I hope you had a good weekend. I spent a bit of mine going through the nearly 200 replies I got to my recent comment thread about how to find a dream job or start a business after age 40 or 50 (or more). Actually, Thomas is going to help me go through and organize what we have, later today.
This got me thinking about all the intricate negotiations that go on whenever anyone interviews for a job, no matter what their age (or what the general climate is like, or what the job is, for that matter).
As it happens, I’d recently read an interesting post on one aspect of this from a recruiter: How to handle salary negotiations, especially if the other side brings the subject up early.
I asked for permission to share in full, with attribution of course. But for whatever reason, the recruiter asked me to post it without a byline. (Maybe people will think it’s more controversial than I did?)
So, here it is. Afterward, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts:
Someone was asking me how to answer the, “What’s your salary range?” question.
I'm in recruiting and talent acquisition so I answered, but I wanted to share it here as well, as I know a lot of people are job searching right now...
(Before I get roasted: This is not me saying I condone or that I play the games described below. In a perfect world, BOTH companies AND candidates would be 100 percent transparent regarding compensation. But, this is my advice for job-seekers on how to navigate those companies/recruiters who don’t practice compensation transparency, and who do still "play the game.”)
So here you go. Food for thought...
YOU. DO. NOT. GIVE. A. NUMBER.
Instead, start with something like, "while we all work for money, there are multiple factors that I am considering as I evaluate opportunities. What is MOST IMPORTANT to me in my next role is ‘X,’ ‘Y,’ and ‘Z.’”
If we’re Mad-Libbing this, X, Y, or Z might be things like, “the alignment of company values with mine,” or “the cultural fit,” or, “the job duties,” or “remote flexibility,” or “opportunity for growth,” or “working within a specific industry,” or “learning a specific skill,” etc.
Be truthful, and include what is really important to you when it comes to evaluating a career opportunity. Why answer this way?
1. It shows character depth. You aren’t "just about the money,” and you find value in your job beyond $$$. For the company, this signals that a candidate may be lower risk for turnover, and may have a higher likelihood of "emotional commitment" to the role/team/organization.
2. It demonstrates your ability to negotiate, and not "crack” or “cave under pressure.”
3. It keeps your "cards close to your chest,” especially at the start of the negotiation when you have the least leverage.
The same thing goes for when they ask you if you have other interviews, or are expecting any offers. They are weighing how fast they have to move if they like you, or if they have time to compare you to others.
You always say "yes,” you do have other options. But, don't elaborate.
If they keep pushing, you call their bluff:
“I can appreciate that you want to make sure that your budget and my compensation goals are aligned before continuing in the interview process. I definitely want to be respectful of your time, as I know recruiting is tough right now. What is the range you have in mind?"
At this point, they should crack and give you some kind of range. If they keep circling back, a good way to force their hand is to say something like, "I'd really need to have a better understanding of the role, responsibilities, total compensation plan and benefits before I can best answer that. Can you tell me more about this role and why it's open?”
If they STILL PUSH, at this point, they are more concerned with paying you "what they can get away with" rather than having an HONEST conversation to see if the opportunity is a good fit for BOTH sides.
Don't be afraid to be quiet, or walk away altogether. If they are interested, THEY WILL COME BACK. This is how you can actually negotiate a salary ABOVE their initial budget.
If you DO give a number (but seriously: don't!!!😫), give a BROAD range, followed by, "my range is flexible based on multiple factors, such as the specific duties and responsibilities, total compensation package, benefits, paid time off, etc. I'm sure I can give you a better idea once I've learned more about the role."
AND THEN STOP.
Don't say anything more. Make silence work for you, and let them give more details.
Finally, if a company or recruiter says “they can't move forward in the process without you providing a range,” I have a three-letter course of action for you: RUN.
Say, “Thank you for your time, but it sounds like this might not be a cultural fit for me. I’m looking for a company open to a full evaluation of my skillsets before I commit to valuing myself against their needs.”
I hope this helps someone land a nice, juicy salary!!!
Call for comments: Let’s give this one a try. What are your salary requirements? (Or anything else you’d like to share about negotiating, especially while looking for a new job or hiring people.)
7 other things worth your time
A judge imposed a combined $1 million bond Saturday for the parents of the Michigan teen charged with killing four students at Oxford High School, hours after police said they were caught hiding in a Detroit commercial building. James and Jennifer Crumbley entered not guilty pleas to each of the four involuntary manslaughter counts. (AP)
“A former co-worker of Chris Cuomo made a sexual misconduct allegation against the former CNN anchor, who was fired Saturday for misleading the cable network about the extent of the role he played trying to mitigate the sexual harassment accusations that took down his brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.” (NY Post)
About 100 members of a “white supremacists” group marched on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Saturday in uniform: “white gators, sunglasses, blue jackets, khaki pants, and brown boots and hats. Some donned plastic shinguards, seeming to anticipate violence.” D.C. police escorted them to the Virginia border. (Daily Beast, Twitter)
Google says its workers can keep working from home until “U.S. offices can safely return to a ‘stable, long-term working environment.’ (They had set Jan. 10 as the date to return to the office.) (CNBC)
Keystroke tracking, screenshots, and facial recognition: What workers should know about corporate surveillance software as companies consider permanent remote work policies. (WashPost)
Inside the alleged eBay workers’ campaign to terrorize and humiliate a husband and wife who ran an e-commerce newsletter eBay didn’t like. (Boston Magazine)
Edward Shames, who was the last surviving officer of World War II’s “Easy Company,” which inspired the book and HBO miniseries, “Band of Brothers,” died at age 99. Shames fought from D-Day through the end of the war, when his unit captured Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest in the Bavarian Alps. According to his obituary: “Ed managed to acquire a few bottles of cognac, a label indicating they were ‘for the Fuhrer’s use only.’ Later, he would use the cognac to toast his oldest son’s Bar Mitzvah.” (ABC News)
Thanks for reading. Photo: Pixabay. Want to see all my mistakes? Click here.
Great article especially for young job seekers. About 15 years ago a company requested a proposal from me to speak to a large group almost 1000 people. I’de never spoken to such a large group before so priced it quite high with the idea that they would not accept my offer. In a final call to negotiate my speaking fee the gentleman asked me one last time “because of all the follow on business you’ll get from the multiple companies represented in the room can You do it for half that price?” I immediately began to share all the reasons why I had to get a full fee and after about 10 seconds he interrupted me bluntly and said “fine, we’ll do it just send us the contract.” I looked down at my desk phone and realized that I had hit the mute button earlier and all he heard from me was dead silence. Best negotiating tool in the world is the mute button!
Always ask what the salary range is for the position.