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

A friend of mine had a job interview at a fairly large company. It's some kind of executive position, VP of something or another. I'm not sure what it is he really does at these companies.

Anyways, he was asked during the interview what his salary expectations were, which seemed to take him by surprise.

He ended up not putting a number on the table.

He asked me what I thought he should do. I really have no idea. What is standard procedure for most companies these days?

(My guess is he did the right thing, and that he should wait them out until they put the first offer on the table. That's standard procedure for almost any negotiation, don't put out the first number. But do potential employers go for that these days and relent and give a first offer, or will they eventually pass him up if he doesn't cough up a number? I think he told them he'd have to research it, and they wanted him to call back over the next few days with a number).

They didn't even give him a salary range for the job? Check local for similar work and see what they pay. He must have some idea without insulting them.

Personally I would tell them, give me one month to prove I am worth this much _________

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

You really want "them" to give you the number or range they are willing to pay, but they usually get you to give a number. I usually base that number on what I'm being paid now (if it's a similar job) or what the industry standard rate is at the time. Very dicey...

I've always been asked at every interview. It sucks. I've been told to try to always get them to put a number out first which may be possible, but I don't know how. I've been told that a good way to answer the question is with something like "I'd like a fair salary for the responsibility that the position entails." I think the important thing is to have a good idea what you think the position should pay and an idea of what you want. I might be tempted to go a little high and then negotiate down. But then, I'm horrible at negotiating too.

When I've been asked, I tell them what I'm making now and add that, while I'm looking for more $$ and responsibility, I have it pretty good at my current gig and won't make a lateral move.

I tell them what I am making (and add some nice padding in the process) and let them know it is a risk for me to make a move. If they need me, it will have to be a bump from my stated amount.

It all depends on supply and demand. This kind of thing can't work in all professions.

I tell them what the market is for someone of my skillset. They can easily look it up and get the salary surveys themselves if they want to. That sets a baseline for negotiation and gives me the opportunity to upsell them why I'm worth 10-20% premium over market.

I don't mind being asked that question up front at all, it gets some of the functional issues out of the way quickly and lets you move on to whether or not you like each other. I know my value. Do the research before you even go in for the interview, that's one of those things that you must know before you even sit down to talk.

Take that number and add in the "what's it worth" factor for you to change jobs. Everyone's got their "what the hell number", my experience is that those that value the skillset will either hit it or get within 5%. Those that don't won't come close. It's been a very successful litmus test for me.

Remember that you make your best deal walking thru the door.

I just went for an interview with an agency my company has an open ended contract with...With every new assignment have them add perks... etc..

In any event, I found the receptionist who directed me to the room the interview was in...

Closed door..... I knocked and waited for a response...Went into the the room and there were five people one one side of the table, and one empty chair on the opposite side... which is where I was interrogated...

They had list of 15 questions that they asked me, each got a different question..

In all it was a very strange experience..

At the end the lead interrogator asked me if I had any questions.... And I did...

"When do I start"

i'd go into an interview with a number in mind. if u don't, you don't have a point to start negotiations with.


your friend is interviewing for a VP position and doesn't know how much he's worth? my advice would be to tell him to seriously take a moment and self reflect and evaluate your own worth as a VP to a company.

companies will always lowball. so as a potential employee, if you have confidence in your abilities, you need to high bid.

I answered an ad on Career Builder and I got an email back asking me what my salary expectations for the postition was. I guess they are looking for the low bidder. :(

Hats off to you guys.
I would really suck going through that type of interview affair.
I've been the boss (of myself) for so long that I'm not fit to apply for a real job. I'd be the first one gonged.
Jim

In my opinion....

While you do not want to leave any money on the table you absolutely should have an idea of what you want for compensation before you interview.

That said, if this is something new that is different than what you have done in the past, it is possible you may not know what to ask for. But that is where your communication skills come into play. It never hurts if in question to ask what the typical compensation package consists of for this position. Most companies already know this before they interview but there's always wiggle room depending on each applicant's individual track record and what he brings to the table.

Lots of variables so I don't think you can put a template on every situation but again your communication skills will serve you well if you can use them wisely.

i keep thinking about the old saying - the first one who talks loses The First Rule Of Negotiation: First One To Talk Loses | justinmchood.com

My answer to that question always has been "If this is an offer of employment, then I am willing to negotiate a salary." If there is no job offer, then what is the point of the discussion.

every job i apply for in my field asks for "salary requirements". i hate this. i indicate what i was making at previous job and state that i am flexible. not sure what else i can say.

