In the last couple of weeks I’ve talked about Information Sharing and Listening. Today, I want to talk about an interview question. That’s right, one interview question.
It’s stated many different ways but the information requested is the same.
What salary would you be willing to accept?
Your heart jumps into your throat because you know that if you tell them a figure that’s too low they’ll think you’re under qualified for the job. Or they’ll hire you and pay you that lower wage instead of the higher salary they had in mind. Either way you lose.
If you quote a figure that’s too high, they’ll think you’re over qualified and they can’t afford you. You lose again.
What should you do when they ask the dreaded salary question?
There are various ways you can handle it.
One way, is to turn the question around and ask what they were planning on paying? Sometimes they’ll be willing to share that information.
Another way is to say something like, “Before we discuss salary I’d like to get to know a little bit more about the position and your organization and I think it would be advantageous for you to get to know a little more about me.”
Or you could say, “Are you offering me the job? I ask because I’m not accustomed to discussing salary until there’s an actual job offer.”
Of course, if they insist that you provide them with a dollar figure you need to have done your Labor Market Research ahead of time and don’t give them a specific dollar figure. Instead, provide them with a range. Something like, “I’d be happy with something between X and Y, depending on the total compensation/benefits package.”
Regardless of how you answer the question you must first do your homework on the company you’re applying to, do your labor market research and practice your interviewing skills.
It’s stated many different ways but the information requested is the same.
What salary would you be willing to accept?
Your heart jumps into your throat because you know that if you tell them a figure that’s too low they’ll think you’re under qualified for the job. Or they’ll hire you and pay you that lower wage instead of the higher salary they had in mind. Either way you lose.
If you quote a figure that’s too high, they’ll think you’re over qualified and they can’t afford you. You lose again.
What should you do when they ask the dreaded salary question?
There are various ways you can handle it.
One way, is to turn the question around and ask what they were planning on paying? Sometimes they’ll be willing to share that information.
Another way is to say something like, “Before we discuss salary I’d like to get to know a little bit more about the position and your organization and I think it would be advantageous for you to get to know a little more about me.”
Or you could say, “Are you offering me the job? I ask because I’m not accustomed to discussing salary until there’s an actual job offer.”
Of course, if they insist that you provide them with a dollar figure you need to have done your Labor Market Research ahead of time and don’t give them a specific dollar figure. Instead, provide them with a range. Something like, “I’d be happy with something between X and Y, depending on the total compensation/benefits package.”
Regardless of how you answer the question you must first do your homework on the company you’re applying to, do your labor market research and practice your interviewing skills.
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