to guess what I place my value at, but you know it's not a small jump".
All this without making you look like a distrustful asshole like many of the previous suggestions would do.
Oh, and I forgot to mention in my previous comment - you can be ambiguous about the amount you make too if you want, e.g. "I make below market rate" or "I make about 2/3 of what my friend makes for the same job". But it's very transparent.
What I've suggested, contrary to your (unnecessarily abrasive) reply, is not to give up on negotiations but to push past the impersonal arguing over numbers and get to the actual negotiation at hand by laying not only your own cards, but the other person's cards, on the table. You implicitly say up front "if you try to pull the same old $salary * 1.1 game with me I'll turn down your offer" while also laying out what your expectation is. You name a number, and say "that number is not good enough, make it better" and thus leave the ball in their court. This is not you saying "well I want a better salary than I have now, I make £20,000 and I will accept £27,000" - you're saying "well I want a better salary than I have now, I know I'm underpaid, I make £20,000 right now - it's on you to guess what I place my value at, but you know it's not a small jump".
All this without making you look like a distrustful asshole like many of the previous suggestions would do.
Oh, and I forgot to mention in my previous comment - you can be ambiguous about the amount you make too if you want, e.g. "I make below market rate" or "I make about 2/3 of what my friend makes for the same job". But it's very transparent.
You suggested giving a number first. Your mental gymnastics about why that is justified or professional do not somehow make that a game-theoretical good choice.
Seriously, you don't come across as "distrustful asshole" when you repeatedly refuse to divulge it, you come across as competent at business.
Transparency is not your friend in a negotiation. You profit from having secrets. Every professional negotiator knows this.
Seriously, you don't come across as "distrustful asshole" when you repeatedly refuse to divulge it, you come across as competent at business.
Transparency is not your friend in a negotiation. You profit from having secrets. Every professional negotiator knows this.
your black-and-white view of "giving a number" and complete refusal to seemingly even read my comment shows that there's no point trying to explain this to you again.
As developers we are highly in demand right now so don't have to be overly clever in negotiation.
I use a simple and foolproof strategy when asked for my current or expected compensation: "sorry I'm not willing to disclose my current comp, but I am looking for around X", where X is the amount you would need if there are no other bonuses or perks.
Then they can talk you down from there if they want to proceed, you have anchored the conversation appropriately, and demonstrated you are negotiating from a position of strength, not weakness - which is the key to not getting pushed around.
If they push on current comp just stand firm and politely refuse - you likely don't want to work anywhere that won't talk to you if you refuse to disclose your current comp, and there are plenty of other options besides. Save your time and energy for good companies willing to negotiate in good faith, there are lots around.
The only hard part is determining what your labour is really worth - this can take a fair bit of effort, research and soul-searching, but is an absolutely essential prerequisite to negotiation.
I use a simple and foolproof strategy when asked for my current or expected compensation: "sorry I'm not willing to disclose my current comp, but I am looking for around X", where X is the amount you would need if there are no other bonuses or perks.
Then they can talk you down from there if they want to proceed, you have anchored the conversation appropriately, and demonstrated you are negotiating from a position of strength, not weakness - which is the key to not getting pushed around.
If they push on current comp just stand firm and politely refuse - you likely don't want to work anywhere that won't talk to you if you refuse to disclose your current comp, and there are plenty of other options besides. Save your time and energy for good companies willing to negotiate in good faith, there are lots around.
The only hard part is determining what your labour is really worth - this can take a fair bit of effort, research and soul-searching, but is an absolutely essential prerequisite to negotiation.
> The only hard part is determining what your labour is really worth - this can take a fair bit of effort, research and soul-searching, but is an absolutely essential prerequisite to negotiation.
I disagree. I think the intrinsic value of labour is not necessary to consider when calculating what you should be paid. The golden rule is: you're worth what people will pay you.
I think you need three numbers: how much you need to be comfortable (i.e. you have a budget for living expenses & savings goals); how much the market is paying for similar positions; how much value you will add to their company.
