Salary expectations question

shiraz99

I've applied for a role with an advertised salary range and prior to short listing I've been asked to provide my salary expectations. The advertised salary isn't the best and I know I could demand more elsewhere in similar roles but I want this job and I my experience would suggest the upper range so how do I answer the question without ruling me out of their shortlist and getting an interview.

DE_612183

what are the figures in question?

Woodstok2000

I would write an honest response. Work out what you'd be happy to accept to work for them, and then add a little bit to allow for negotiation. Don't forget that salary is only part of the compensation package, so be sure youre comparing like for like including pension, healthcare, other benefits etc.

You can turn it to your advantage by making it clear money isn't your main driver. Something along the lines of 'Given my experience, I have been offered similar roles elsewhere with a salary of X. However the salary is not my primary consideration and I'm excited to have the opportunity to join a company where (add benefits here, career progression etc), and so my expectations are for a salary of Y.'

Grumpy_chap

Also, what are your reasons you believe you are at the upper range?

Why do you want this job (offering below market-rate) rather than another job elsewhere?

These are considerations for establishing how you frame the response, not necessarily details to include in the response.

TELLIT01

If you have the required experience I would look towards a salary in the top third of the band.

lincroft1710

What is the point of advertising a salary range if you don't expect candidates to ask for the maximum. So if you have the required experience ask for the max, especially as you believe the salary range is uncompetitive

shiraz99

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81917417#Comment_81917417

Seems to be common practice. I don't so much mind seeing a salary range on the advertised position but surely the time to discuss your salary expectation is either at the end of the interview process or once you've been offered the position, at which point you negotiate.

shiraz99

It's possible they asking me this now because I've predominately worked as a freelance contractor where my rates would be far higher than the same job as a permanent position. They probably want to ensure I'm not wasting everyone's time by coming to an interview with unmatchable expectations.

Savvy_Sue

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81917417#Comment_81917417

My personal feeling is that employers advertise a range in order to entice people to apply, who would not do so if only the minimum salary was offered. However, very often they have no intention of offering above the minimum, and in organisations which have scale points they'll mention the whole range because in x year's time you could reasonably expect to be on the maximum.

It irritates me a lot (or would do if I ever intended to work again), and it may just be the kind of field I worked in (local government / charities), but if you attempted to negotiate the response would be that everyone went in at the bottom of the range, regardless of experience, but you'd get annual increments.

Then you'd find that if you hadn't been in post for a full year (or maybe six months) when the annual increments were applied, you wouldn't get moved up after all, and would have to wait until the following year.

It's just happened to a friend who saw a job advertised at £x to £y. They'd be quite happy with £y, but £x is barely above minimum wage. Nevertheless, that is what the organisation is expecting to offer to someone, regardless of how much experience they have.

Grumpy_chap

There seems to be a lot of marketing in the salary jobs are advertised at.

I know someone who recently advertised a job at £81k, specifically so that potential candidates using online platforms with a filter "above £80k" might apply.

Trouble is, £81k means offering £79k is a lot less - in the mind - than the advertised rate.

Made even worse by the fact the £81k which a candidate will expect to mean "£81k plus package" was, in fact, the total value of the package, so any offer would be <£70k with a "package" making up the gap. Especially when you consider that some elements of the "package" value that achieved the £81k were legally required obligations and not the employer doing something great.

Needless to say the role remains vacant after more than 6 months…

lincroft1710

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81917482#Comment_81917482

Which says to me a company only prepared to offer at the lower end of the salary range could be wasting, their time and that of the candidates who are wanting the upper end.