This is typically asked early on by one of the recruiters in a phone screen. I never really know how to answer.

I usually say something along the lines of "I have been in the $X range but am looking to grow professionally. I understand the value of growth & development and am flexible"

I just worry that by giving an actual number (even if it's a range), I may be overvaluing or undervaluing myself... thus ultimately being removed from consideration altogether. For example, if you say you're in the $50k range and the job itself is actually $75-$90k, then that makes you look very inferior. And of course if you say you're in the $80k range and the job itself is only $60k, then the company may not feel comfortable pursuing you any further.

I do my research on Glassdoor/Indeed etc... but not all companies/titles are posted with legitimate salary ranges.

This is always a bit of a tough question to answer and I've been on both sides of the table. I think the important thing is just to be honest about where you've been. If you have the skill set to be successful and you're very under market, it gives them the opportunity to give you a huge bump + have some runway within that role for raises, etc.

On the flipside, if there is a MASSIVE delta, it rarely eliminates candidates but it might cause some question around ownership of responsibilities. You can't risk making up a number since they can ask for W2s to verify that data; and, you are not going to get moved forward in the process if you don't provide that initial information.

At the end of the day if a hiring manager is strictly going to offer a lateral comp structure, it could mean the following:
-They struggle at truly identifying talent and rely on past comp to set things moving forward (could be a warning sign on how they develop people) Great managers know what good looks like in their organization.
-They are too nervous to take a risk on a person (Also a bad sign)
-You are at the high end of their compensation range. (Which can be very limiting for you personally).

Not sure if this helps, it's a question you're going to hear a lot of different answers to; but, at the end of the day, you're best served by being honest.

I've been on both sides of this as a job seeker and a hiring manager. I've found that it really helps both sides to just be open and honest about what you expect, as long as you can justify it. As a job seeker, I don't want to fart around with a potential job that pays peanuts vs. what I expect. As a hiring manager, I've had great candidates interview, but their salary was well above the budgeted range I could pay. No need to waste either person's time. Before I became a manager, I would be concerned about spitting out a number that was "too low" and getting low balled. Now that I've been on the hiring end, I know what I can pay and what talent I need, and I will pay what I need to pay (within budget) to get the right person. Low-balling is the last thing on my mind. I would hope that most other hiring managers feel this way also.

It would save a lot of people a lot of time (on both sides of the table) if companies would be more upfront about the expected salary range upfront early on in the process.

overshoot > undershoot

Patrick McKenzie is pretty well respected in the tech-startup world, and he did this great piece on salary negotiation, read it:

Salary Negotiation: Make More Money, Be More Valued

As a recruiter, i think candidates should always be honest with what they are currently making/range they can consider. Hiring managers and recruiters can normally tell what skill sets are worth, so overstating may not help and could make you less competitive compared to someone with same experiene if you're asking for alot.

Also, a recruiter will always try and get you the most money because it means more for him.

"I'm open to negotiation but I'm looking at starting somewhere between $xxx and $xXxX. Where were you thinking?"

Keep in mind most recruiters earn a percentage of your salary if you get hired, they will keep you competitive while making sure they make their cut. Can be very helpful for you to befriend a few recruiters and learn the trade.

Best of luck

quote:

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"I'm open to negotiation but I'm looking at starting somewhere between $xxx and $xXxX. Where were you thinking?"

Keep in mind most recruiters earn a percentage of your salary if you get hired, they will keep you competitive while making sure they make their cut. Can be very helpful for you to befriend a few recruiters and learn the trade.

Best of luck

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good answer

The recruiter is on your side here, don't worry too much about talking it out with them. If you've got a good recruiter, they will guide you through that initial conversation and the subsequent negotiations.

What I hate is most companies will not even give you a range. They leave that until the end of the interview process. Why do I waste my time on a lengthy interview process only to find out they want to pay me less than I make now? It's as frustrating as trying to buy a car.

quote:

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Patrick McKenzie is pretty well respected in the tech-startup world, and he did this great piece on salary negotiation, read it:

Salary Negotiation: Make More Money, Be More Valued

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That was a very enlightening read. Thank you!

Thanks for the read! I read this late last night but believe he mentioned not automatically giving them (prospective employer) current salary details. I am filling out an online application right now, and for each job it is asking for ending base salary? How should I answer it? It is a basic taleo.net online application.