We’ve all been there. You’re in the midst of what seems to be a promising job interview when the recruiter looks you in the eyes and asks, “So, what are your salary expectations?”
You freeze up, your palms get sweaty, and you feel totally unprepared to give a coherent response. While you don’t want to sell yourself short or price yourself out of contention, you also have no idea what number to share.
It's an uncomfortable position many job seekers find themselves in. However, the salary expectations question doesn't have to be scary if you enter the interview armed with the right strategies. This article will provide tips to help you confidently address inquiries around pay rate expectations.
Companies bring up salary expectations for a few key reasons:
Most hiring managers want to confirm your desired pay rate aligns with what they have budgeted for the open position. If you share a number far outside the planned range, they may determine you're not a viable candidate and cut the process short.
Your response also allows interviewers to gauge whether you have an accurate understanding of what your skills, experience and qualifications warrant in terms of compensation. Unreasonable expectations could signal larger issues down the road.
In some cases, the hiring team may use your answer to assess if you are applying for roles inappropriate for your background. For example, if you ask for an exceptionally high salary, you may be viewed as too senior. Conversely, an exceptionally low rate may mean you don't have enough experience for the role.
By getting your pay rate expectations on the table early, the company avoids wasting time interviewing candidates unlikely to accept offers or succeed in positions misaligned with their career level.
With so much riding on how you address salary expectations, it’s no wonder such inquiries can provoke anxiety. Here are some tips to enter interviews feeling more self-assured:
Walking in armed with an understanding of typical pay rates for similar roles can make a world of difference. Spend time researching average salaries in your field or function using resources like:
This will provide you with benchmarks to ground your personal expectations in reality.
You also need to reflect on your own financial obligations, goals and lifestyle expenses to formulate your “walkaway number” – the minimum pay you'd accept.
Think through anticipated costs associated with taking this job like transportation, childcare, your mortgage or rent. Also factor in less tangible things like career development opportunities and work-life balance priorities.
While base salary tends to garner the most attention, don’t forget about other elements that enhance overall employee value like:
A competitive benefits package could allow you to be flexible on raw salary terms.
In many industries, recruiters and hiring managers prefer to discuss pay later in the interview process once both parties confirm mutual interest in moving forward. However, some companies have policies requiring applicants to share salary history or expectations right out the gate.
If asked early on, don’t hesitate to redirect the conversation to learn more about the role before providing numbers. You can say something like:
“I’d be happy to share my expectations once I have a better sense of the position's responsibilities. Could we discuss those first?”
Even with preparation, salary conversations can trip up candidates in the pressure of an interview. Planning your talking points and rehearsing out loud several times can prevent fumbling over words.
Enlist a friend to run through mock questions and responses related to pay rate expectations. Treat it as any other interview prep – the practice will allow you to exude more confidence once the actual discussion happens.
No matter what tactic you use to address questions around salary expectations, do your best to come across as willing to engage in a mutual negotiation discussion. If you seem obstinate about sticking to an exact figure without budging, some hiring managers may halt consideration.
Emphasize non-monetary priorities first before circling back to indicate you can be flexible within limits that meet your needs. This cooperative, team-player approach makes conversations flow more smoothly even when disagreements arise.
When that tricky question gets lobbed your way during a job interview, there are several techniques you can use in response:
Offering an acceptable salary band allows employers insight into your expectations while keeping opportunities for negotiation open. By including a high and low end, you share your ideal target without cornering yourself if the company comes in lower than anticipated.
When deciding the spread, research indicates keeping the differential around $5-10K represents a reasonable variance in line with norms. Any wider and hiring managers may doubt your understanding of competitive wages.
Here’s an example of how to smoothly integrate this into an interview response:
“Based on my recent compensation history and the immense value I know I can contribute in this role, I’d expect a salary in the general range of $58-$63K annually for this type of position. Of course, I’m very interested in also understanding the entire benefits picture here beyond just base pay as I assess the overall opportunity.”
This approach allows you to anchor expectations while evidencing flexibility – a win/win for both sides of the negotiation table!
Sometimes the wisest course involves not providing any number at all. To gather helpful intel, you can tactfully deflect and instead ask the hiring manager to share the salary range designated for the open role in their budget.
This response puts appropriate pressure on the employer to divulge information first. Once they put a baseline out there verbally or in writing, you can then assess if it aligns with your goals.
Consider using gentle but direct phrasing such as:
“I want to be thoughtful about aligning my request with what makes sense for your organization. Do you have the approved salary bands for this position handy to share with me?”
If the range exceeds your own expectations, congratulations! Let the recruiter know it seems fair based on your background.
However, a lower-than-anticipated band means negotiating. Politely ask whether there is flexibility to get closer to your target number before following up with questions about supplemental benefits that could counterbalance a lower base.
Occasionally if you feel fully informed, deeply understand competitive wages in a particular market, or operate in an industry where pay bands are tightly standardized, sharing a discrete target annual salary may be appropriate.
However, I only recommend this tactic for seasoned professionals with specializations in very narrow functions or those supremely confident in their value relative to upside. Otherwise, you risk locking yourself into a lower-than-ideal wage or instantly pricing yourself out of jobs you genuinely want.
When going this route, be sure to indicate willingness to consider other forms of compensation even if the exact salary figure itself remains non-negotiable:
“Based on extensive market research of national averages and discussion with my mentors, I’m targeting $89K annually in my next Systems Architect position. While the base salary expectation itself is firm based on my credentials and specialization, I’m very interested to understand what other short- and long-term incentives NuTech offers employees.”
What if you’re asked the salary question at a very early stage when you have limited insight into expected responsibilities or qualifications in the role? Declining to provide a number may represent your smartest choice.
Simply explain the need to collect more detail before settling on an expectation range:
“I appreciate you asking and definitely want to have an open dialogue around compensation. However, at this point in our discussion I’d still benefit tremendously from learning more about the core duties for this position and the profile of the ideal candidate. Would you mind walking me through those dynamics first before we land on specifics around pay?”
This technique works particularly well for recent graduates or those reentering the workforce after extended absences. In such cases, redirecting back to qualifications signals good judgment – an indirect selling point!
While the above techniques can facilitate productive conversations about salary, there are still plenty of pitfalls to sidestep even when armed with preparation and practice:
Resist broaching pay expectations before mutual interest gets established. While some applications require entering numbers upfront, hold off discussing money in interviews until deeper mutual rapport develops.
Failing to research competitive wages ahead of interviews leaves you vulnerable to inadvertently pricing yourself out of contention or selling skills short. Homework pays dividends when it's time to have these conversations.
Get fixated on base pay at your own peril. Don't forget supplemental benefits that sweeten total compensation offers like equity, development stipends and extensive time off.
Even with preparation, sometimes the hiring manager's budget won't align with your ask. Signal willingness to explore unconventional combinations of incentives that collectively meet your needs. Talk, but also listen.
Questions about pay expectations seem designed to provoke anxiety, especially for job seekers uncomfortable negotiating their worth. However, candidates willing to put in commensurate preparation to understand their market value need not approach these conversations with dread.
Equip yourself to discuss numbers smoothly by researching industry standards, reflecting on your own salary needs and rehearsing replies that project readiness to engage in equitable dialogue. With the right mindset, you can leverage interviews as opportunities to secure offers aligned with getting paid what you deserve.
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