Salary Negotiation Master Technique
November 19th, 2008 | by Trevor Davide Grant |It is not a good idea to discuss salary early in an interview. It can be too much information when trying to negotiate a new salary, but how can you dodge the question?
My first rule of thumb is to never lie. It is not very good to talk about the salary, especially during an early interview.
The best way to deal when pressed for your salary information is as follows:
1) State that you’d rather not answer that question because your previous salary is not terribly relevant to the current job you’re applying to. You’d rather be paid commensurate with the market and within the companies standard guidelines for the role and responsibility.
2) If the employer insists you mention your previous salary, mention with the total value of your salary package. Also, restate that it is not the same company you will be working for, and so your past salary is not related. There are so many factors including lifestyle, vacation, time in lieu of pay and other things that also factor in.
3) When you go in for an interview you should be armed with knowledge of the current market. You should know your level of skill and professionalism and knowing your local job market you should be able to command the price you expect. You need to do your research, and be realistic about whether you are superstar talent or just high performing.
4) Even if you were earning a low salary before, possibly even below the industry standards for that job, you should expect to be paid within that range when you go to your next job. You may have one of many reasons for taking an lower salary at your previous job. It does NOT explain your worth to the new employer, bottom line!
5) If you do talk about your salary history make sure to mention that you expect to be paid the current fair market rate for the job listing, and explain what you know about salaries in your field at the time. Many employers will respect you for standing up for what you deserve. Just remember negotiating is a professional situation and remember to be firm in your stance but respectful with the employer.
Do not lie in your interview. The employer has ways to detect what you really earned, either through asking you to produce a pay stub, or asking if they can confirm it with your previous employer. Remember, the value you bring is the value you bring, and that is the bottom line if the employer wants to hire you.