The first number is your low-end: you can't accept an offer under it, and you'd accept an offer around it to build your skills, experience, and networking. The third is their high-end: they can't pay more than you bring in or else they'll go bust. They probably don't know this number, their budget would be set based on market rates.
Your job as a candidate is to find positions where the market rate is above your low-end, and then identify the areas where your skills & experience will provide more value to the company that they expected, so they can better calculate their high-end & are willing to negotiate up accordingly.
I disagree. I think the intrinsic value of labour is not necessary to consider when calculating what you should be paid. The golden rule is: you're worth what people will pay you.
I think you need three numbers: how much you need to be comfortable (i.e. you have a budget for living expenses & savings goals); how much the market is paying for similar positions; how much value you will add to their company.
The first number is your low-end: you can't accept an offer under it, and you'd accept an offer around it to build your skills, experience, and networking. The third is their high-end: they can't pay more than you bring in or else they'll go bust. They probably don't know this number, their budget would be set based on market rates.
Your job as a candidate is to find positions where the market rate is above your low-end, and then identify the areas where your skills & experience will provide more value to the company that they expected, so they can better calculate their high-end & are willing to negotiate up accordingly.
Sorry my comment was unclear, I mostly agree with you. In a negotiation the only thing that matters is how much the company values your labour, and how much of that value you can capture. Figuring this out is the hard part.
No problem, I made the jump to intrinsic value [of labour] myself.
Yeah, nice idea, but then when HR comes into play you can't expect logic(or you can, but a very twisted one).
I know someone who the engineering team really wanted, but he was paid 65k currently, and he wanted at least 80k, because he would have to move to London.
Who did the HR decide to hire? A guy who scored much worse during the interview, but he "only" wanted an increase from 90k to 95k - and HR was prohibited by corporate policy from offering more than 10% increase in previous salary for new hires, so the first guy couldn't be offered 80k - even though the person they actually hired was paid a lot more than that.
Is the policy stupid? Yes it is. But that's the real world situation you sometimes have to deal with.
I know someone who the engineering team really wanted, but he was paid 65k currently, and he wanted at least 80k, because he would have to move to London.
Who did the HR decide to hire? A guy who scored much worse during the interview, but he "only" wanted an increase from 90k to 95k - and HR was prohibited by corporate policy from offering more than 10% increase in previous salary for new hires, so the first guy couldn't be offered 80k - even though the person they actually hired was paid a lot more than that.
Is the policy stupid? Yes it is. But that's the real world situation you sometimes have to deal with.
I've heard this before. A little over two years ago, I was asking for what amounted to a 22% increase in salary. I was perfectly within market range with the increase. The HR person said she couldn't authorize this. I politely ended the interview without answering any of her other questions.
I have changed employers a lot, never asked for much on average (proportionally to the risk let's say), so my salary grew up a lot without difficult negotiations. (And -- yes, it did happen to me that I was offered more than I asked for... it is very, very far from being good thing for your future in the new company.)
One point to keep in mind. In my personal experience, big companies are frequently behave well when hiring for regular tech jobs -- they won't offer stellar salaries, but will not try to squeeze you dry from the start either (will try to get you to what they believe is median for your qualifications). And usually will let you understand this during salary negotiation, so you kind of have less reason to conceal your present figure.
However, as you salary grows, many of them will not be adjusting the grade in the hiring process (and of course never afterwards, except for big promotions).
So when negotiating, once you got the amount from them, ask where it lies on the range for the grade you will be given. Make sure there is a margin for growth. If there is not -- beware, it might be very hard for you to be raised afterwards, however excellent your results might be.
One point to keep in mind. In my personal experience, big companies are frequently behave well when hiring for regular tech jobs -- they won't offer stellar salaries, but will not try to squeeze you dry from the start either (will try to get you to what they believe is median for your qualifications). And usually will let you understand this during salary negotiation, so you kind of have less reason to conceal your present figure.
