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SALARY
NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES
by Stephanie Legatos
This article is Part 2 of the Interviewing
Skills article.
At any stage in the interview process, you may
be asked to disclose your salary history, current or most
recent salary, and/or salary expectations. Although most
career/job search books and articles recommend that you
never discuss salary unless you have an offer, this
is easier said than done. I believe that it’s better to
be prepared to handle these types of questions appropriately
and diplomatically when they arise.
Of course, it is true that the best time to
negotiate is when you are in a position of power. You
are only in a position of power when you have an offer.
To ensure that you feel prepared and confident
discussing salary at any point in your interview process, it’s
essential to know three things:
- your ideal salary
- the range that the position commands in the
marketplace ? for the specific industry, company size, and
your skills/expertise
- your survival salary - your bottom line
To augment this article, there are several
on-line resources for salary information that you might want
to review. One of the best and most comprehensive is www.salary.com. Others
include www.joboptions.com and
www.jobsmart-org/tools/salary.
Questions about salary are asked in a number
of different ways. The most common are: What salary
are you looking for? or What are your salary
requirements? Listed below are several examples of
how you can respond to these questions. After your
response, take back some power and control by re-directing the
conversation. Examples of what you might say are also
listed below.
I would like to know more about some
aspects of the position, then I’ll be in a better position to
discuss salary. Follow this up by asking, “Could
you tell me more about?”
I’d be happy to discuss salary when I know
more about the specifics of this position. This is
another way to re-state the above statement.
I’d like to return to that when I have a
better picture of your needs and how I might contribute.
Follow-up by asking, “What are the key things you’d want
the person in this position to accomplish within the first 3
months?”
Given what I know so far about this
position, I’m sure any offer you extend will be
competitive. Follow-up by asking any question you
have prepared or going back to an earlier question and asking
for clarification or adding additional thoughts.
Given the requirements for the position,
as I currently understand them, I’m sure any offer you extend
will be a fair one. This is another way to re-state
the above statement.
I can appreciate your interest in
discussing salary and I’m happy to do that when I have a
clearer understanding of your needs. Again, another
way to re-state the above, with an additional acknowledgement
of the interviewer’s need.
I’m looking for the right combination of
compensation and opportunity. This is one of the
most vague responses you can give. It’s best followed-up
by redirecting the conversation one of two ways: (1)
make a strong and compelling statement about the opportunities
that you see and how you can make an immediate contribution,
or (2) ask about growth potential or typical career paths
within the organization.
If you are pushed to give a concrete
answer, consider the following responses:
What did you have in mind for this
position?
What range have you established for this
position?
I would be interested in knowing about the
entire compensation package, not just salary. Wait
for a response or follow-up by saying, “That would help me to
more appropriately respond to your question.” This and
the above two responses buy you time. With this
response, you can consider the value of the benefit package
and compare it to your ideal or needs, on the spot, then use
your original range (based on research) or increase the range.
My research tells me that the salary range
for this type of position is in the mid $30’s to mid
$40’s.
Based on research and my experience in the
field, I am looking for salary in the mid $30’s to mid
$40’s.
Are you making me an offer?
This response is best used with a touch of humor; and
only if you are extremely confident.
If the interviewer tells you the starting
salary or the range for the position, and it’s lower than you
want or had expected, you can say:
I think that my background allows me to
contribute more in the areas of:
I was looking more in the range
of:
-or-
I believe that my skills in the area of
“x” is stronger than most candidates, allowing me to hit the
ground running with a shorter learning curve. This can
save you time and money. Therefore, I was looking more
in the range of:
-or-
I think that my experience in this field
is stronger than most candidates, and I’d be willing to
consider that range. If I met the goals or surpassed the
goals we discussed in 3 months, would you consider a
performance or merit review and bonus?
Sometimes, you could find that the range is
too low to even meet your bottom line (survival salary).
If this happens, there are a number of factors to consider:
how long you’ve been out of the job market, what other
interviews you have scheduled, how in demand your skills are,
and many others.
If you are asked about your salary
history, consider the following:
I can tell you what I made in my last job,
but this position is at a higher level. What range have
you established for the position?
I would carry a much larger caseload in
this position: a natural career progression for me. I
don’t think that my previous salary has much bearing.
What salary range did you have in mind?
Need to boost your interview confidence?
Not sure how to answer common questions or behavioral
questions? Want a practice interview to increase your
skills and chances of success? Have an offer but not
sure if you should accept it?
Stephanie Legatos is
a career and job search coach, and a Certified Professional
Resume Writer (CPRW) who works with people in diverse
occupations to create compelling marketing tools and a
comprehensive job search strategy. Contact her at bewellpartners@verizon.net,
bewellpartners.com,
or 978-887-0070. | 
