Job interview - What does one do when asked about salary expectation?

[URY914]

Below is the email I got from the Director of Human Resources & Safety. Great way to start a dialog with an possible employee don't you think? I replied with a $ and I must have been the low bidder because he wants to set up a time for a phone interview. I feel I'm getting screwed even before I work for them.


"Hi Paul,

This position would be for an asst. PM, if still interested, what is your salary requirements?

Thank you"

[TimT]

That sounds like a government interview. I'm guessing you had a woman, a man, someone that looks like you, someone that doesn't

Exactly.... and they have the same list of questions that they ask the other candidates. As mentioned my company has an open ended contract with this agency... New Yorks MTA... the division LIRR Long Island Railroad ..

Our company came up in the rotation of the other 15 or so qualified consultants. 5 other candidates were interviewed the same day.. They base whether or not I get the job on my salary requirements, and how I scored on the interview.... 75% interview, 25% salary..

FWIW I don't need this job.. it is a way for us to get our foot into other infrastructure improvements.. I have already (based on landing this job) secured additional perks.... increased travel benefits... i.e company car, and a better expense allowance..

If this job is not awarded to us.. I keep on doing my current assignment....

If he's going for a VP position in that range, he would do well to talk to a headhunter if he can find one who will give him the time of day. In fact, in that range, I'd be surprised if this wasn't a retained search, i.e., a headhunter-led search.

Most headhunters I've dealt with have set forth the salary range early in the conversation, because they don't want to waste their time if it's too low for the candidate. The going rate commission for headhunters is 15% of the base salary, so, like real estate agents, they want it to be as high as possible while still allowing the deal to go though.

Good luck to your friend.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Baz

Well I wrote in my post:

Does that count, Zeke?

Yep, I missed that.

[sammyg2]

Digging up an old thread, about a month ago I had a chance to put my own advice to work.

I was offered a promotion of two pay grades and two steps up.
There is only one boss between me and the VP now.
Anywho, they offered it to me and I sat there and looked at the new boss I would be reporting to, uncomfortable pause. I love doing that, it makes them talk.
I wasn't too excited about the offer as it's at least an extra 15 hours a week and twice the headaches.
The boss said, well do you want it or not?
I said I don't know, what does it pay?

He was O-fended. Evidently he wasn't used to people acting that way.
He started in with the "don't worry about that, it's two pay grades higher and I'm sure they'll we'll be fair".
I explained that a position like that would require a great deal of time away from my family and that I was also fairly comfoprtable in my current position.
I said if the compensation is fair I'll consider the move but if not I'll be perfectly happy staying where I am.
That must have struck a nerve and his ego kicked in. He said, do what you have to do, I CAN'T FORCE YOU TO WORK HERE.

Yes, that was a threat. but the bottom line was, he needed me more than I needed him.

I waited. Two days, three days, he came into my office and asked if I had thought it over, I said yes i've thought about it quite a bit. Have you heard from HR regarding the compensation yet?
Prolly not a good idea pissing off your new boss before you start, but I did.

Bottom line is this: They came up with a figure which was about what I expected but a little lower than I wanted, but was still fair enough to accept.
Then they sweetened the pot by throwing in an additional 5% raise two weeks later, and a really big signing bonus. Huge. Way more than I expected.

I told him I'd take the job, but knew deep down I'll have to kick butt to smooth things over with him.
I'm on thin ice right now but it's starting to work out and in another month or so it should be all hunky dorry.

So was it a smart move? Probably not. I got what I wanted and then some but the risk was very high. if I was in a financial position where I needed paycheck to survive, it would have been a stoopid move.

Was it worth it? Not sure yet. I traded an easy job for one that is a royal PITA and it'll take a year to get it straightened out so it gets easier, just like with the job I had.

If I was a snot-nosed brat engineer trying to climb the ladder it would have been a no-brainer, jump as soon as they dangle the carrot. but that isn't me, not at this stage in life.

The bottom line is this: I pushed my luck and I figure I got real lucky and I was sweating it. I don't think I'll ever do that again.

Playing negotiating head games seems really easy when they work just right but they suck when they backfire, or nearly backfire. This last go-round made me a little more humble as far as negotiating goes.

[SeanPizzle]

Great read!

If I may be so bold:

How long have you been in your career and how long with your current company?

[westcoast911]

I'd be thinking I would know what I'm worth and what I'd ask for to be happy in the new job - add a bit of negotiable head room and put that on the table.



If they say fine - everyone is happy, if they baulk and counter offer, you can then re-evaluate your position and move down the scale or drop out.



Take the upper hand and drive the negotiation.



Tim

Well put, that's exactly the way to handle

[unclebilly]

I ALWAYS ask this question. It accomplishes a few things.

1. It lets me know if the candidate's expectations are in the ball park of what I want to pay.

2. If you give them exactly what they ask for (provided it is in the ball park), this saves the negotiation step, and a bunch of time.

3. If you give them a few percent more than they ask for, it pretty much guarantees you will get that candidate.

I suggest you answer honestly and be frank about it. When people edge this question,I take it as a sign that that aren't serious about the role.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by SeanPizzle

Great read!

If I may be so bold:

How long have you been in your career and how long with your current company?

Not sure if that question was directed to me, but I've been working this field for 31 years.
I've been working at this plant for 6 years and with this company for 3. They bought it from a major oil company for $1.6 billion.

in 2006 I took a job at this plant that was purely technical in nature, making turbines, pumps and compressors last longer and run better and be more reliable. Figure out why it failed, re-design it or make changes to prevent future failures.
That was my dream job that I loved it. I often wish I was still doing that.

My daughter is away at college and my son is in private school, I look at it this way: their educations are now completely paid for by the company. That makes it worth it.

[Mothy]

Sammy G2

I'd say you handled it just about perfectly - they would not have offered the extra money if they didn't think you were worth it. You stayed in charge of the process and drove the deal.

Silence is a great negotiation tool - most people see it as a negative and start talking to fill the void - sellers start to drop the sales price or buyers start offering to pay more just to get the other party to re-engage.

Well done - the new boss will just want to get his money's worth out of you - and he would be doing that no matter what he paid.

Tim

[Busta Rib]

As a candidate, you should always be prepared to answer the question of comp and be in control of the conversation as much as possible. If you do your research, you can determine your market value, even during economic downturns. Talk to recruiters and peers in your area. They will give you a good idea of the appropriate range. Ultimately, it comes down to personal factors that will determine each individual's comp requirements. I recommend reading this for some good tips: Show Me the Money: How to Answer the Compensation Question « Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…