However, as you salary grows, many of them will not be adjusting the grade in the hiring process (and of course never afterwards, except for big promotions).
So when negotiating, once you got the amount from them, ask where it lies on the range for the grade you will be given. Make sure there is a margin for growth. If there is not -- beware, it might be very hard for you to be raised afterwards, however excellent your results might be.
> ask where it lies on the range for the grade you will be given. Make sure there is a margin for growth. If there is not -- beware, it might be very hard for you to be raised afterward
That's a very good piece of advice, thanks for writing that!
That's a very good piece of advice, thanks for writing that!
And what if you lie? Also, I think it depends on what country you're in. For instance in UK most recruiters are 3rd party companies operating only as middlemen and their compensation from the employer company is directly proportional to your offered yearly salary (usually something like 15%), so they are interested in getting you the highest possible salary within reason.
"so they are interested in getting you the highest possible salary within reason."
They care far more about closing the sale and moving on to the next one. Also their relationship with employers is far more valuable to them than their relationship to any individual so if anything they will side with their customer (i.e. who is paying them) which is the employer not the employee.
They care far more about closing the sale and moving on to the next one. Also their relationship with employers is far more valuable to them than their relationship to any individual so if anything they will side with their customer (i.e. who is paying them) which is the employer not the employee.
Lying (about anything) seems like a poor way to start a relationship between you and your employer.
Of course, negotiation is expected and you shouldn't lay all your cards on the table, but outright lying might poison the relationship.
Of course, negotiation is expected and you shouldn't lay all your cards on the table, but outright lying might poison the relationship.
The beautiful German language: To "earn" and "deserve" are the same word. So you're technically not lying if they ask "Wieviel verdienen Sie?"
Outright saying I'm currently on X has worked wonders for me.
X is 20% more than what I actually earn.
X is 20% more than what I actually earn.
I saw an article a few years ago, where they said most people disadvantage themselves unknowingly - by not negotiating their salary for their first job out of college harder.
The thinking being that if most people usually move jobs for their current salary +x%, that initial figure has a profound compound effect throughout the rest of your earning career.
The thinking being that if most people usually move jobs for their current salary +x%, that initial figure has a profound compound effect throughout the rest of your earning career.
You don't usually have anything to offer fresh out of college. Jumping jobs more often I think has a much higher pay off, and you naturally get better at negotiating from the experience.
Bad advice if your value delivered is 100-200% what you currently earn (which can vary significantly based on the organization into which you deliver it). This can mean the difference between having a boat to retire on or not, after compound interest.
I don't think I have the stones to push for 100% - 200% increases...
If at all possible, avoid going in through the front door i.e. use your network to get introduced. Perhaps someone you worked with or went to school with works at the company you're interested in. This may give you a little more leverage with H.R.
An even better way is avoid companies that are large enough to even have an H.R. department.
When faced with the "give us a number or we're done" just stand up, reach out to shake their hand, smile and say "Thank you for your time." You have no leverage, and the company is demonstrating that they want to hire developers like they are an interchangeable commodity - they don't really value them.
An even better way is avoid companies that are large enough to even have an H.R. department.
When faced with the "give us a number or we're done" just stand up, reach out to shake their hand, smile and say "Thank you for your time." You have no leverage, and the company is demonstrating that they want to hire developers like they are an interchangeable commodity - they don't really value them.
[deleted]
Here's a better advice, if you allow me to quote the title of a book by Cal Newton: be so good at what you do that they can't ignore you.
Don't play little games like that. You end up wasting everybody's time. Maybe you don't care about their time, but you should care about yours. The interview process is taxing, you can't focus properly at your current job, the uncertainty eats at you, you can't treat it as a zero cost to you.
Don't play little games like that. You end up wasting everybody's time. Maybe you don't care about their time, but you should care about yours. The interview process is taxing, you can't focus properly at your current job, the uncertainty eats at you, you can't treat it as a zero cost to you.
Problem is that's just vague self-help-esq feel-good advice that applies to everything and subsequently means nothing.