I was asked this applying for an internship. I just told them what I am making right now... I know what I am making now is what they paid interns a few years back. I'll be happy with that, any more is icing on the cake.

Last job interview I did, they asked me what my salary history was, and what my salary expectation was. I knew exactly what I wanted, I asked the HR manager if that was not too high, she said no, that is within the range, on the higher end. And they gave me exactly what I asked for.

When I am the interviewer I typically ask both the interviewee's most recent prior comp plan, as well as what they want/expect in the position being discussed. Before going into the meeting I already know generally what the market range is, and what I've payed other people for similar work.

Rick's approach is a good one.

Every company at which you would want to work conducts compensation analyses, to ensure "internal" equity (salaries within the company make sense compared to other salaries in the company) and "external" equity (salaries within the company make sense compared to counterparts at other companies). Companies that pay rates which are not managed this way.....are messed up and this causes workers to feel cheated.

The question is a fair one, in a way. They may want to hire you, but not if you feel the pay sucks. If you feel that $80K is fair and they're thinking $55K, then hiring you would be a mistake because you would feel underpaid, and workers who feel cheated will be expensive, one way or the other.

They just want to know whether your expectations are potentially a match for what they are able to pay. And if this is a hard question, then I'd say you need to do your own compensation analysis. Find out what market rates are for your work.

As I say, Rick's approach is a good one. "I'm currently making $85K. I would want more responsibility in order to leave my current role, and more money. It's be great to make $125K but I'm not expecting that." See what they say.

Sadly, "Enough to keep me in hookers and BLOW and a Kick-azz golden parachute" isn't the right answer.

If one is looking for the position he should do some research and find out what it pays. Look at the time in office/time in field and see what it would take him to take the job.

When I go out looking (which hopefully won't be for a while again) I have always asked up front what the salary range is. It's a perfectly legit question and I frame it like so: "I don't want to waste your time and I don't want to waste my time, what is your salary range for this position?"

Some people take it well and some don't - well - honestly I don't know if some haven't. I usually ask early enough on to where I don't know if it is a 'good' opportunity or not. That takes the pressure off I think. It's also completely honest - I hate getting into a situation where their salary expectations are much lower than mine. Yeah - that is not happening again if I can help it so I ask up front. I don't understand why it's a big deal. If they think I cost to much, it isn't the right position for me. I'm perfectly fine with that.

I did have one company tell me at the start the range was $XXX,XXX.XX and then when they made the offer it was $XX,XXX.XX and I was like 'what up yo!' They had been shopping the job for 6 months! I was brought in for like 6 different interviews - luckily at the time I wasn't in a hurry. We haggled a bit but in the end the offered me less than what they had said the job would originally go for. I ended up turning them down. The hiring director was PISSED! The fact is it's been 3 years I think and they basically had to redo their Infosec and Network departments because they just couldn't find someone else with a similar spread of skills that would fit into their organization. I guess that means they needed to reorg anyway.

Unless you guys have been out of work lately (as I have) you may not realize that the employers these days have the applicants by the balls when it comes to pay. You can't be all cock-sure of yourselves when you've answered 200+ job ads and haven't gotten one reply. And when you do get a reply and go for the interview and are asked what you're looking for for pay, you look across the table and say whatever you want to pay me. Two years of unemployment/under-employment doesn't put you in much of a position to bargain. You take what you can get and be damn happy you got it.

You guys that have safe jobs have NO idea what it is like to not get a paycheck. Unless you have lived it you simply don't know.

I think most folks here have been unemployed at some point. I've gone to work twice when the doors were locked and lights were out, been laid off twice more when they kept the place open long enough to tell us what was happening.

I have lived it Paul, and am deeply sympathetic to anyone in that position. Being at that end of the spectrum does change the response - if you have nothing, obviously its a weaker position to bargin from than being employed with the ability to say "thanks, but no" to a crappy or not so good offer.

Being out of work is one of the top 2 reasons why I chose the career and direction I did many years ago. I took 6 weeks off back in early summer 2010 of my own doing - walked away from a falslely advertised position. Had multiple job offers before the end of the fourth week.

