What Are Your Salary Expectations? (Key Interview Question)

So, you’ve sailed through what appears to be a successful first hour of an intense but cordial interview for a position that you are quite interested in. The only thing left is a firm handshake to seal the deal, when the hiring manager throws out one last question – “what are your salary expectations for this position”? This is one of the most common questions that every candidate will face in an interview and there is no shortage of commentary around how to answer this deal-breaking question. No matter how strong the fit may be, money has derailed many positive discussions, so it’s important to position your answer correctly and to avoid drawing lines in the sand.

When answering this question, I often encourage my candidates to keep things flexible and to base their responses on concrete research into the position they are applying for.

Here are some tips to help you navigate through this question and to make sure you nail it every time:

Deflect the question back to the hiring manager and ask about their budget?–?a candidate that I recently dealt with gave one of the best answers to this question that I’ve heard over my career in recruitment:

Regarding the full-time salary, I’ll admit that I am a bit out of touch with current wages in the engineering/mining industry to know what a fair salary range is these days for?this set of responsibilities.?In 3 of last 4 positions, my salary was in the $_ – _ k range. In general, there should be some upward pressure with inflation over the last few years for that level of contribution/performance, but I am also aware that we may be entering tough economic times, and that I would be in a more focused, individual contributor role with no direct reports to start, compared to my previous level of responsibility. That being said, I am also confident that I can quickly grow with the company’s ambitions in this area. Please let me know if the range above is in line with their budget or if there is a significant gap.

I like this answer because it’s considerate of outside factors (i.e., inflation, tough economic times), and the candidate presents a historical range that politely plants a seed of expectation, all while remaining conscious of the company’s range and internal workings within their ranks. If you can craft an answer around this example, you will definitely standout amongst the other applicant’s.

Move past the question and go back to your qualifications?–?sometimes it’s good to remind the interviewer(s) of why you are a good fit for the position and the key things you bring to this role that will make you a high performer. The key is to gently maneuver around this question to pinpoint the main areas that were raised during the interview to make your case for why you are deserving of their highest range for this position. You can reinforce your answer by again referring back to historical salary information and your own present-day research.

If you are still pressed for an answer based on your response to #2, then offer a salary range.?Be realistic with your range and know that hiring managers typically hear the lower end of whatever range you provide.

The key to providing a successful response to this question is to be prepared. Do your research and don’t be afraid to ask for what you are desiring to make. This is your career, and you deserve to make a wage that is aligned to the value you can bring to the company. If you are having doubts about previous answers to this question and you’d like to tighten up things in this area, feel free to reach out to us for a free consultation. All the best to you.