By Dorcas Karuana,
Many jobseekers till date are yet to get their heads around the salary question during interviews. Always reserved for last the salary question usually serves a few purposes for employers among which is helping them get a perspective for the expectations of the prospective candidate.
However for the candidate it can seem like a bugging question which seemingly traps everywhere. Give a steep figure and you are bound to be seen as greedy, choose a too low amount and you might just be screwing yourself out of a few thousand shillings per month as well as being seen as too cheap which might ultimately mean you don’t get the job.
What Do You Do With the Salary Question?
You are sure to come face to face with the question on how much you expect to be paid and most times evading the question might cost you the job especially if other qualified candidates for the job give a better answer.
I cannot recommend a single fail-proof way to answer the salary question; there are however a few smart ways to get the points for a good answer.
1. Use the Coy and Smart Answer
For some successful candidates they gave answers in the line of, “I’ll like to earn what’s commensurate with my job in line with the company’s salary structure”
The Problem with the Coy and Smart Answer however is that many interviewers will insist in getting a definite figure or amount from you.
2. Get As Much Information as You Can Before Hand
One of the best and less talked about ways to trump the salary question and come out with an A is to do your homework on the company as soon as you get the invitation for interview. You can go visit the company discreetly and try to meet a couple of staff whose jobs are somehow measurable to the intended position you are to interview for. Try subtly to get an idea of what the pay is like from them.
3. Then Give a Close Enough Range During the Interview
Armed with the information on the salary scale of the company you can then add a few more thousands to come up with a range when answering their question.
Every interviewer knows that each candidate is likely to state a higher figure than what the company intends paying but if you end up mentioning a range that is realistic enough compared to what the company pays you could stand a better chance all other things being okay.
If you do not get to know what the company pays there are two more options:
4. Research the salary range for the positions in similar or rival companies at the same level. For instance if your interviewing with Britam Insurance, you would want to look at what UAP Insurance / Pan Africa Insurance Offers for that position. This can give you an idea of what to expect.
5. You can use your previous salary to calculate your expected salary. Though this is not advisable, the accepted increment is usually 30%- 50% of your current salary. If all fails, this would be a good option to give as a range. However you must justify your salary to the employer and
Hope this little advice helps when next you have an interview to face.
If you have further useful ideas on how to get the salary question right you can add them in the comments below.
Dorcas is a Human Resource Consultant at Corporate Staffing Services. Email: dorcas@corporatestaffing.co.ke. Website: www.corporatestaffing.co.ke
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