Career Cube Blog

Aside from the question “Why did you leave?”, the question “What are your salary requirements?” probably causes the most discomfort and makes job seekers sweat. The company holds all the cards and they’re not letting you peek. They want to know everything, and they’re not going to give you any feedback. The moment you’re asked, you know that if your answer is wrong, you could easily kill any further discussion.

As if the question isn’t awkward enough at any time, too often it’s asked on a phone interview or a quick intro screen by HR or a contract recruiter. In other words, it’s asked at the beginning of the process in order to see if they want to bring you in. Or worse yet, you’re expected to put the number in your cover letter. It almost makes you want to humor them facetiously by including a paragraph that says, “By the way, if my number is outside your sacred range, don’t pay any attention to me or what I’ve accomplished. Just throw my resume in the trash.”

At least it would make the recipients more cognizant of how silly it is to ask that question so early in the process when they know nothing about you - and aren’t likely to read much further to find out - if your magic number doesn’t seem reasonable to them.

In actuality, the question itself isn’t what’s unreasonable. It’s the time frame in which it’s asked (too early) and the underlying reason for it - of which companies are usually unaware - that is so odious.

Remember that companies - not overtly or consciously - look for reasons to screen you out, and a problem answer is as good a reason as anything else.

But the thing is, although it’s not a problem question, the sooner it’s asked, the more of a problem question it becomes, because the less they know about you. All the company really wants to know is if you’re realistic about what you’re looking to make in relation to what their range is. But if the number you give in your cover letter is too high, your resume may not even get a cursory glance. So ultimately, they’ve made a decision about you based on a number instead of your capabilities.

There’s also nothing wrong with asking the question early IF the answer is put in context with the skills. In other words, if the range - arbitrarily - is $80K to $90K and the person says “Six figures,” then the ensuing question is: is this person capable of earning that? Or are their requirements way out of whack?

A hiring authority can - and probably will - look to determine that, rather than simply dismissing you as “too high,” but it’s very unlikely anyone else in the process will.

Unfortunately, that question is going to continue to pop up and frequently either too early in the process or without being put in context. There’s nothing you can do about avoiding it or about what the company does with your answer, but you can keep yourself in more control of the outcome by answering it other than is expected! And it so happens that an out-of-the-box answer is the most sensible way to answer the question, anyway.

Dodge it. Meaning, answer the question without answering it. Not only do you eliminate being pigeon-holed, but you have the opportunity to make a very sensible point, which one hopes will resonate with the interviewer, recruiter, human resources person, or whomever is expecting you to answer.

The best stock answer is “I’m interested in a fair and equitable offer for the right opportunity,” or however you are comfortable phrasing the essence of that message.

That works for the cover letter too. You can’t ignore the question because in a cover letter, that very often gets you tossed (you didn’t follow directions). And in an in-person interview, obviously you can’t just sit there, nor is it wise to respond in any way that might be construed as argumentative or confrontational. Examples of that might be, “I’d prefer not to answer that,” and “I don’t really think that’s an appropriate question right now,” and “Is that really important?” or any variation thereof. There’s no loud buzzer and trap door for you to fall through, but there might as well be.

Salary requirements are part of a total picture. The salary offered is also part of a total picture. In each case, a number alone doesn’t define the full scope of what’s being discussed. So when your cover letter says “I’m interested in a fair and equitable offer for the right opportunity” then your resume gets looked at. And as long as both your cover letter and your resume don’t have other problems and your skills basically match what they’re looking for, they’ll bring you in. And then you have a chance to show them who you are while you are finding out who they are.

My suggested phrase is all well and good - but make sure you know what the right opportunity is, so that if the scope of the job and company hasn’t been discussed, you’re able to define it and ask additional questions to help you ascertain if you are, in fact, interviewing for “the right opportunity.”

Too many times interviewing is reduced to a game where the company tries to screen people out and the candidates try to get in the door. The company falsely believes that adhering to some perceived formula or profile will ensure they make a good hire, and the candidate is usually just playing a numbers game with little thought to what’s behind their moves. And no one wins, least of all both parties.

So next time you’re asked that phrase, just give a vague answer. And when they press you, explain that you don’t mean to be difficult, but you’re there to learn more about the company, the opportunity, and if you’d both be a good fit, and in the meantime it’s difficult to pin down a salary figure.

If you’re sticking within your industry and field, chances are you’re in their range. So preface that vague answer with your current salary. The answer then becomes, “I’m currently at $87,000, but I’m interested in a fair and equitable offer for the right opportunity.”

Why? Because giving them your current salary gives them information they want to know - and have a right to know - and throws them a bone at the same time. Yet, so often I hear from job searchers who don’t want to tell a prospective employer what they’re making and steadfastly believe that that information is none of the company’s business. Wrong.

Usually it’s because people think they’ll get cheated on an offer. But a company shouldn’t be expected to make an offer - or even to continue the interviewing process - with a candidate who won’t disclose their current salary. Either you’re hiding something or you’re difficult to deal with. Either way, you’re too much trouble. You can leave disgruntled and angry at their audacity, but in this case, it’s you who are out of line.

In any case, if you think the company will undercut you, why are you interviewing with them?
Interviewing isn’t supposed to be a game, but it probably always will be. While everyone else is playing it, you concentrate on being real and respectful to both yourself and to the company with whom you’re interviewing. Tell them what they ought to know - your current salary - and sidestep what’s unnecessary. By the time you get far enough into the process where the salary requirements make a difference, it will have become more of a meeting of the minds rather than a tool to possibly boot you out of the picture.

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