Interview Blunder #4 - Bringing Up Pay & Benefits Before The Interviewer

I remember interviewing a candidate once who made a grand entrance into the room, sat down in the chair, and without being prompted let me know that he was not going to accept employment outside a specific range. He then proceeded to ask what this particular position was intending to pay. In hindsight I wish I had ended the interview right then and there. As we proceeded through the interview, my assessment of this particular candidate was not very good. By the time it was over, it was even worse. Although there were answers to questions suggesting a heightened sense of importance, the initial question from him about pay set the tone in a negative direction. It never recovered.

The best rule to follow for the issue of pay: let the employer bring up compensation. In an interview setting, this will work wonders. In order to negotiate the best possible salary for yourself, let your skills, background and qualities do the talking; if you do so, your chances for a higher offer increase significantly. There is a psyche, as in the case I just mentioned, about the perception of actually being interested in the job versus only being interested in what it pays.

Once the pay issue if brought up, be prepared to answer it competently. Prior to your interview, do your homework to see if you can figure out what the potential salary range will be. For your part, state a salary range instead of a specific amount. Make sure your range is realistic; you probably don’t want a range of $30,000, so staying within $5,000 to $10,000 of your target is much more reasonable. If you are not within the range they want to pay, either high or low, it’s probably not worth the time to apply.

I have seen companies that ask for salary requirements and then state a range of compensation based on experience. The ranges can fluctuate substantially, for example $70,000 to $100,000 depending on skills and background. The reason they do this is because they have not completely decided what exactly they want the position to entail. By evaluating a pool of applicants, they may be able to hone in on candidates that possess qualities they feel would best fit the company. Sometimes that means they figure out candidates in the $70,000 to $75,000 range will suffice; other times the $90,000 to $100,000 applicants appear to be the best fit. Don’t automatically assume that you fall at the top end of the range. More often than not I see the applicants who believe they are at the high end are in reality the ones who are actually at the lower end. They eliminate themselves quickly.

The bottom line for you as a job seeker is to do your homework, figure out where your salary range fits, and let the interviewer address salary and benefits first. Otherwise, you may also find yourself eliminated fairly quickly.