In my experience, most recruiters push harder to get a number than the hypothetical conversations in the article. Maybe I'm not as much of a charismatic speaker as some. Fortunately, for the most part, they don't care if the number is your current salary or your expected salary. Generally, they are willing to meet or slightly exceed my current salary, but low ball my expected salary. I much prefer to give an expected salary (of about 10-15% more of my actual expected) than my current salary.
With the availability of Glassdoor and old-fashioned networking, it's really not hard to figure out market prices (at least for software engineers) in an area and company type.
I've tried to follow some of the advice of avoiding/deflecting the salary question, and I think it generally is a poor substitute for being well-informed. It also makes for some extremely awkward conversations when it comes time to negotiate. Maybe it's a personality thing, but I would rather set the upper bound and let them try to negotiate me down rather than letting them set the lower bound and try to negotiate them up.
With the availability of Glassdoor and old-fashioned networking, it's really not hard to figure out market prices (at least for software engineers) in an area and company type.
I've tried to follow some of the advice of avoiding/deflecting the salary question, and I think it generally is a poor substitute for being well-informed. It also makes for some extremely awkward conversations when it comes time to negotiate. Maybe it's a personality thing, but I would rather set the upper bound and let them try to negotiate me down rather than letting them set the lower bound and try to negotiate them up.
Like the OP says, you should avoid revealing your salary. If and when the time comes for that, you can give a wide variety of numbers for "my compensation is $X". That X can include some or all of your benefit package. They are not going to drill down to the details. If they do, and for some reason you have to reveal that, you can feel comfortable that you have told the truth.
As a tech founder, who see's lots of CVs, I'd like to call BS on salary expectations being simply a negotiation tactic. Knowing what salary the candidate expects, in an industry where salary ranges are extremely large, allows you to compare and contrast to other candidates with similar expectations. This creates a fair playing field for all candidates.
We publish our salary ranges, but the ranges are large - and I think this comes down to different ways people hire in tech. Big corporates say - we want a person @ £80k pay grade and expect them to have XYZ experience. On the other hand, a start-up will say, we want great coders - straight out of uni? 10 years experience? Doesn't matter. We want great coders. You'll be compared against others in your pay bracket when you apply.
It is in the candidates interest to state their expectation, as it doesn't waste anyone's time. If a candidate appears to be wasting our time, I'll automatically be less inclined to proceed - hiring isn't a game where you try to outsmart the other person. It's someone's livelihood, and ensuring both parties are clear, upfront, and honest is vital to a good employer / employee relationship.
As a candidate you should be thinking what makes me infinitely more hireable than the other candidates - playing a salary negotiation game from step 1 isn't going to do that.
As an employer, we try to be as clear as possible about our expectations - and it seems to work. Alternatively, we could of course split the "roles available" into 10 different pay brackets each with different expectations and force candidates to apply to the bracket they feel most suited for (and hence tell us their salary expectations), but this doesn't match reality, is disingenuous, and feels like a pointless exercise when it's so easy to be up-front and honest when neither party is trying to game the other!
We publish our salary ranges, but the ranges are large - and I think this comes down to different ways people hire in tech. Big corporates say - we want a person @ £80k pay grade and expect them to have XYZ experience. On the other hand, a start-up will say, we want great coders - straight out of uni? 10 years experience? Doesn't matter. We want great coders. You'll be compared against others in your pay bracket when you apply.
It is in the candidates interest to state their expectation, as it doesn't waste anyone's time. If a candidate appears to be wasting our time, I'll automatically be less inclined to proceed - hiring isn't a game where you try to outsmart the other person. It's someone's livelihood, and ensuring both parties are clear, upfront, and honest is vital to a good employer / employee relationship.
As a candidate you should be thinking what makes me infinitely more hireable than the other candidates - playing a salary negotiation game from step 1 isn't going to do that.
