When is it ok to ask about salary in the interview process?

[suzbaby]

I am coming up on my second interview with a company on Tuesday and, thus far, I have no indication as to what the pay will be like for this job.

When is it kosher to ask about salary? And how does one do it gracefully? :shrug:

[Ravenseye]

1. Depends

Usually I think you should wait till they make an offer. Let them come out and say "We want you." and then you have some leverage. They might say "We'd like to offer you 40k a year to come on board." at that point and then you can say "Thanks, I appreciate that. I was hoping though for a bit more compensation than that, and I really feel that I'm worth it to the company. Is there any way we can inrease that figure to say 50k a year?"

etc.

I'd not worry about it at an interview.

[suzbaby]

3. I was thinking that,

but I'm so curious now...maybe it's better to wait. Anything would be better than what I am making now, so maybe I should just take comfort in that. :)

[oneighty]

2. Just ask

Show your strength and aggressive talents.

What time is lunch where is the bathroom and when is payday and how much?

180

[huskerlaw]

4. I waited until I had an offer

Because really, aside from curiosity, does it really matter what the number is if you don't even have the job yet?

I assume you have a rough idea what the salary is going to be...and beyond that, they may not know exactly what they're going to offer, so asking might not even get you a decent answer.

To me it seemed a bit presumptuous to ask for the salary of a job I didn't even have...but perhaps that's just me. :)

[suzbaby]

5. I think I will wait.

But I don't even have a rough estimate as to what they will pay, which just makes me wonder.

[huskerlaw]

6. Have you researched

what similar positions in similar companies in your area pay? If not, you might want to try doing that...that way you won't be blindsided by the figure if/when you get an offer.

[kay1864]

7. It's usually best to talk about a range, not a fixed number

You can always butter them up a bit first, something like "Well, I like you guys, and I think there's a good fit here at XYZ company, and I get the sense you can see me in this job as well. But I'd like to get a feel for the salary range. Do you have a range in mind for this job?"

And ALWAYS ALWAYS make sure they name the number first. All hiring managers or HR people know this game, and some will try to get you to say what range you have in mind. If they do, always toss it back in their court. If they ask you what YOU have in mind, come back with something like, "Well I have a good idea what this job pays in the marketplace, but you're the expert on what XYZ company pays. So what range did you have in mind?"

If they continue to resist, and ask you to name a figure, you can say (because you did your research beforehand, right?), "Well, this position in this metro area pays anywhere from $X to Y*. But I'm guessing that your range is a bit more focused than that. Am I right?"

Sometimes they'll tell you right out, and you avoid this whole game, but some smaller companies will hedge because they want to get you as cheaply as possible. But it's certainly legit to bring it up (at least a range, not the actual offer) in a second interview.

*Broad range based on your research. Note that this does not commit you to what YOU would consider acceptable.

[suzbaby]

10. The interviewer caught me off guard

during a phone interview we had a few days ago. He asked me what my expectations were (no research done at this point), I was so thrown by the question that early that I told him what I make (peanuts)and said that I would like to make above that... :banghead:
Worst answer ever....

[kay1864]

11. Well it might not be all bad...

I mean, you didn't actually commit to accepting any figure above that--you just said that you would like to make more than you are now (as anyone would). So in your next interview, since you'll have your research ready, you can still make a strong case.

[suzbaby]

12. I must not have ruined it for myself completely

if I am onto the second interview. I just can't help but relive all of the craptacular answers I gave. There were good answers too (more good than bad) but I swear interviewers purposefully ask questions that are impossible to answer well.

i.e. "what would you criticize about our website?"

[kay1864]

14. Exactly...

And for your second interview, you can try to turn such negative-sounding questions into a positive.

Here's a hint: you don't always have to exactly answer the question (think Scott McLellan, LOL). They usually won't notice, as long as your answer is something close. Example: your answer could be "Well, what I would do with the website is add this and this, and change this, to be more responsive to the customer."

See what I mean? You're not directly criticizing the website (being negative), but you're still addressing the gist of the question--and in a positive manner.

[Scout1071]

16. Well, they like to hear you answer under fire sometimes.

They probably tend to get more honest answers than the standard questions that people prepare for before the interview.

Hang in there. And if it doesn't happen, then think of this interview as practice for the next one. Sometimes it takes a few before you really gain your full interview "stride." You'll get it. Round two is a great start. Just relax, be yourself and make the most of it!

[suzbaby]

17. Thanks for the pep-talk!

I'm interviewing with multiple people next time (including a phone conference with someone in CA). It will be a marathon! Here's hoping I have the stamina.

[Scout1071]

20. One last little tip:

When you are meeting with someone one on one, subtly mimic their body language. I know that sounds weird, but it's a worthy and successful sales persuasion technique. For example, if the person you are meeting with is leaning back in his/her chair with legs crossed, then you slowly and subtly assume a similar position. If they are straight up, hands crossed, do the same.

It's a subtle way to make people feel more comfortable. Again, it may sound weird but it works. But I would suggest you try this out with friends or family first to get the hang of it. You don't want to do it exactly as they do it so that it's obvious. Then it becomes awkward!

[suzbaby]

22. Gracias!

I tend to be rigid in posture and slightly fidgety

[Scout1071]

13. Just to add to kay1864's point, I would say that when (and if)

they come with an offer, you can always ask what the full potential salary of the position would be. If you proved a good employee in the position, what would it max out at? That way you'll know if they are trying to lowball you because you already threw a number out. You'll know the range and you can negotiate from there. Name the reasons why you are the best person for the job and ask for more. Most employers expect you to counter-offer. And then you settle somewhere in the middle. Do the same with benefits. You'll get more and they'll respect you more right off the bat.

My brother once said to me, "you make your own deals." And he's right. You've got to go for what you want. Nobody's gonna hand it to you.

That's just my two cents.

[kay1864]

15. Well said! ITA

:applause:

[hobo_baggins]

8. I'm usually up front about how much I want...so theres no fooling around

either they can match what I want, or not.

[WCGreen]

9. Right from the start....

Just barge in there and say, look if you can;t afford to pay me what I want then we should just cut to the chase...

And if they dawdle, the slam your resume down on the desk and say FINE....

And storm out of the interview.....

[kay1864]

18. And you have to make sure...

you say FINE in an extra-loud voice...this gets their attention, and you will gain their respect for being so assertive. Then kick their trash can on the way out, and they will immediately call you back and offer you the exact figure you named.

This approach works 100% of the time, guaranteed. PM me for details (after you send me $25 via PayPal, of course...)

[suzbaby]

19. For extra pinnosh

I'll take my interviewer's picture of his daughter off his desk and throw it on the floor.

[kay1864]

21. Hey!

That was one of the details! You were supposed to pay $25 for that! :crazy:

[suzbaby]

23. How much do I have to pay you

if I do the Ace Venture Pet Detective "talking butt" routine?

[kay1864]

24. That's part of my patented...

set of "Closing the Deal" lessons...

which means another $25! :+

[philosophie_en_rose]

25. "I"m curious about the terms of the position."

They should know what you're talking about. However, the answer to "what do you mean?" is "the general schedule, benefits, salary, special rules, and anything else that you'd like me to know."