Email Us: info@lewis.international
Employers may bring up the topic of pay at some point in the interview process. Sometimes recruiters ask this question during an initial screening/ face-to-face. You may also be asked for your salary expectations directly, on an application form, or in response to a pre-determined salary range offered by the employer.
Talking about money can be stressful for most people. So, you can manage this stress by preparing your answers to salary-related questions ahead of time. If you do research on average compensation for both the role and your experience level, you can have productive and informative conversations about pay with your potential employers.
Why employers ask about salary expectations
When an employer asks about your salary expectations, it’s usually for three reasons:
They have a budget.
The interviewer wants to make sure your compensation expectations align with the amount they’ve calculated for the job.
They want to gauge how well you know your worth.
A good candidate knows how much their skillset is worth in the market and can share it with confidence. To determine appropriate market value, factor in your level, years of experience and career achievements.
They want to determine whether you’re at the appropriate professional level.
An applicant who asks for a significantly higher amount than other candidates may be too senior for the role. Alternatively, answering with a salary expectation on the low end could indicate you’re at a lower experience level than the job requires.
Your answer to this question can be the beginning of the salary negotiation process. As a result, you want to make sure you’re providing a well-researched response.
Lennox Ramashia
