The answer to this is not so easy even though literature is clear and recommends not to mention the salary when you are a candidate.
However, getting the first salary right will have an impact on the next years of your career and be the base of possible pay rises as well as the next job.
How was it when you have been hired into your current job? Often candidates are asked their current salary and their expectations – and then a sum is announced. A real negotiation, however, does not take place. And this is where you maybe lose money which could be yours had the discussion gone differently.
This is why it may be legitimate to talk about money yourself in the last interview and to do it in a subtle way like maybe “Thanks a lot for all the meetings. I am happy that you said you could imagine working with me and I feel the same. We did not talk about salary yet and I leave it to you to start this discussion. Just for your information: I am currently at 70k and would like an increase. At your disposal to discuss.”
By the way, if you work with a headhunter, s/he will do the negotiation for you and will potentially tell his/her client “my candidate will not sign for this salary. As I told you, 60k should be the minimum.”
Conclusion:
Bear in mind that is only during the interview process that you are really on eye-level with your employer. Always give a salary range. 80% of the candidates give too low expectations and very very few go to the limit. Do not talk about salary before your opposite has made it clear that s/he wants to hire you and you want to work for her/ him. But then don’t be afraid to give a higher expectation yet follow the advice from my mentor who said “Go to the edge of the cliff – but then don’t jump.”
sending...
I am not sure that waiting until the employer confirms his intention to recruit the candidate to discuss the salary is the right thing to do. What if the salary that each of the two parties has in mind is far from the expectations of the other party? In that case, the employer and candidate would have lost (i) their time (interviews, phone calls, discussions, travel arrangements to meet, etc.) (ii) their chances to meet other candidates (or employers) in the meanwhile.
In the Gulf and the Middle-East, once the headhunter contacts the candidate, and before starting to discuss the job and how he/she can fit into it, the headhunter asks the candidate about his current salary and expectations to move. Doesn’t seem a bad idea.
Jimmy, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
A successfully employed candidate will adjust his starting salary requirments in tune with the nature and scope of the prospective employer’s job description and overall fringe and benefits package. Headhunters very rarely introduce candidates to their client employers where the salary range offered is out of whack with the candidates consideration range. Experienced headhunters will know their candidate’s consideratons before introductions to prospective employers. (A retired 25+ year exp’d Headhunter)
Thanks, Steve!
I believe companies as well as head hunters know the realistic mini/maxi package for a specific job.
At least my answer to the question was always “I guess you have planned a reasonable envelop”. If ever there were a difference then I got it in the bonus part.
So I can say today, I have had a rising package at each job evolution.
Olivier, thanks for your remark. Jorg
I would wait until that topic is brought up by the interviewer they may ask you what your current salary is, however wait until they make you an offer to begin that discussion because at that point you know they want you. Once you have an offer then begin the salary discussion. that is the point you begin to negotiate salary
Dennis, well, no…. that is my point: if they give the number first, you might be trapped. In negotiation, this is called “anchoring” and giving a higher number will have an effect on the outcome
To add – if you are an experienced professional then it will always be brought up during the initial discussion. You need to know your value and the market rates before going into any interview.
Ruzy, thanks. I do not agree. In many countries it will not come up in the first interview – at least not by the interviewee
In my experiences in teaching women how to negotiate and get what they are worth, I suggest asking what the salary RANGE is, and possibility of benefit package. That way you know where you can start.
In my experiences, women settle with what they are offered and we have to do everything we can to help them broach the subject without actually mentioning the salary.
Thanks, Debbie. Good advice
I have found the best approach if you are asked for your salary expectations is to respond with the question “What is the salary range for the position?” In most cases, you will get an indication of the salary range and you can decide if you are wasting your time or if the role fits with your needs and expectations.
Thanks, John. The risk is that if they give the number first, you are trapped. In negotiation, this is called “anchoring” and it is proven that giving a higher number will have an effect on the outcome
True Jorg, but going second always gives you the benefit of “more information” and if they really want you, you may get a sense of their level of flexibility. The next question could be ” So , is there any flexibility in this range?”…
Yes, but I think that once a number is out, it is more difficult to correct it: if my salary range is 70-90k and I say 70 but you answer “no, I want 90-95″, I cannot say “well, OK, then I suggest 90k” without losing my face.
As an executive search consultant we always tend to ask about a candidate’s current compensation & benefits package ones the person had read and discussed the position in detail with us and confirms interest.
Why do we ask about the current package quite early in he process?
First of all we want to check if it the current package is within the initial budget frame that has been defined by our client. If so we can easily continue. If already at the high end or exceeding budget we will inform our candidate, so that he or she can reflect and take position.
Second of all if the current package is not in line with the budget frame and this has happened in before, it may be an indication that the defined budget frame is not in line with market and we need to further investigate on that and discuss with the client. It may lead to a review of the package and ensure us to find and attract the right level candidates.
Thirdly we also tend to challenge both the candidate and the client: about the flexibility in package: candidates expectations, clients possibilities.
Some candidates expect an increase others are ready to reconsider their package for the right opportunity.
Clients are sometime ready to review the budget frame on market conditions or for the right person with that specific expertise and background.
It is our responsibility as executive search consultants to make sure we have the negotiation frame as clear as possible at all times to avoid disappointments from both ends later in the process.
And last but not least we don’t want to waist anyones time. If candidates expectations and clients possibilities are too far out of line, it makes no sense in continuing the process, in that case we will stay in touch and hopefully reconnect for another challenging role.
Thanks, Jim. I like it
I agree with the approach of having two behaviours with / without a headhunter in the loop…. However when you have an ‘unusual’ job like me (pricing manager for the EMEA Region in a service industry) you don’t ‘fit’ in the grids…. And I am usually asked quite early in the process… And sometimes I have some surpises! Not the way I would line to see it though… But most of the head hunters I hav turned down for salary reasons (up to -30% vs. my current package) have agreed that my job, and therefore, my profile is a pretty unusual search for them….
But takling with a company directly would mean I would wait for the topic to popup.
Thanks for sharing anyway
Regard
Thomas
Hi!
I am somewhat surprised by the whole discussion, as My experience with ALL headhunters I have been interviewed by lately have asked me the current compensation question right away. I see no sensible alternative but to give the real number (which happens to be close to my walk-away price) because not telling the truth will obviously backlash, and not telling anything makes all three parties (the company, the headhunter an me) run the risk of losing time and being pissed a the end of to process.
Then the issue is whether to give an indication of the expected upside over the current salary. Here I would say the headhunter is the middleman and should manage both parties expectations, by making the candidate happy whilst having him/her hired (= reaching an acceptable number for the client).
And what about “he higher, the better”? Is that an option?
Philippe -
Thanks for your comment. This post is of general kind but you underline once more the positive impact of working with a headhunter.