How to Crush the Salary Question in the Interview
Confidently Respond to a Difficult Question
In his phone interview last week, Mark breezed through the small talk and connected with his interviewer. He was sure he provided outstanding answers to questions aimed at discerning his competency. As the interviewer questioned him about his goals and core values, he felt sure he fit the culture of the organization. Then came the big question: “What salary are you expecting?” Right away, Mark answered with a specific number and next was a long pause on the other end of the call. Afterwards, Mark began second-guessing the success of the interview. He asked me if there is a best-practice approach to answering the salary question.
These are the important considerations in answering questions about salary expectations:
1. Know your worth. There is a price in the marketplace on your skillset and experience. The key is to not underestimate it or overestimate it. Find out what the going rate is for someone with your background for the specific role in the organization. There are numerous resources including LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Indeed. Remember, evaluate where you are now, not your potential.
2. Know the salary range. Is the salary range already posted? Is there a recruiter involved that can provide the information? Do you know someone in the organization that can give you insight? Most positions are now posted with salary ranges, but if they aren’t, try to find out ahead of time so that you don’t waste yours or the interviewers time if it is not a match.
3. Understand the compensation strategy of the organization. Do they offer only straight salary or are their performance incentives? Do they offer a signing bonus? What is the total benefit package? Are stock options available?
4. Prepare to articulate your added value to the company. The discussion cannot just be about what you get as a team member, it’s about what you will give. Think about the unique abilities or experience you bring to the team and the role. That uniqueness can help a leader justify a higher salary offer.
5. Answer with confidence. Often, a candidate can ace an interview and then when answering the salary question show a complete lack of confidence. Don’t make it awkward. Prepare for the question and then provide the answer with confidence.
So, what’s the answer?
For most interview questions, there are many ways to answer, but for the salary question, there are only a few effective answers. This one is my favorite:
“After researching similar roles in the job market and comparing those roles to my experience and skillset, I expect a base salary in the range of $_____ to $_______. Is this within your budget?”
This straight-forward , concise and simple answer communicates several things to the interviewer:
1. You have done your research. You know the market value of the role and you know your worth.
2. You communicate you understand salary is more than just base. By using the word “base,” the interviewer knows you have considered the total benefit package and other bonuses or that you are expecting those items to be part of an offer.
3. You end your statement with a question. Mark had that awkward moment of silence in his interview. If you end with a question, it places the interviewer in the position of responding.
Here is one final and important reality and it’s a thought I shared with Mark. If you do your homework and know your worth and the value of the job and the organization doesn’t offer because of your salary expectations, then it was likely that the job was not right for you. It’s a great market out there and the right job will come along.
Now go crush it!
Learn more about negotiating salary offers and how to navigate the hiring process in my new book. Order here: Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job and Launch Your Future
