“What are your salary expectations?” No one escapes this question in a job interview and yet, many of you have certainly already frozen. To avoid putting your foot in the door, a human resources expert was asked to identify the five pitfalls to avoid when asked for your ideal salary.
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1. Do not answer
The person interviewing you wants to know your salary expectations in order to know whether or not the company can meet them. It is a way of preventing the loss of time on both sides. Avoiding the question is therefore not an option according to Denis Boutin, partner at Altifica.
According to the expert, it may be interesting to propose an exact amount in order to give guidance to the employer. The important thing, he recalls, is to remain flexible.
Two examples: “Right now I’m making $ 60,000, so a salary in the area would be fine for me. I trust your good judgment to establish a fair salary ”or“ Given my experience and the responsibilities of the position, I believe a salary between $ 60,000 and $ 67,000 would be appropriate. ”
2. Asking too high a salary
The current market is favorable for candidates with the shortage of workers at its height, but that is no reason to ask for a salary that is too high for your market value.
“When the salary requested is disproportionate to the position for which the candidate is interviewed, it can send the wrong message. Either the candidate is motivated only by money, or he does not know the market, ”explains Mr. Boutin.
3. Asking for too low a salary
Destabilized by the question, several candidates will answer a lower amount than what they would like, what they are worth or what they would really need.
They are then tempted to change their expectations upwards in the same interview process. “This is a mistake made by many candidates,” said Mr. Boutin. Raising your salary expectations between the first and second interview makes, on the one hand, look bad for the recruiter who met you the first time, and on the other hand, it creates doubt about your real integrity. “
Considering that we aspire to better conditions by changing jobs, it is advisable to increase your current salary by a few thousand. Be careful, however, to take into account your real market value. In case this is a position with more responsibility, find out about the average compensation for jobs of this type. Either way, doing your research is key.
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4. Consider only the salary
It can be easily forgotten, but salary is not the only element that comes into play when talking about remuneration. This discussion of salary expectations can be a good time to learn about the other benefits offered: insurance, RRSPs, employee discounts, reimbursement of certain expenses, performance bonuses, commissions, etc. These can be of great value when looking at the total compensation offer.
Flexible hours, the number of days off and sick, as well as teleworking are also some of the elements named by Randstad that could offset a salary that does not meet 100% of your expectations.
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5. Not being prepared
Before you show up for the interview, do your research so you know your market value. How? ‘Or’ What ? It is possible to look on job sites like GlassDoor or Indeed and study the average salary offered for the type of job you applied for.
Preparing also involves analyzing your own financial needs as well as quantifying the benefits you currently have.