Job Interview 101: How Not To Discuss Salary Expectations

When applying for a job, you’re likely to encounter this question at any point during the application process – “What are your salary expectations?”

There are many things to consider when it comes to discussing pay. And the situation is made even more complex depending on the context. In this guide, we’ll break these details down to help you answer salary expectations related questions.

Should You Or Shouldn’t You Disclose Your Salary Expectations?

As a rule of thumb, you should never disclose your salary expectations because more often than not, candidates who don’t disclose their salary expectations wind up getting a better offer. 

However, there are legitimate reasons why employers would ask about your salary expectations. They can be checking to see if they can afford to hire you or not; they can be checking your seniority level or experience based on your asking rate; or they can be gauging how you see yourself based on asking price.

For practical reasons, it also helps you if you disclose your salary expectations – you can tell whether the employer can meet your salary expectations. 

Regardless of the reason, know that whatever value you provide during this discussion, whether earlier on in the job interview process or later during salary negotiations, your asking rate can make or break your job application process. This is why you should proceed with caution and always keep these things in mind:

• You can get disqualified from the recruitment process if your salary is not within the employer’s range. But that’s ok, since it saves you both time and effort.
• Whatever amount you give, the employer is likely to offer a lower amount or give you the lower limit of the range you provide, so always put your desired amount as the minimum.
• When an employer senses timidity or lack of confidence, they’re likely to give you a lower offer even if they have a bigger budget.
• Always come to the interview or negotiation table prepared. Do your research ahead of time, and be prepared to price yourself so that you can defend your rate. As a rule of thumb, you don’t want to charge too high or too low, as both can reflect negatively on you.

How To Respond When Asked About Your Salary Expectations?

If it saves you and your employer time and effort to disclose how much a job is likely to pay, they should disclose the salary range from the beginning. While this is ideal, this is often not the case in the Philippines, as employers are trying to gauge the lowest possible offer they can make depending on your salary expectations, experience, and level of confidence. For these reasons, below are ways you can respond to this question according to our seasoned hiring managers at Bossjob.

Turn The Tables

The only reason you’d want to even be discussing salary during an interview is to gauge whether your salary expectations are within the budget of the employer. To find out without putting yourself at a disadvantage, you can ask the hiring manager instead, what is their budget for the role? 

By asking this question, you’re putting the spotlight on them. You can tell them that you’re unsure what to expect or you’re uncomfortable disclosing, so instead, could they tell you how much is their budget as this helps set your expectations? 

If they resist disclosing, then you can try another one of the suggested responses here. If they do disclose it, then you should respond whether this meets your expectations or not. Should it not, you can ask whether the amount is open to negotiation, and if they say yes, know how to negotiate for a salary you deserve and do it well.

Highlight Your Qualifications

When asked about your salary expectations, another way to deflect it is by bringing the discussion back to your qualifications. Tell them that you don’t fully understand the role yet and can’t give a figure, but would much rather talk about your skills and experience and how you fit with the role. 

Another way to do this is by saying you’re flexible, but you want to be compensated fairly for your experience and skills, then bring the conversation back to those.

You can also always say you’re uncomfortable with the question and would much rather discuss your qualifications for the role.

If they let you off the hook, great! But if they insist on knowing your salary expectations, then you can try the following methods.

Look At The Big Picture

When pushed to disclose salary expectations, you want to avoid giving a definite figure at all costs. A great way to do that is by focusing on the overall compensation rather than just the salary. You can say,  I think rather than the pay, I’m more particular about so and so. Then, talk about the things that are important to you besides the salary, such as paid leaves, flexible work set up, added benefits or bonuses, company shares, etc.

By highlighting these, you’re able to convey your flexibility while also not giving a definite figure that might end up limiting the offer given to you later. 

Offer A Range

When push comes to shove, show that you know your worth. Do your research prior to entering the discussion. Check out online job portals like Bossjob where it’s easy to see all similar job postings altogether to make it easier to learn about industry standards. You can start by mentioning you’d like to learn more about the role to be certain, but consider that the position is typically paid X to Z PHP in your region, and given you experience and skills, you’d expect to receive around Y to W PHP.

By giving an estimate rather than a definite amount, you’re telling the employer that you’re open to negotiation while also telling them you’ve done your research and know the running rate for similar positions. This tells them not to give you a below market rate offer as this will reflect negatively on them.

Final Word On Salary Discussions

There’s no right way to handle salary discussions, but when it comes to disclosing salary expectations, best practices include always putting yourself at an advantage by not disclosing your expectations. More times than we can count, this strategy has worked in the candidates’ favor and they get an offer that’s higher than they expected. 

Use these salary discussion tips in your next interview and negotiate the best offer for you when you talk to boss immediately after applying for a job. At Bossjob, our chat-first platform allows you to quickly evaluate your employer and determine whether they can afford to hire you or not, so you can decide whether to continue with your application or find another job.

Nail that salary discussion. Visit Bossjob to learn more!