As an employer, we try to be as clear as possible about our expectations - and it seems to work. Alternatively, we could of course split the "roles available" into 10 different pay brackets each with different expectations and force candidates to apply to the bracket they feel most suited for (and hence tell us their salary expectations), but this doesn't match reality, is disingenuous, and feels like a pointless exercise when it's so easy to be up-front and honest when neither party is trying to game the other!
> It is in the candidates interest, as it doesn't waste anyone's time.
Wait, isn't it also in your interest to not have your time wasted?
So why not just share the salary range with the candidate, then?
Wait, isn't it also in your interest to not have your time wasted?
So why not just share the salary range with the candidate, then?
We do, of course. But the candidate also has an expectation and the range can be large.
Also, people still apply with expectations above the range - knowing that up front is useful!
Also, people still apply with expectations above the range - knowing that up front is useful!
[deleted]
Firstly, if you're desperate for a job, ignore the advice below. If you're not desperate, and can afford to walk away and move on to the next interview, following the advice below will ensure you're not taken advantage of during the interview and recruiting process.
Two golden, inviolable, rules:
1. Never lie.
2. Never be the first to name a number.
For the "What is you current salary?" question, you can answer with any of the below responses. They get increasing stern, so gauge which one to use based upon your impression of how aggressive the employer is.
- "My current employer does not allow me to discuss the terms of my employment"
- "This position is not exactly the same as my current job, so let’s discuss what my responsibilities would be here and then determine a fair salary for this job."
- "I’m happy to help you evaluate what I’d be worth to your business based upon my skills, experience and the value that I can add to your organisation, but my current salary is personal and confidential, just as the salaries of your own employees are."
For the "What salary are you seeking?" question, use the Noel Smith-Wenkle method (http://infohost.nmt.edu/~shipman/org/noel.html). In a nutshell, you move through the following answers for each time they repeat the question or try to pin you down to a specific figure.
1st answer: "I am much more interested in doing (type of work) here at (name of company) than I am in the size of the initial offer."
2nd answer: "I will consider any reasonable offer."
3rd (and subsequent) answers: "You are in a much better position to know how much I'm worth to you than I am."
Two golden, inviolable, rules:
1. Never lie.
2. Never be the first to name a number.
For the "What is you current salary?" question, you can answer with any of the below responses. They get increasing stern, so gauge which one to use based upon your impression of how aggressive the employer is.
- "My current employer does not allow me to discuss the terms of my employment"
- "This position is not exactly the same as my current job, so let’s discuss what my responsibilities would be here and then determine a fair salary for this job."
- "I’m happy to help you evaluate what I’d be worth to your business based upon my skills, experience and the value that I can add to your organisation, but my current salary is personal and confidential, just as the salaries of your own employees are."
For the "What salary are you seeking?" question, use the Noel Smith-Wenkle method (http://infohost.nmt.edu/~shipman/org/noel.html). In a nutshell, you move through the following answers for each time they repeat the question or try to pin you down to a specific figure.
1st answer: "I am much more interested in doing (type of work) here at (name of company) than I am in the size of the initial offer."
2nd answer: "I will consider any reasonable offer."
3rd (and subsequent) answers: "You are in a much better position to know how much I'm worth to you than I am."
Here's the simple, one line answer:
"I expect a salary that's competitive for someone with my abilities and experience."
Do not ever say any numbers, exact or ballpark (as the article says in so-many-words).
If they insist, you repeat the same answer.
If they insist yet again, you repeat the same answer again.
"I expect a salary that's competitive for someone with my abilities and experience."
Do not ever say any numbers, exact or ballpark (as the article says in so-many-words).
If they insist, you repeat the same answer.
If they insist yet again, you repeat the same answer again.
What if... your min-salary-absolutely is 70k, but their max-salary-whatever-happens is 50k, and you waste weeks of your time on several stages of interviewing only to learn that?
None of those "never tell your salary expectations" ever respond that question.
None of those "never tell your salary expectations" ever respond that question.
Except this article does address that concern, tangentially: ask the recruiter for the salary range.
Would an employer normally disclose the salary range? I mean, wouldn't candidates then always demand the maximum in the range?
