Why should we pay you more than your current salary?

In an interview people ask as to why they should pay you more. I had listed out three options for people to choose in the Linkedin Poll

(a) I want higher salary and that's the reason I want to change

(b) The costs of living has gone up

(c) You can pay more.

53% of people voted for reasons number 1, 33% of people voted for reason number 2 and 13% voted for reason number 3.

Here are my perspectives. First rule every question that is asked of you is an opportunity to know you. There are no right or wrong answers. No one question can bring you home or get you out of the race. However every answer that you give will either help you move forward to get a job or push you back. In that context please see if the following theme resonates.

When you say that I want a change because I want more salary, you are just stating the obvious or say repeating your statement. You have already told them that you want more salary and they know that. All they are trying to do is to find out "Why". This statement does not answer the question.

When you say that the costs have have gone up, its a fair answer but the question is why should "we" i.e. employer pay you more. This answer answer covers 50% of the question which is "you" i.e. costs have gone up. You have to cover the answer why the employer should pay you more.

The best answer is that you can more more. Yes guys, in my view this is the best answer. So here is what I would answer in the interview.

"Salary is a function of value of the work that employees produce in the company. Once the work is produced, it is the wisdom of the management to get more value from their customers. Management or say leadership of some companies are able to get more value for the same work being done by the employees while other companies struggle.

So I understand that I will be doing the same work as my previous company, but I understand that your management has done a pretty good job of marketing and hence your company is growing and getting better returns for the work done by your employees. I believe that my skill set will be put to better use by your company and hence you will make more money for the work that I will do for you. Hence I my request to ask for higher salary is not unfair. In fact that was the reason that I applied to work for your company. And also everybody wants to grow professionally and financially. So all in all its a fair demand.

Does this resonate? We never apply to companies who are worse off than what we are working for. Its just a matter of articulating it in the right way.

This is just a framework for you to think through all the questions that might get thrown at you.

Ajay Kumar

(Author of Corporate Alexander book as well as Online course)