How to answer salary questions

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-answer-what-your-last-salary-liz-ryan?trk=tod-home-art-list-small_1

Just read the above article and it makes perfect sense. I think if more employees were to deflect the question the more negotiation power it would bring to them.

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Comments

anhtran35

I use to encounter this problem years back. I would inform them I was making 80k when I was making 65k. They would then offer to match the 80k or provide 85k. I would then negotiate a bit higher.

Node Man

Im always honest and stubborn about what i make and what i will need to join a new company. Prior salaries are not relevant, just an excuse.

If a medical surgeon was making $20k a year while being a waiter in medical school, he should not be stuck to $20k after he becomes a surgeon.

IMO, be honest about a salary, and be solid about what it will take to hire you.

RouteMyPacket

I see an ugly trend of employers requesting W2's which I think should be illegal, I think it completely strips a candidate from having any edge in salary negotiations and puts it in the hands of the perspective employer.

overthetop

I wasn't "honest" about my previous salary and my salary more than doubled with my current position. I can prove it to you if you'd like. Anyway either decision isn't a right or wrong decision.

Techguru365

overthetop wrote: »

I wasn't "honest" about my previous salary and my salary more than doubled with my current position. I can prove it to you if you'd like. Anyway either decision isn't a right or wrong decision.

sometimes honesty just doesn't pay, literally!

overthetop

Techguru365 wrote: »

sometimes honesty just doesn't pay, literally!

Yeah you're right. .."Sometimes" but with my example and from looking at my pay stubs it pays pretty damn well, literally!

Techguru365

overthetop wrote: »

Yeah you're right. .."Sometimes" but with my example and from looking at my pay stubs it pays pretty damn well, literally!

If you are already making bank, by all means be honest about it, but if you are a person trying to come up and not be pigeonholed, I would refrain.

J_86

RouteMyPacket wrote: »

I see an ugly trend of employers requesting W2's which I think should be illegal, I think it completely strips a candidate from having any edge in salary negotiations and puts it in the hands of the perspective employer.

I politely decline this and tell them I am not interested anymore and never look back. Any company that wants to see my W-2 is not a place I want to work at. They are not IRS. This only happen to me once and they back tracked after I told them I was "perusing other options".

AwesomeGarrett

Just ask for more money, period.

Report: CEOs Earn 331 Times As Much As Average Workers, 774 Times As Much As Minimum Wage Earners - Forbes

markulous

Good article. They really don't need to know at all. Wouldn't it be better just to lie about it than avoid the question? Not sure it could ever come back to bite you. It's not like it's a cert, education, or even some type of work experience.

iBrokeIT

1099 Contractor, I signed a confidentiality agreement not to reveal my rate to anyone without prior authorization. I informed them of the agreement the request usually gets dropped and rephrased into "what is the range you are looking for in a new position". Going to keep using that one even after I leave the current place.

keenon

I think its irrelevant of what i make currently, if they can't provide the salary range they have budgeted for the salary which in my opinion our conversation is going to end quickly.

So, asking for a w2 or copy of last paycheck is a red flag of keep it moving ( give me the feel of a car lot with no posted sales prices on anything)

RHDS2K

My good friend who is an IT manager told me to lie about my previous salary (i was making 30k).. I started getting interviews and he said "you better lie and say you're making 38 or 40. They are only going to offer you roughly 5k more than they think you currently make now"... I was too 'nervous' to lie on my application and sure enough i got an offer for 35k

Should have listened to him.. All of the jobs i'm applying for now I am "stretching the truth" about my current salary to say the least.

NetworkNewb

RHDS2K wrote: »

My good friend who is an IT manager told me to lie about my previous salary (i was making 30k).. I started getting interviews and he said "you better lie and say you're making 38 or 40. They are only going to offer you roughly 5k more than they think you currently make now"... I was too 'nervous' to lie on my application and sure enough i got an offer for 35k Should have listened to him.. All of the jobs i'm applying for now I am "stretching the truth" about my current salary to say the least.

Yep, If you are going to say how much you make I think a good rule of thumb to say your making 5 to 10% more then you currently are. If a company actually likes you and wants to hire you, that little extra is going to mean ALOT more to you than them.

anhtran35

For the newbies, when asked about your current salary. LIE. WHY? Cause recruiters and hiring managers are LYING about the max they can give you. Recruiters and hiring managers are like car salesman. Once the offer is accepted you should be good to go. Anyone asking for my W2 can kiss my A S S.

pinkydapimp

Im not sure i can agree with the whole lying thing. The strategy in the article is a good one. In lieu of lying. My suggestion is if you are in a situation where you cant duck the question, reply saying my "total compensation" is XXX. That total compensation number you can be more liberal with and include benefits and such to help fluff the number.

GreaterNinja

I think there is another and more financially better way to look at it.
Rule #1 WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT TELL YOUR PAST SALARIES
Rule #2 WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT TELL YOUR PAST SALARIES
Rule #3 Do your best to avoid talk of how much you are seeking. Do your best not to divulge your financial requirements.
Rule #4 Sell yourself, tell them your skills are in demand and that YOU want to know the pay range. If you are ballsy, ask for the highest rate & benefits offered (works 25% of the time).
Rule #5 Whatever that number they give you is, the max negotiable is probably another 10-25% on top. Recruiters and managers lie all the time.
Rule #6 Assume whatever a recruiter says in dollars and such things associated are b.s. Recruiters / managers always lie.

At my current job I negotiated a 56% increase over my previous job. Went from 52k to 81k/year in the desktop field. There are some people on this forum that negotiate +80-100k increase between jobs, but they are typically strictly tier 3 and higher positions.

BradleyHU

GreaterNinja wrote: »

Rule #3 Do your best to avoid talk of how much you are seeking. Do your best not to divulge your financial requirements.

i agree with everything except this. I won't give them an exact number i'm looking for but definitely a range...and if it is in their range, then good, if they can't meet it, then i want to know ASAP!!! i'm not trying to waste my time going thru a bunch of phone screens & in-person interviews, only to find out later they're not paying what i'm looking for...