I'm not sure if knowing the salary causes candidates to always ask for the maximum.
But that possibility doesn't seem to deter some companies from making salary ranges public (see Stack Overflow job listings for examples).
But that possibility doesn't seem to deter some companies from making salary ranges public (see Stack Overflow job listings for examples).
Employers usually don't directly but my experience is that recruiters will always give you the salary range if you ask.
It's one thing not to say what your current salary is, sure.
If you don't have required salary figure, there's a risk you'll spend a bunch of time interviewing for companies that can't afford you.
The times I've received job offers, I've had to spend at least two weekends preparing and two days of annual leave to reach the offer stage. And if the employer's pay scale caps out at a fraction of what I currently earn, why waste my time?
Of course, I'm fortunate enough that I've been in the industry for a reasonable amount of time, and I think I've got a good idea of what my skills are worth.
If you don't have required salary figure, there's a risk you'll spend a bunch of time interviewing for companies that can't afford you.
The times I've received job offers, I've had to spend at least two weekends preparing and two days of annual leave to reach the offer stage. And if the employer's pay scale caps out at a fraction of what I currently earn, why waste my time?
Of course, I'm fortunate enough that I've been in the industry for a reasonable amount of time, and I think I've got a good idea of what my skills are worth.
Simple answer. Build your network and get to know some recruiters. Recruiters can help you gauge what the market needs right now and what is being paid.
When I go into an interview, the salary I'm looking for is already known. I make my minimum salary clear - which is within the market range.
I don't need to negotiate. Could the rate I'm asking for be slightly lower than what I'm asking? Maybe in the short term . But eventually if you keep up with market, and are willing to aggressively change jobs. You should be within range.
When I go into an interview, the salary I'm looking for is already known. I make my minimum salary clear - which is within the market range.
I don't need to negotiate. Could the rate I'm asking for be slightly lower than what I'm asking? Maybe in the short term . But eventually if you keep up with market, and are willing to aggressively change jobs. You should be within range.
This is what I said recently and it worked spectacularly well. (Increased my salary by 25%.)
I said: "I would prefer that you tell me what the position pays and let me decide based on that. If I suggest a number and you feel inclined to match it, the I would have placed a target on my back, taking a salary the company was not comfortable with."
What ends up happening is the company spooks itself into paying you more than they would have--to avoid insulting you and having you walk. It works.
I said: "I would prefer that you tell me what the position pays and let me decide based on that. If I suggest a number and you feel inclined to match it, the I would have placed a target on my back, taking a salary the company was not comfortable with."
What ends up happening is the company spooks itself into paying you more than they would have--to avoid insulting you and having you walk. It works.
A well-run company will commonly list a salary range for position so that there is less confusion about this issue. How much another company paid you isnt the best signal of your worth and unfairly affects people who were paid less than they were worth and vice versa
Since companies don't open up their finaces to me during the interview process, it's none of their business and if they ask, it is generally 5-7% less than the current salary Im seeking
Since companies don't open up their finaces to me during the interview process, it's none of their business and if they ask, it is generally 5-7% less than the current salary Im seeking
"I prefer to not say" smile.
Seriously guys, how hard is this?
Seriously guys, how hard is this?
Or just say "I'm looking for around X for a position like this". What's between the lines is you not saying "...and what I make right now isn't relevant at this point".
That said, there are traps here. a) for e.g. some public authorities and such it might be the case that your salary is public and the interviewer already has it. or b) As where I live, it's one step worse - everyones salary is public (or rather their tax returns are - but it's pretty easy to deduct someones salary from their tax returns if they are ordinary employees).
So I would always assume the interviewer already has the number, and I wouldn't worry much about whether they know or not - but I'd try to steer the conversation away from it and not try to anchor at the current salary.
That said, there are traps here. a) for e.g. some public authorities and such it might be the case that your salary is public and the interviewer already has it. or b) As where I live, it's one step worse - everyones salary is public (or rather their tax returns are - but it's pretty easy to deduct someones salary from their tax returns if they are ordinary employees).