It all depends on your field and the market. I've always looked at is as making your own luck.

I would never give a fixed number.

Basically i'de tell them that i'm looking for the right package,
attractiveness of the job + commute + salary +benefits




And if pushed i would give them a range in which to work/negotiate.

Giving a fixed "price" instantly gives them something to haggle over, or even dismiss you on the grounds that your requirements are to steep.
It's a game really, even if your unemployed and strapped for cash. Never show weakness.
I landed my highest paying job when i was out of work.
Job interviews is like dating, the more you do it the better you get.
They will try to find your weakness, that's what the job interview is all about.
Weakness means they can dismiss or under pay you for the actual job,
The interview quite often, will say very little about the way you will perform in the job.

This is VERY common these days. Look on CL for example. Virtually every posting says "include salary history and expectations". When I read this, I just skip and keep looking - there's no position, they're not planning on actually hiring anyone, they're simply trying to get a sense of what the "low bid" is out there possibly in anticipation of a future position or possibly to establish a % of salary cuts that they can get away with for current employees - or as a bargaining chip to avoid paying current employees more ("well, going rate for someone in your position is $X less than your current salary...")

Don't play the game.

I have a canned letter to submit to positions that I'm really interested in that list this as a "requirement" that basically says it's not appropriate for me to throw out a number at this time without knowing details of your company's specific benefits plan options as well as intangibles such as flexible work hours, company outlook (likelihood of advancement or outsourcing/layoff in the coming 2-3 years), etc. I do state that these are subjects that I'm happy to discuss during a face-to-face meeting (interview).

Given that your situation WAS in an interview, it's generally not a good idea to go in without a ballpark number - it will make you look unprepared. Remember on an interview, ASSUME YOU'RE ALREADY HIRED. The position is yours to lose. You need to tell them (basically), "thanks, you've made a good choice, let me recap what I can offer you and this is what it's worth". If you sit back and let them paint you into a corner you come off (at worst) as a pushover and (at best) weak/unprepared.

Don't be afraid to deflect attempts to pin you down by saying the same kinds of things I put in my canned letter ("before I can answer that, I need to get a better understanding of the complete compensation package your company offers, including intangibles such as _____"), then let them get into benefits, etc. and start negotiations after that.

As a general rule, don't show your cards early. If you blurt out a number or go "uhhhhh I don't know" you're pwn3d.

"So, what kind of salary are you looking for?"

"Well, based on my experience and track record and what I WILL BRING to this company, it makes sense that the compensation be at the very upper range of pay for this type of job, which is ......."

That's when doing your homework beforehand comes into play.
BTW even if you start with a "suggested" amount that they feel is way too high, they'll still negotiate if they want you.
They'll come back with a low ball, and the worst thing you can do it say "no way!" or "I can't work for that little" or act offended. IT IS NOT PERSONAL, IT'S JUST PART OF A GAME.
The better you can play the game, the more you'll win. But you have to take the emotions out of it. Be cool, be calm, a slight smile and using the very powerful UNCOMFORTABLE PAUSE with work wonders.

After you smile pleasantly (not smarmy) and pause for an incredibly long time, you reply with, I understand the company's position, but a figure more in the ........... range would make more sense for ALL of us ... WITH EMPHASIS ON all. Make it look like a win-win each and every chance you get.
And that's how the game is played.
In my experience the longer they game is played, the better the prospective employee ends up. You have to be patient.

When I was trying to get hired by my present employer, it took 3 1/2 months to close the deal AFTER they told me they wanted to hire me.
And I did very well.

to this day i have several co-workers who are still pissed because I got a whole lot more than htey did, and not just money.
Starting with 4 weeks a year vacation increasing to 5 weeks after 5 years, and all sort of other perks.

Not my fault they didn't know how to negotiate.

BTW 2 years after I came to work here they deciced they needed to promote me, and I turned the promotion offer down 4 times before they started telling instead of asking. It tuerned into "if you want to keep working here you'll take this promotion".
Seems they were told to promote me by their higher ups, and their failure to accomplish that MADE THEM LOOK BAD!
And each time they sweetened the pot more and more.
Talk about the perfect negotiating position, the people I was negotiating with (my bosses) had no stance, ultilately they really could not say no without it looking like THEY failed.
They HAD to say OK, and I took them to task. But it was not personal.

