When going through the interview process, ensuring you have a firm position at which to negotiate from is essential. Without the opportunity to negotiate (i.e. showing all your cards) the potential employer holds all the power, which when entering into a contract of any sort does not necessarily make a lot of sense.
More often than not when looking at job ads you will not find a salary, or if you do it will be a range which is fine. The exception being when you are on Six Figures, you know the salary is paying a minimum of a $100K package!
When you speak with or interview with a recruitment agency or prospective employer they will more than likely ask what your salary was and / or what salary expectations are. This is done with the intention of screening out those who do not fall within the ‘perceived salary range.’ It also provides them with a base from which to negotiate, irrespective of what they may be willing to pay for the right person.
If you are asked your salary range or expectations and do not want to disclose the information, below are a couple of appropriate responses:
“I would prefer to find out more about the position, the responsibilities and expectations before getting into any salary discussions”.
Alternatively if it is later in the process and you are asked again by one of the decision makers you can respond with something like:
“I am sure that your company offers a fair compensation scale, and if we both decide that this is a worthwhile match, I am confident we will be able to agree on a salary”.
If the interviewer becomes terribly insistent, then you could respond with:
“I have researched the salaries for this level of position, with the market value of the total compensation package being within X range”.
It is your decision whether or not you want to include the salary information on forms or electronically during the early stages of the interview process. The question of salary will need to be discussed as the interview process progresses however you will have gained more information at this time giving you a stronger position to negotiate from.
