Handling Salary Questions

Hourly Positions

When applying for an hourly position, you will most likely be asked your salary expectations on the application or by the interviewer. Because hourly positions have little room for negotiation, you’ll want to provide a realistic expectation up front. 

Exempt or Salaried Positions

At any part of the job search and interviewing process, expect to be asked your alary history, your most recent salary, or your salary expectations. Try to avoid such disclosures, since they rob you of any opportunity for negotiation.

• Naming a number may create any of the following reactions:
• The figure seems too high, and they don't yet see why you’re worth it.
• The figure seems too low, and they may question your qualifications for the job.
• The number is in their range, but your bargaining position is made more complicated because they know where you fall in their range, but you don't.

First, you must be convinced yourself that your prior salary has nothing to do with what you should be paid for a potential new job, nor what the company is prepared to pay you to do it.

Try to avoid discussing salary until an offer is made. Until they are convinced you are the one for the job, they have no interest in what you want.

Know your bottom line, your "walk away amount," and research position compensation ranges beforehand. There are a number of times when you may need to respond to salary inquiries. Here are some suggestions on how to handle those questions. 

State Salary History:

Usually requested in ads or applications.

• This almost always means "salary requirements or expectations." This is an attempt to screen out applicants with salaries too high and, sometimes, too low.
• Your salary history is not relevant to the position for which you are applying. The position responsibilities may be higher or lower than other jobs you have had, or the company may be one which pays more (or less, e.g. in the case of a not-for-profit organization) for the position.

How to Handle:

It's your decision to include or not include this information:

• If you do not provide this information and you match job qualifications exactly, you probably will not be screened out.
• If you feel you must include your salary history, provide an accurate one. There are too many ways the company can check.

State Salary Requirements

Usually this is requested in ads, on applications, or by the Human Resources Representative. Again, it is an attempt to screen you out or in, and it provides a starting point for the employer on which to base the offer, without respect to what the employer might have been prepared to pay. 

How to Handle

•  Leave the salary information blank. If the application specifies "please fill in all information," then write in "Flexible" in the blanks.
• If you know the employer's salary range for the position and are compelled to write something in the blank, state your requirements as a range, with the top of the employer's range being the midpoint of your range.