How should you be handling the salary question and make sure you are not getting taken advantage of?
I answered this on my LinkedIn page and figured this needed to be discussed further.
In case you missed it, here’s the post:
#SalaryBan — ‘How much do you make in your current position?’
This is a stupid question that recruiters need to stop asking.
One’s current salary is not always a reflection of how well they perform and should not be the baseline for generating an offer.
Instead, make an offer. The candidate can either accept, negotiate or walk away.
It’s that simple.
I have personal experience with this…and you guessed it, it sucks.
A few years ago, I was asked about my current salary (without bonuses or benefits). Foolishly, I gave the recruiter this information. She used it as a baseline to set my salary at a the new company — although it was a promotion.
I was able to negotiate for more, but it felt like I was cheated.
Why didn’t she access the salary tables from the company and generate my offer from that?
Since then, I’ve asked for more compensation even if it was a great offer or an internal move.
What did I do?
Prepare:
Before presenting my case to the recruiter or hiring manager, I’d tell myself, “What’s the harm in asking for a higher salary or benefits?”
After you ask, the recruiter or hiring manager can either agree to a pay bump, counter offer or say no.
If they rescinded the offer, then I’d know it was all about the money and my value was not a top priority.
And maybe I’d be better off not working for someone who could not see that I would generate 10x+ more value than my current salary.
Asking this simple question would always give me enough confidence to ask for more and it could do wonders for you too!
Don’t Fall:
I’ve heard multiple stories from friends and family members where they’ve been asked about their salary by a recruiter. Sometimes people are surprised that they can push back (professionally of course).
Guess what?
You can!
It’s bad to start off a professional relationship where you feel like you have been cheated before your first day.
Its worse when you don’t realize it until after you’ve started.
Recently, a friend on Instagram said that she learned her lesson about not negotiating what she’s worth. Ten years ago, one of her old bosses bragged to her (6 months after she accepted the job) that he’s glad that she did not negotiate for more money. She saved him from spending money in his budget.
(Wow.)
This manager is a jerk and should’ve never said that to one of his direct reports.
Who would be inspired to work harder when they feel like their skills were purchased at a discount?
Knowledge of Discounted Skills = Discounted Output (aka, I’ll do enough to not get fired.)
This is not a good place for the employee or organization.
Looking for ways to make sure you keep your negotiation power in your job search?
How to Win:
1. “I’m not at Liberty to discuss that.” Tell the recruiter that you can’t share this information. From there, you can save yourself and the recruiter some time if they can’t honor your request.
2. Suggest that they give you an offer and then you can go from there.
3. Don’t be afraid to walk away. Your skills and experience you bring to the table are not being valued.
4. Go to sites such as Glassdoor.com or Salary.com to get a ball park figure for your salary range before you speak with a recruiter. If the recruiter does not ask for your current salary they might ask ,”Tell me what you think this position pays…” to gauge a starting salary. Don’t give a dollar amount, give a range instead.
How have you handled the “How much do you make in your current position…” question when asked by a recruiter?
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