Do employers mind if you ask about the salary of the role they're offering?

TriadSheep31

Hello!

I've been on the job search recently, and two different companies got back pretty sharply to me saying that they'd like to organise an interview and a sample translation, respectively. I agreed to both, but as the salary and working hours weren't specified in the job description page for both jobs, I decided to ask about that also in the emails back to them. After all, it's a pretty key proviso that comes with taking on a new job surely.

Since then, I've not heard back in a few weeks from either, despite follow up emails, which is extremely odd considering how quickly they got back to me following the original submission of my application form. Did I say anything out of turn? Surely this is a pretty fair question to ask? I understand why employers might not want to advertise salaries on job websites for fear of competition from other similar companies, but this I just don't get.

If anyone could perhaps share their advice/experiences, that would be great!

gettingready

When I was looking for a job - I just ignored all ads with no salary or at least a range specified. They are normally rubbish companies paying rubbish money. Any decent company will specify salary or at least a range with their job advert.

stator

There are two possibilities when a salary isn't advertised.

A) The money is crap
The money is more than they pay their current staff

Some companies may think it says something about you if you ask about money too soon. Many companies wouldn't mind. It sounds like you got the former.

If it's a lot of hassle to go for interviews then I think you did the right thing, but if you have time on your hands then you should just go along to the interview. Even if the money is crap you'd get good interview practice and once they've seen you they might increase their offer once you turn them down.

gettingready

stator wrote: »

There are two possibilities when a salary isn't advertised.



Some companies may think it says something about you if you ask about money too soon.

Like you have financial commitments/bills to pay and self respect not to waste your time to attend interviews for jobs where the rate is below going rate/not compatible with your qualifications/experience etc.

I feel adverting salary with every job advert should be made mandatory.

I remember few years ago applying for a job only because it was local and I was fed up with my then commute. They have called me for an interview and did not want to state the salary - only when I then said "In that case I am not willing to attend" the silly cow told me "we start everyone on the same excellent rate of 7.50 per hour".

I was on 46k then doing an almost identical job so politely declined the interview. To which the stupid cow said she will report me to a Job Centre for declining an interview. What? Hilarious was that I was not claiming anything - no idea why she assumed I was.

Since then I just never ever go for the "salary to be discussed" old trick..

Sanne

There are several reasons why salary may not be advertised (my employers usually didn't) though it is then perfectly acceptable to ask once you have been offered an interview - the employer might do the same (possibly even before interview).

Again, this could be for several reasons - they want as cheap as possible, they don't quite know what to offer or they have a very broad salary in mind and want to see what they get....

ThemeOne

I think there are not too many good reasons for failing to state a salary, and I agree it's an integral part of the deal - you wouldn't advertise something for sale and not put a price, after all.

If you apply to similar ads, you could always state your salary expectations in your application, though make it read like you have some flexibility.

steampowered

I think it depends on the industry.

If there is a clear 'going rate', then there should be no need to state a salary. But if there is a lot of room for interpretation its very reasonable question to ask.

In my area (professional services), salaries are never stated on job adverts.

However, everyone knows what each firm's payscales are as these are freely available on the internet - so you know pretty much what you are going to be paid, subject to a bit of negotiation around how much of a signing bonus and salary uplift you get.

Stylehutz

The employers tend to think they are being very clever by not mentioning salary at interviews. To me it is counter productive and just love it if thats what they want to do. For me it puts the candidate in a stronger position to negotiate a decent salary if offered the job.

System

TriadSheep31 wrote: »

Hello!

I've been on the job search recently, and two different companies got back pretty sharply to me saying that they'd like to organise an interview and a sample translation, respectively. I agreed to both, but as the salary and working hours weren't specified in the job description page for both jobs, I decided to ask about that also in the emails back to them. After all, it's a pretty key proviso that comes with taking on a new job surely.

Since then, I've not heard back in a few weeks from either, despite follow up emails, which is extremely odd considering how quickly they got back to me following the original submission of my application form. Did I say anything out of turn? Surely this is a pretty fair question to ask? I understand why employers might not want to advertise salaries on job websites for fear of competition from other similar companies, but this I just don't get.

If anyone could perhaps share their advice/experiences, that would be great!

Who knows why they did not get back to you. Without actually hearing from the horses mouth then its just a waste of time speculating.

What is important is you decide what is a priority to you as in

1. If the priority to you is knowing the pay rate before you go to the interview and they don't give that information then you don't bother with them and move on.

However that company will also know that the pay rate is more important to you than actually going along to the interview to discuss all aspects of the job (including pay) so yea maybe they just decided to not bother with you as others came along to the interview. However thats just speculating and we shouldnt do that :rotfl:

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

john22 wrote: »

Who knows why they did not get back to you. Without actually hearing from the horses mouth then its just a waste of time speculating.

What is important is you decide what is a priority to you as in

1. If the priority to you is knowing the pay rate before you go to the interview and they don't give that information then you don't bother with them and move on.

However that company will also know that the pay rate is more important to you than actually going along to the interview to discuss all aspects of the job (including pay) so yea maybe they just decided to not bother with you as others came along to the interview. However thats just speculating and we shouldnt do that :rotfl:

If someone is on 40K and the job pays 20K then nobody is going to want to go along and discuss all aspects of the job.

It's more likely that they realised that anyone who was actually going to ask wouldn't take whatever they were offering; only someone desperate enough to go along and discuss it while having no idea of the salary would.

That, or their business model is to get all their translation done for free by offering fake job interviews.

System

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

If someone is on 40K and the job pays 20K then nobody is going to want to go along and discuss all aspects of the job.

It's more likely that they realised that anyone who was actually going to ask wouldn't take whatever they were offering; only someone desperate enough to go along and discuss it while having no idea of the salary would.

That, or their business model is to get all their translation done for free by offering fake job interviews.

Well whatever it is so what the fact the OP is doubting if it was a good or bad decision to ask means they don't really know what their priorities are when looking for a job.

It seems you have a clear priority that any job advertised without a pay rate is not worth going along for the interview or least they are up to no good.

Personally I'm never black and white as that and if I'm applying for jobs in the first place its because I want to work there. The interview stage to me is to find out everything about the job thats important to me and for the company to find out more about me.