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July 25, 2024
If you reach the stage in the interview process where you are being asked for your salary expectations, this is a very good sign. It means that the employer is seriously considering you, but it’s still important to remain professional and not relax just yet.
If you have been referred by a recruiter, there is a good chance that they have already discussed the salary range. You might be able to negotiate higher, particularly if you have performed exceptionally well during the interview process.
As with all stages of the interview process, preparation is key. Before heading into an interview, make sure you are clear on how to answer this question to give yourself the best possible chance of success.
Employers often want to know your salary expectations so they can get a clearer idea about where you are in your career.
If you ask for a salary significantly lower than they have budgeted for, they might question if you are ready for the role. And if your salary expectations are much higher than they can afford, they might worry that you are overqualified for the position.
It’s more common during times when it is an employee’s market, when employers are chasing the best candidates and competing to impress them. Many roles have an advertised salary and there is no room for negotiation.
During the negotiation process, you may be asked about your current salary. If you want to improve your bargaining position, you might be tempted to lie in order to secure a similar or larger salary in this role. We wouldn’t advise this, as they could easily check your salary when they call for a reference.
Preparation is key when it comes to nailing this part of the interview. To make sure you are in the best possible position to negotiate, try the following steps:
The first step is to make sure you are clear on the current salary range for the role you are applying for. If you haven’t been on the job market for a while, you might be operating under outdated information.
Do you research and find out the current rate for your role. Remember that location will heavily influence the salary you can ask for, so take this into consideration when deciding the salary range you would like to ask for.
It makes sense to ask for an amount that is a little bit higher than the dream amount. If the company really loves you and wants to snap you up, they might offer you this dream amount and you will have secured a healthy pay rise. If they love you but they don’t have the budget to stretch that far, they might be willing to negotiate or sweeten the deal in some way.
While it’s always good to have a higher limit to shoot for, you also need to have a lower limit that you cannot go below. Some companies might not have the budget to meet your expectations and it’s far better to walk away in this instance, or you could end up feeling resentful about your new role.
Your lower limit could be your current salary, as it would be worthwhile for your career to move, but not if you’re going to be worse off every month. If you haven’t had a pay rise for a while, your lower limit could be higher than your current salary.
It can be stressful for candidates to start talking about money during an interview. To help take off some of the pressure, you can give your salary expectations as a range.
For example, you might say “I’m looking for a salary in the region of £38,000 to £42,000 as I believe this is the current market value for a role of this seniority. I would be happy to negotiate as I am very interested in this position.”
The key to negotiating is to not allow your interest in the role to allow the employer to offer you less. And if you are going to state a salary range, you also need to be willing to walk away if the employer cannot offer you the lower limit.
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