Comments on: The Salary Game

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 10 May 2011 00:12:13 +0000

Thanks, Tamara. Salary negotiation is one of my favorite things. I agree with everything you wrote. There is so much power in knowing your worth. I wish we lived closer so we could chat over coffee or something. I have a feeling we’d have a lot to talk about.

By: Tamara

Tamara — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:20:47 +0000

Lisa, this is so important! Job seekers can conduct a salary research to determine what is the going rate for specific job titles and industries. One can feel better armed for negotiation when they can quote facts and refer to the research on the US Labor Market Information website or even salary.com. Finding an official salary range determines what is a fair rate for specific positions and leaves the personal preference out of the equation (at least in the beginning).

Many people often focus on money too early in the hiring process, giving the impression that their needs and desires come before the needs of the employer. Wait until the job has been offered and then work negotiating within the salary range for that position. Most people I know have had to start their new jobs with less pay than their previous job, but that has pretty much been the norm long before the recession.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:05:54 +0000

Scot, it’s hard to win at all in a situation where your way into the company is exclusively through its online application system. There are two strategic ways to play it, I suppose. You can go low on a salary and hope you can sell the value later on in the process to bump it up, or you can stay true to your value and do more to reach decision makers capable of rescuing you from the depths of the applicant database. I’ll say it again, though, you have to know what your value really is. There may be a big difference between what you want and what you are worth. Never put what you want to make on your application, but what you are worth for that role. If you put less than what you are worth in the hopes of getting noticed, you’ll have to be prepared for some resentment or concern on the employer’s side when you try to go for more later. It’s no problem if you have new and more complete information to justify asking for more, but if the information is essentially the same as it was when you applied and you set a new minimum at the end, you’re not going to make a lot of friends.

By: Scot

Scot — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:54:36 +0000

Interesting thought Lisa. With so many of the employers now using automated tools to screen applicants, I feel a reason for hesitancy in using an actual salary figure lies in the concern an accurate number will automatically cause one to be excluded by a computer and loose the chance for a face-to-face interview.

I favor talking about compensation after I know what the employer expects me to do.

As you have noted previously employers who attempt to “steal” talented individuals will get what they pay for – a person only in the job long enough to find something better.

@Scot_R