So I would always assume the interviewer already has the number, and I wouldn't worry much about whether they know or not - but I'd try to steer the conversation away from it and not try to anchor at the current salary.
There's no reason to answer that question. Instead, talk about your expectations: say that your understanding is the role involves X, Y, and Z, and you have experience in related areas A, B, C, and accordingly you'd be looking to get $x for this role. Then, transfer it all back to them: "Does that fit with your range for the position?"
One point raised on the article is that they will have a better idea of market and salary range than you will (or they should!). So if you give them your desired salary it might be out of their range (too high or too low). Also, especially at the beginning of the hiring process, you don't know everything about the company, so how can you have a valid desired salary?
Also, your value to them as a possible employee increases as you go through the interview process, so why would you limit yourself up front (I have done this before and it ended up in a offer that I didn't take).
Also, your value to them as a possible employee increases as you go through the interview process, so why would you limit yourself up front (I have done this before and it ended up in a offer that I didn't take).
The key point is that your desired salary should be an accurate amount based on your needs and expectations. If you're genuinely out of their range, why would you settle anyway?
This is why it's crucial to focus the conversation on your expectations, not your current compensation. That might not be enough for you! That might be why you are looking for a new role! It's a waste of everybody's time if they misunderstand your expectations and hire you for less than you want/need.
(Yes, your value increases as you go through the interview process, but this point of the process isn't the salary negotation. You're not going in hard at this point, just setting their expectations).
This is why it's crucial to focus the conversation on your expectations, not your current compensation. That might not be enough for you! That might be why you are looking for a new role! It's a waste of everybody's time if they misunderstand your expectations and hire you for less than you want/need.
(Yes, your value increases as you go through the interview process, but this point of the process isn't the salary negotation. You're not going in hard at this point, just setting their expectations).
Did you read the article and not find the salary determination process convincing?
Of course you should have an expectation, but why is it incumbent on you to list your range? Why is it not incumbent on them, since they'll be an effective monopsony of your labor?
I guess it is a question of whether you want to maximize your potential income (in which case you want the cards close to your chest) or if you'd be happy getting what you expected (and maybe a bit more). I've been in both places in my life, but I remember an older person telling me when I was young (paraphrasing) that you should take your company for all it will give you, because you can bet they'll do the same to you.
Of course you should have an expectation, but why is it incumbent on you to list your range? Why is it not incumbent on them, since they'll be an effective monopsony of your labor?
I guess it is a question of whether you want to maximize your potential income (in which case you want the cards close to your chest) or if you'd be happy getting what you expected (and maybe a bit more). I've been in both places in my life, but I remember an older person telling me when I was young (paraphrasing) that you should take your company for all it will give you, because you can bet they'll do the same to you.
Why wouldn't you have an idea about market range?
I think you should have an idea about market range, but so should they. It is an asymmetric relationship--they have many employees, but you typically have only one employer. So they should have better data about pricing for the purchase of their labor than you should.
Again, it's primarily a negotiation tactic.
Again, it's primarily a negotiation tactic.
True. If you're talking to recruiters and other people in your network, you should have a pretty good idea of your range.
On the other hand, if you do accept a job below your range and you talk to enough recruiters, soon you'll be poached anyway.
On the other hand, if you do accept a job below your range and you talk to enough recruiters, soon you'll be poached anyway.
The only reason is that if you don't answer, you won't get the job, because there will be someone who will answer. And this is sad.
^ so much this. all those suggestion pretend the employer and the candidate exists in a vacuum of pure unadulterated haggling, while just the act of taking slightly more hr time for being difficult will get your resume thrown at the bottom of the pile.
This is your fear. This is not the truth.
I think the next time I'm asked what my current salary I think I'll try responding, "Well, what's your budget for this position?"
When they baulk, you can say that it sounds like neither of us are prepared to talk about that just yet, so lets focus on figuring out the role will be a good fit for the both of us first. Wonder how that would fly.
