How do you go about discussing money at an interview?

FatVonD

What do you say when someone asks you what your salary expectations are?

I am due to discuss a job application this week and don't want to ask for too much money and price myself out of the job but on the other hand I don't want to short change myself if they were prepared to pay more.

I am currently already freelancing for them at a rate that works out to roughly 33k but my previous full time job paid 43k. The job comes up on the site it was advertised on in the 40k+ search criteria but I know that somebody doing a comparable job in the same company is on 38k. They had previously offered the job to someone who wanted more money so they withdrew their offer and I don't want to end up in the same boat (if they offer it to me.)

What would you say?

somethingcorporate

Personally I would be surprised if they paid you more than your freelancing rate since there are a whole bunch of other benefits to be employed (and hence costs to them).

What would you be happy with?

browneyedbazzi

Unless you have special skills that they are desperate to hang on to, I don't see any reason why they'd pay more than your freelance rate - as mentioned above, employing someone full time has a lot of additional 'on' costs so it wouldn't be in their interest to take you off freelance and onto permanent if it would be more expensive.

That being said, the way I'd approach it is to say 'I would like to achieve £xx but (as I enjoy working for the company/appreciate xyz about your company - something nice and flattering!) would be willing to consider other offers for this role'.

I find discussing money really difficult...dreading salary negotiations next week for the job i've been offered!

Caroline_a

i would turn the question on its head - 'what salary band will this role fit into?' and then say something like 'so mid-way in this band would be fair as i have been doing the job for x time..' Then sit back and see what they say...

FatVonD

Thanks all. The job is a head of department role so would carry more responsibility than a day-to-day freelance position so nobody would do the job long term at the freelance rate. Somebody within the company at the same level as the person doing the employing is putting some feelers out for me to find out what they are thinking they'll need to pay but I'm thinking maybe I should say around 40k then that gives them the option to go either side!

Thanks again!

paddyrg

The way contractor/FTE rates usually approximate are that the freelance hourly rate is the FTE annual rate divided by 1000.

For instance, A FTE job that pays £30,000 will typically be a freelance rate of £30/hr. This is all down to them having to pay for your holiday, pension contributions, NI, maternity, etc, so it is roughly parity. Of course that is just a guide, but in the professional contract IT market, it is pretty much how it works out.

FatVonD

Thanks, Paddy. In this business it used to be that the freelance rate was the going rate for the job plus 25% (I think, can't do the maths, you'd earn in 4 days what the full timer earned in 5?) and then the union was de-recognised and it's been all downhill since then!

pinkteapot

I usually try and duck the question unless forced to answer. Most jobs I've gone for have been through agencies where I've been told the salary range that the company is looking at paying. So I usually answer with "The advertised salary range for the role is in the region I'm looking at."

I try to avoid specific discussions until I'm offered the job. Firstly, if it's a job I really want I don't want to lose it just because the next person through the door says they'll take less than me. Secondly, if there are further interview rounds to come before they offer the job then it's likely that by the time they offer it they really want you. That's the best time to negotiate. And I'm a bit wimpy and do better negotiating by phone via the agency than face to face.

an9i77

Can you find out what the salary range for the role is? Even if this involves speaking to HR or whatever prior the interview? Usually a role will be signed off to a certain level of salary and the recruiting manager can offer up to that point, dependent on experience etc. Then work out how you are realistically placed within that band and then if asked at interview, you can reply £xxx based on xyz experience/qualifications etc. Usually so long as you don't go over the upper limit in your requirements and you can justify your price then so long as they really want you for the job they will offer. It's rare in my experience that an employer will offer a job particularly a senior one to the second choice candidate just because they are a little cheaper. Only if your salary expectations are way out of line with what they can offer would they do this. If they want you, and can afford you, you'll get it.

paddyrg

Surprisingly, when I had contract-to-permie interviews (and I didn't want to go permie particularly, but thought I would just see what the deal was) they absolutely refused to tell me what they were going to offer. Remember, they really wanted me, not the other way round, and were already paying me hundreds of pounds a day as contract, I had no reason to change. I asked before the interviews and at every stage what the deal would be, and expressed that I wanted £x000 per year for it to be worth my while going permie. I explained that the company 'benefits' weren't an enticement for me (whoopee, I can buy vouchers for pennies off the face price!), and that I was all about the salary package. They can't claim they didn't know.

I got through the first hour of interview, nobody would give me any indication
Ditto the second hour of interviewing (different day, different time)
Ditto the third
Ditto the fourth
Finally face to face with HR in the fifth hour of interviewing me, where the nice lady (not that good with numbers maybe, but nice) kept telling me how brilliant it was that I could but vouchers for shops I don't use for pennies off the face price. I continued to explain that nobody would give me even a clue what the rate on offer was, and they all made me do these potentially needless interviews until I could find out if I even wanted to apply for the job.

They offered me two-thirds of £x000. Then they seemed staggered that, having had all the signs pointed out to them that I was all about the financial package, I didn't want to go from my contractor money to about one-third of what I was earning, just to get cheap vouchers and be tied into their world. They wouldn't shift by as much as a penny.

I saw out the end of my contract working on HR systems - they offered the job to another guy, significantly less experienced, dramatically less skilled, and I saw they had offered him a couple of grand more than me.

There is no logic, rhyme or reason to HR salary policies it seems - they wanted to offer their less capable second choice more money than they wanted to offer me at my awesomest. This is why I stayed contract/freelance, even after moving industries - it is a lot more upfront and straightforward about the cash, and nobody thinks that a 3% discount on shop vouchers is a 'brilliant deal'!!