- (interviewer) So, let's talk about salary.
Can you tell me about your expectations
when it comes to compensation?
- (interviewee) I can make it work for
$65,000 a year.
Uh.
Yeah, um.
- (Averie) Hi, my name is Averie.
You might think that you're only going
to discuss your salary expectations
near the end of the interview experience.
Mm, not true.
You should be prepared to discuss salary
during your very first interview.
Yep, I mean the phone screen you have with the recruiter
and this is a good thing.
Consider the alternative.
You find a job that you're really excited about
and they seem excited about you.
You meet the team, your future manager.
You create a work sample that demonstrates your skill set
and it's only then that you find out the salary
is far below what you need.
It's much better to discuss salary early.
But when you're asked about your expectations
how are you going to answer?
I'm going to walk you through a couple different scenarios
for how to disclose your salary expectations.
Let's start with someone who thinks they know
exactly what the answer to the salary question
should be.
- So tell me about your salary expectations.
- I could, I could make it work for
$65,000 a year.
- Okay.
- I understand the rationale
behind naming a fixed amount,
but generally speaking, it's not a good strategy,
even if it's true.
First off, when an employer approves a position
they will typically set what's called a salary band.
The salary band sets a standard across the company
by defining the minimum and maximum pay
for a specific role
and it leaves room for negotiation.
Where does the candidate live?
What's the candidate's level of education
and years of experience?
But when you name a fixed amount
there's no space for dialogue.
Also, you might lock yourself in at the low end of the band,
when based on your qualifications,
you could definitely ask for more.
Secondly, your salary expectations
should be based on what people typically earn in this role.
Doing online research will help you learn
what associates, managers, and directors
in your field typically earn.
This person sounds like they have the same expectations
no matter what kind of job they get.
Instead, let your research inform your expectations.
Let me play you another response.
Honestly, it's a pretty common response
but that also doesn't make it a good strategy.
Let's take a look.
- So let's talk about salary.
Can you tell me about your expectations
when it comes to compensation?
[interviewee sighing]
This is just something that we wanna get ahead of
to make sure that we're on the same page.
- Yeah, um...
that makes sense.
I mean, gotta get paid for a job, right?
- Most people struggle
with talking about money,
especially in a professional context,
like myself.
If we could hear the inner dialogue
inside this job applicant's mind,
it might sound something like this.
- Okay, but ego aside,
I honestly don't know how much money I should be making.
This feels way too high stakes.
I don't even know what to say.
- Since a lot of us
are looking for jobs out of necessity,
we often feel extra pressure to say a number
that we think an employer would want to hear.
Turns out, 65,000 was at the low end
of what this recruiter had budgeted for this role.
And listen, it's hard to negotiate up.
Don't start at the low end. Do the research.
Find out the ranges that are out there
and be sure to share a range that starts at
or is above your bottom line.
- (speaker) Are you using
the Indeed mobile app?
The app is free and makes it easy to apply
right from your phone.
Click the link below
or just search Indeed in the App Store.
- Now let's unpack the third response
to the money question.
You know, the one where it seemed like the interviewee
thinks money is a dirty word.
- So can you tell me about your salary expectations
for this role?
- I've actually been really focused
on finding a job that matches my passion,
so I haven't really put too much thought into salary,
but I'm open.
- Three issues here.
First, I just don't believe this person
has never thought about salary,
but I do believe that this person thinks
that talking about money
makes them a less attractive candidate.
That's not typically true.
In fact, many believe it's a sign
of maturity and confidence.
Secondly, no one else is going to advocate for you,
and especially for women and minorities,
equitable pay usually requires that kind of advocacy.
Finally, even a small increase in salary on day one
will have an exponential effect
on what you earn over a lifetime.
Every time you get a raise or a bonus
it will build on that starting salary.
So when the interviewer asks you
to disclose your salary expectations
that is a great opportunity for you to center your power
by showing you've done your homework
and by making a compelling case for yourself.
There are two strategies for how best
to disclose your salary expectations.
Let's take a look at approach number one.
- So tell me about your salary expectations
for this role.
- I'm really glad you brought this up,
and thank you for bringing it up so early in the process.
I've done a lot of research into the skills required
and the level of compensation that's typical for people
with my years of experience.
And based on our conversation
and the information provided in the job description,
I'm confident in performing this job well
and leveraging my previous work experience,
which would benefit the company.
So I would say my salary expectations
are between $95,000 and $110,000 a year.
- Okay. - He ties the range
and rationale back to the job description.
There's a lot of confidence in this answer
but it's not bravado.
It's informed, positive, and direct.
Well done.
Now, there's one more strategy
for disclosing salary expectations
that you definitely want to see
because it puts you in the driver's seat.
Let's run it back one more time.
- So what are your salary expectations
for this role? - Does this job have a salary band
that you could share with me?
- This approach puts the onus on the recruiter
to share their salary range.
Smart, but this delivery was a little short
on the positive conversational tone.
Let's try that one again.
- So tell me about your salary expectations for this role.
- Thank you for asking.
That's actually one of the first questions
I have for you,
if you could share the salary range with me.
Can you do that?
- Better for sure.
But if you say, "Can you do that?"
it sets up the recruiter to push back and say,
"I'm not typically at liberty to disclose that information."
Don't give them that option.
Let's run it back one more time.
- Thank you for asking.
To provide you an informed answer
I'd like to get a better idea of what this position entails.
What is the designated salary band
for this job?
- There's nothing not to like here.
Let's see how the conversation unfolds.
- So it depends on a few different factors,
including where the candidate lives,
number of years of relevant experience,
but generally speaking, the salary range for this role
is between $75 to $90 thousand a year.
- If this candidate hasn't done their research
then he has no way to compare that salary band
to the industry standard.
Maybe it's right there or maybe it's off.
You've got to do your own due diligence
or you'll never know.
Now, in this case, they had done the research.
This stated salary range is below what they've read about.
Let's pick up and see what happens.
- I appreciate your transparency.
Already I feel like it speaks
to the culture of this company.
Based on the typical salaries for my level of experience
in the industry, the skills that are required
to be successful in this role,
and my current earnings,
I do feel like the salary range is below my expectations,
to be honest.
- Okay well, I appreciate that.
Would you mind disclosing what that range is?
- First and foremost,
I wanna be a part of a team that has a sense of mission
and is empowered to do their best work.
That's critical. My expectations for salary are
from $95,000 to $110,000.
Is this within your recruiting range?
- Okay, thank you for sharing.
Maintaining transparency, that range is a little above
what we have allocated for the role,
but let me see what we can do as our conversations continue.
- Okay, that's good. - Let's talk about next steps.
- Great tone throughout.
He was inviting conversation, which is fantastic.
It's a dialogue after all
and doing research beforehand might really pay off.
If we get to the job offer stage,
there's a good chance that the proposed salary
will be more than it would have been.
No one is going to disclose
your salary expectations but you.
No one will advocate for a higher level
of compensation but you.
The question is going to come up sooner
than you think,
be ready for it, and when the time comes,
use one of the two winning strategies in this video
to disclose your salary expectations.
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[beep] - Let's talk about next steps.
- Okay, yes, next steps.
I wanna see the building.
The third floor looked crazy.
You can see it from the atrium.
- Yes, the third floor is actually where
all our business executives sit. - Ooh.
- So work your way on up there.
- Okay, okay, okay, I like that.