When they baulk, you can say that it sounds like neither of us are prepared to talk about that just yet, so lets focus on figuring out the role will be a good fit for the both of us first. Wonder how that would fly.
Forgive me for being rude here, but I laughed at your comment. I made that rookie mistake, and I paid for it. I also kept making it and didn't realise what I was doing wrong. So, the thing here is a little more complicated than getting/giving a straight answer for this question, however logical that might sound.
1. Yes. Companies do specify a budget when they tell a recruiter to look for candidates for a position.
2. How much you get offered in the end defines what the recruiter's cut is going to be.
3. Companies want to low ball you for 2 reasons. a) Get the guy for a minimum at first, so that the damage is minimum when and if he doesn't work out in the short term. See what we can do in the performance review some months down the line. b) The recruiter's cut will be lower.
As you obviously know already, there are many opposing forces at play in the this game and your salary is always going to be x% of increment over your current salary (with a minimum of $y, maybe). Hence, asking a direct question has never worked for me. Neither do I see why it will work for someone else (until of course, you're charming).
1. Yes. Companies do specify a budget when they tell a recruiter to look for candidates for a position.
2. How much you get offered in the end defines what the recruiter's cut is going to be.
3. Companies want to low ball you for 2 reasons. a) Get the guy for a minimum at first, so that the damage is minimum when and if he doesn't work out in the short term. See what we can do in the performance review some months down the line. b) The recruiter's cut will be lower.
As you obviously know already, there are many opposing forces at play in the this game and your salary is always going to be x% of increment over your current salary (with a minimum of $y, maybe). Hence, asking a direct question has never worked for me. Neither do I see why it will work for someone else (until of course, you're charming).
Really complicated in the States.
In Germany you kinda have to put your desired salary in the application. Also there are a lot of companies where the workers are bound by a collective agreement, so there is little wiggle room.
- What is your current salary?
- My contract doesn't allow to tell you?
- What are your salary expectations?
- My expectations are that you'll tell me your figures and I'll tell you if I accept it.
Problem solved :-)
Problem solved :-)
No answer is as bad as the truth or a lie.
how about " Well, I did apply to your company to improve, so we should rather have a conversation about the money I expect than what I currently have. Here is what I want to get paid [insert number 20% higher than what you really would settle for].... Does it fit into your range ? "
That gives enough room but also leaves enough chance to go on in the interview. Remind yourself that getting a job at a price that you set by yourself is better than being afraid of loosing out the opportunity to max out to the limit. Good staff always gets a second chance !
how about " Well, I did apply to your company to improve, so we should rather have a conversation about the money I expect than what I currently have. Here is what I want to get paid [insert number 20% higher than what you really would settle for].... Does it fit into your range ? "
That gives enough room but also leaves enough chance to go on in the interview. Remind yourself that getting a job at a price that you set by yourself is better than being afraid of loosing out the opportunity to max out to the limit. Good staff always gets a second chance !
Double it and add 5k?
I would double what it really is, and if it's too much for them then it's "too bad" they should learn how to negotiate.
the more you ask for the less the job will stray from the job description, if you low ball it they'll make you clean the toilets.
goldenkey(4)
There are two questions that always get me in interviews. The first one is the salary one. If I am evasive, or try to deflect, the interviewer will probe deeper. They just wont take no for an answer. In fact I've even been told straight up "Give us a figure, or we won't proceed".
Another one is about my children. They are five and seven and finish school in the afternoon, when they are collected by their after school service. Under EU law interviewers cannot ask about my family life, but they do. They ask what my children's ages are, they ask when the finish school, and crucially what happens if there is a problem that would require me to dash out to pick them up (illness etc). When I say my wife will take care of that they ask what she does for a living. If I say that I'd rather not discuss that then I can be certain no matter how skilled I am for the job, I wont be getting it.
In my experience most interviewers know all the tricks. If they want an answer to a question they will get it. If you don't play ball then you probably wont get the job.