career and job

Selasa, 03 Agustus 2010

When to Raise the Salary Question

by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs


Looking for a job is a lot like dating. When you're being wooed, you don't want to say or do anything that could cause your romance to go awry. When you're interviewing with an employer, you don't want to do or say anything to derail the process.

One of the most delicate points in the process is certainly salary. Broaching the topic at the wrong time could cost you the job -- or thousands of dollars.

A survey developed by financial staffing firm Accountemps revealed that 30% of hiring mangers felt it was appropriate to inquire about salary during the first in-person interview. But like every job seeker, every situation is unique.

Yahoo! HotJobs asked 10 careers experts, "When is the best time to talk dollars and cents?" The answers are:

When the time feels right ... for you or the interviewer.

"The bottom line is that there is no exact perfect time. You need to gauge the flow of the conversation and the flow of the interview process. Certainly, though, don't raise the issue in the first 15 minutes of an interview."
-- Hallie Crawford, career coach

"It's important to let the employer bring up the topic of salary, so sit tight and let them lead the way. You want them to have as much time to 'fall in love with you' before you talk money."
-- Daisy Swan, career strategist and founder of Daisy Swan & Associates

No later than the second interview.

"If you wait too long to broach salary, you'll lose the only leverage you'll ever have in that conversation. My suggestion is to bring it up when you're invited for a second interview. You can inquire over the phone or email about a salary range, or you can inform a hiring manager that you're focusing solely on jobs in a particular compensation range. "
-- Liz Ryan, a leading workplace advisor and founder of AskLizRyan.com

"I coach my clients to ask about salary in the second interview if it hasn't been brought up already. If you let the second interview go by without asking, you are waiting too long. This could easily send a message that you don't know how to negotiate, or that you are afraid of standing up for yourself."
-- Lauren Milligan, resume and outplacement advisor at ResuMayDay

After you've come to an understanding.

"The best time to begin discussing salary is after you are sure the hiring manager understands your 'value' to the company. Also, be sure to apply for positions that match your skill set and experience level. Salary tends to become more of an issue when you are overqualified for a job and your expectations do not meet reality."
-- Rahul D. Yodh, staffing and executive search at Link Legal Search

"Never talk money until you fully understand the opportunity. If you are negotiating for a car and the very first thing you start talking about is price, then the other side knows you don't care at all about features -- you care only about price. When you do discuss salary, the research suggests that the first one to put out a number does better in the negotiation. This strategy is not without its risks, obviously."
-- Jason Seiden, author of "Super Staying Power: What You Need to Become Valuable and Resilient at Work"

After the offer.

"I recommend that you bring up compensation when you have the job offer and, especially, if you have multiple offers -- because then you have negotiation power."
-- Dan Schawbel, author of "Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success"

"The best time to negotiate salary is once the job has been offered to you. The company switches from 'Maybe we want you' to 'We do want you.' At that point, they have a vested interest in bringing you on."
-- Deborah Brown-Volkman, career coach with Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.

Never.

"Simple advice: Wait as long as possible. The longer you're talking, the more interested the employer is becoming in you, assuming that they are interested at all. If they're not interested, bringing up salary too soon only gives the employer one more reason to eliminate you."
-- Ronald Katz, president of Penguin Human Resources Consulting

"Try not to be the first one to mention money in the interview, and avoid giving your salary range, if possible. When the interviewer asks you about your salary, keep your response vague, or ask what the company has budgeted for the position. If you must reveal what you're currently making, inflate the number slightly to account for bonuses, perks, or an impending raise. You should never lie outright about your salary, though, as some companies may require a job applicant to submit a pay stub."
-- Alexandra Levit, author of "New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career"


Job Info , Jobs Sources , Career

Bookmark and Share

Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar