There’s a love-hate relationship with job interviews. We love that we have the chance to prove ourselves to a new employer, and hopefully get a new position with a big new salary…but we hate the job interview process; its scary, horrific, terrifying!!!
This series of job interview articles will teach you how to pass your next job interview by explaining how to answer each tricky job interview question
How to Answer “What salary are you seeking?”
This has to be one of the most sensitive but most important job interview questions to be asked
Before preparing for your next job interview you need to first understand the implications this job interview question has and the silly and innocent mistakes people make that reduce their potential salary
To gain the best salary offer you can use a simple psychology interview technique and increase your annual income
How to Answer the Interview Question
First let me start with the poor advice that you will read on the web
Delay Tactic – the advice here is to delay this question to the interview end, giving you time to highlight your skills, knowledge and unique selling point before talking about the salary (if you like me you will offer me more money!)
Stupid advice really; if the interviewer asks you about your ideal salary at the interview start (most interviewers ask this question at the interview end) you cant say “can I answer this later as I want to tell you about my experience first so you will offer me more money!” If you are asked a question, you have to answer it – job interview etiquette lesson 1!!!!
Ask the interviewer first – The common advice that is thrown around regarding your salary, which is totally wrong, is to throw the salary question back at the interviewer “what is the salary range for this position?” This shows that you lack confidence, and the interviewer will simply offer you a lower salary
Give a salary range – many interviewees will offer up a range “between £50000-£60000” This is one of the most stupid mistakes you can. The interviewer knows your salary range – your ideal is £60K but you are willing to accept £50K so the interviewer’s first offer will be around £50K knowing that the only reason you wouldn’t accept is only when you have been offered another higher salary. If this is the case they can then increase the salary offer
Also, be careful if you use the salary range technique as some interviewers will be cheeky and first start the negotiations by offering a salary slightly lower then your baseline, in this example, of £50k
To get the highest salary offer depends on two key factors:
One – who sets the initially salary (referred to as the baseline)
Two – the salary limit the company will commit to
There are 3 types of salary negotiations; set salary, flexible range, and open roof salary
The set salary is for positions where you have no leverage, it doesn’t matter on your skill base, experience or unique selling point the salary is set – you either take it or leave it. If this is you – I’m sorry, this whole article has been a bit pointless
The set salary is common in most low to medium-skilled jobs
Flexible range salary – in many medium-skilled and low-level management positions the salary on offer will be within a range and you can negotiate within these fixed boundaries
The interviewer will be stuck within this range and it is unlikely that you will get anything more than the highest offer (which you will gain using the technique below)
For these types of positions you need to do your research; check the salary offer on the job advert or if there isn’t one you can check the average salary for this position through checking the salary on similar roles or through a salary checker (many versions of this online)
Open roof salary – in some positions; CEO’s, directors, stockbrokers the salary can be open-ended depending on what value you will bring to the organization. How you present yourself within the job interview plus the technique below will dramatically change your salary
Salary Negotiation
The power of salary negotiation comes down to a technique called baseline theory. The baseline is the starting point for negotiations. Whoever sets the baseline salary offer is in a position of power as all other offers are subconsciously made in comparison to the first set of figures
Let’s say the employer sets the baseline at £50,000, your counteroffer is based on this initial offer – you won’t go lower (because that would be stupid) but you won’t go to high in comparison to the baseline as this would feel awkward. Your counteroffer is £60,000 and you meet somewhere around £55,000
Compare this example to one where the interviewee sets the initial baseline offer at £70,000. The interviewer will then negotiate with their first counteroffer created through the psychology of a baseline at £60,000 and you meet around the £65,000 area – £10,000 more than when the employer sets the baseline
Job Interview Advice
