Mastering the Tricky Job Interview Question: What Are Your Salary Expectations?

When you go to a job interview, there are some questions that you know are coming. “What are your salary expectations?” is one of those questions. It may seem simple, but it’s actually a trick question designed to eliminate candidates. Many people fail job interviews because they get the answer to this question wrong. In this article, we will discuss how to answer this question in a way that won’t get you eliminated as a candidate.

Understand What Stage of the Interview Process You’re In

The way you answer the salary expectations question is mainly determined by what stage of the interview process you’re in. If they ask you this question during the last round of interviews, maybe they’re actually interested in accommodating your compensation expectations. However, when they ask you this question at an early stage, like in your first job interview, they’re not asking it because they want to accommodate you. They’re asking it because they’re trying to eliminate you as a candidate.

Avoid Giving a Single Number

Your goal is to give them an answer to the question, but not say anything that will get you eliminated. The obvious problem is that you have no way of knowing what the salary range is that the company considers appropriate and will be willing to pay. The secret is to avoid giving a single number. A good answer that tends to work well is to say, “Well, at this point, I would need to know quite a bit more of the details about the role before it can really give you an accurate answer on that.”

Ask for the Approved Salary Range

If they’re not satisfied with this and they press you further to give a number, a good response is to say, “Well, I understand this is an approved position, so the salary range must be approved. Can I ask what it is for this position?” Whatever they say for a range, you say, “Well, that would work fine for me.”

Give a Wide Range

If they don’t give you a range but yet still prompt you to give a number, a good response is to give a wide range. Never under any circumstances give a number. You can say, “I would need somewhere between forty and a hundred thousand a year, depending on details.” They will not be able to eliminate you from the running due to salary requirements, and it leaves you open to command the salary towards the upper end of the range when they get to talking about this seriously at a later stage of the selection process.

Summarizing Your Answer

To summarize, this is a three-stage answer. If they ask you what your salary expectations are, and you’re early in the selection process like in your first interview, you say, “I can’t really answer that now. I would need more detail.” If they still prompt you to give a number, you say, “There must be an approved salary range. Can I ask what it is?” And if they won’t give you a range but still prompt you to give them a number, you give them a wide range.

Final Thoughts

Remember that the salary expectations question is designed to eliminate candidates. By giving a vague answer that doesn’t commit you to a specific number, you’re more likely to avoid getting eliminated. It’s important to remember that the company wants to pay as little as possible for the position, while you want to make as much as possible. By following these guidelines, you’ll be able to navigate this tricky question and move on to the next stage of the interview process.