I'm reading through these posts and seeing some very good suggestions and considerations. Some of them appear to recognize the principles I will now discuss:

I am a labor relations guy and my background includes conducting compensation analyses and consulting with organizations on strategic matters such as these. Basically, it is my position that looking for the lowest bidder or trying to get someone into a job at a pay rate that is below-market is a false economy. I believe that every organization's most important asset is its people. Loading a company up with people who are willing to work for under-market pay rates is a recipe for poor company performance. Trying to hire good or very good talent at below market rates is a temporary measure which will cost the company more than it saves. When a person feels they are underpaid, they will typically adjust their performance to match the poor pay. Meanwhile, they will be looking for an employer who pays fairly. In short, the textbooks will tell you that employees' feelings of internal and/or external inequity (fairness) are terribly damaging to performance, morale, motivation and loyalty. If a company showed me during the selection process that they ignore these considerations in favor of finding bargain basement employees, I would behave accordingly. I might take the job if I really needed the work but I wouldn't respect the company and my days would be numbered.

Double post.

Sammy, lots of really good info there. Thanks for posting.

I'm going through something similar right now. I've been at my current position as a contractor for 6 months. I'm doing pretty well (they had to get special approval to pay the rate that I'm getting paid because it's outside of the norm). Now they want to convert me to perm. Unfortunately, I'm working with someone in HR many states away, so I'm working over the phone, email and IM. I was asked what I wanted for pay and was asked if I would be flexible because it was outside of the normal range. I won't hear back again until after Thanksgiving because they have to post my position internally for a bit before they can make an offer.

I assume that I'm in a decent position because I'm already being paid well by them (they must think I'm worth it), I'm working more OT than anyone else that I work with (team player). They've got 6 months invested in me in a job that they say has a minimum of 11 months to get up to speed for someone who's really well qualified (expensive to start training someone new). Still, they are looking to convert 5-7 of us at the same time. I'm just not sure how this will turn out, but I'll attempt to use some of the techniques presented above.

It sucks a BUNCH! I was laid off in 2001 when the dot-com stock bubble popped. I was making good money. I ended up making change and handing out snacks in a game room in between 2 bingo halls to gambling addicts to make ends meet. It took me a year to get back into my given field at a little more than half of what I had been making before. I understand.

Thanks, as usual, lots of good info. I've passed it on.

I've found out the question was asked in a very preliminary, telephonic screening interview that was conducted by someone in HR. So clearly there was no possibility of an offer for employment being there. That would be way down the road in the interviewing process, etc.

I don't know how much he makes or what these positions pay, but my guess is it's in the $225K to $400K range. So this isn't a Craigslist employer kind of expedition.

you gotta get a good idea of a decent salary, then when asked, answer with a range - not a fixed number.

rjp

I saw a job ad on CL for someone a law firm needed to translate documents from German to English. The office was right around the corner from where I worked at the time. Ad said candidate had to be admitted to the DC bar, position was located in their DC offce (no telecommuting) and paid $40 per hour. I replied, said I already work around the corned and could easily do this job at home nights and weekends, but was not a lawyer. They replied that I didn't meet their min. qualifications. So I asked them if I could get any of their lawyers to work for me for $40 per hr. No response.

as much as I can get
it is call WORK
if it can be done by a low bid idiot
I don't want your job

No one mentioned total compensation? Before you toss a number shouldn't you know their contribution to the 401K? The bonus structure? Healthcare for family? Hell, you take care of all my outside needs including in house day care for children, cover the entire family for heath and have free lunches in the company cafeteria, I'm in at minimum wage! :) :D

What kind of company car did you say? No, we have to do better than that.

That sounds like a government interview. I'm guessing you had a woman, a man, someone that looks like you, someone that doesn't.....they have to ask everyone the same questions. Was any of them actually your supervisor?

Well I wrote in my post: Does that count, Zeke?

All due respect...A guy up for a VP job paying 225-400K that "doesn't know what do..." is probably not someone I'd want in a VP role.

If you answer with a range, they are always going to go to the bottom of the range.

Imagine this, you're selling a car and someone walks up and says "how much do you want for your car?" and you say "I'd take somewhere between $8000 and $10000."

How often do you think you're going to get anything other than $8000?