Question

How would you respond to the following questionfrom a potential employer: What kind of salary are you looking for from this position ?

Answer 1

When an employer asks about your salary expectations, it’s usually for three reasons:

• They have a budget. The interviewer wants to make sure your compensation expectations align with the amount they’ve calculated for the job. If they find most candidates are asking for a great deal more than anticipated, it might mean requesting a larger budget for the position.

• They want to gauge how well you know your worth. A good candidate knows how much their skillset is worth in the market and can share it with confidence. To determine appropriate market value, factor in your level, years of experience and career achievements.

• They want to determine whether you’re at the appropriate professional level. An applicant who asks for a significantly higher amount than other candidates may be too senior for the role. Alternatively, answering with a salary expectation on the low end could indicate you’re at a lower experience level than the job requires.

When a recruiter or hiring manager asks, “What are your salary expectations?” there are a few ways you can answer. Here are some suggestions, with example responses:

• Provide a range
  If you don’t feel comfortable providing a single number, you may choose to offer a range instead. Keep in mind, however, that the employer may opt for the lower end of your range, so make sure your target number is as close to the bottom number as possible. Also, keep your range somewhat tight with a variance of no more than $5,000 to $10,000.

  Example: “I am seeking a position that pays between $75,000 and $80,000 annually.”

• Include negotiation options
  In addition to your salary, there may be other benefits, perks or forms of compensation you consider just as valuable. Including these as possible opportunities for negotiation is an option, too. For example, while the employer may not have budgeted enough for your ideal salary range, they may be willing to offer equity in the company to make the compensation package more attractive to you.

  Example: “I am seeking a position that pays between $75,000 and $80,000 annually, but I am open to negotiate salary depending on benefits, bonuses, equity, stock options and other opportunities.”

• Deflect the question
  If you’re still early in the hiring process and still learning the specifics about the job duties and expectations, you may want to deflect the question for later in the conversation. However, keep in mind you’ll still eventually have to discuss salary expectations. Either way, it’s a good idea to be prepared with a well-researched number in mind—even if you’re still factoring in additional information.

  Example: “Before I answer, I’d like to ask a few more questions to get a better idea of what the position entails. That way, I can provide a more realistic expectation

you can ask interviewer about the range offered by their company for this position.

You can also check the industry standards for this position before going to interview and state that your salary should be neither below nor above those standards.

If you have already an experience you can communicate your previous salary and the expectation that you want a 15 to 20% hike in salary.

You your interviewer is an head hunter u can ask him what is the salary they are offering for the same position.