You’re sitting there with your arms crossed, waiting for them to ask you how much you want. You’ve been searching for new jobs for months, and this one seems perfect! You’ve gone past the interview stage, and now all that’s left is for you to ask “is it ok to ask the salary at the interview?”.
It is not ok to ask the salary at an interview.
If you’re interviewing for a new job, it’s important to be prepared. You’ll want to think about what questions you’ll ask the interviewer, how you’ll answer their questions, and how you can demonstrate your skills and experience effectively. But one thing that’s often overlooked is what questions you can ask the interviewer. There are a few good reasons why asking about salary isn’t a great idea:
- It might make you seem too eager for the position, which could make them think you aren’t really interested in learning more about the company or their values
- If they offer a lower salary than what you were hoping for, it could make them think that you’re uncomfortable with negotiating—and that could also hurt your chances of landing the job
- If they offer a higher salary than what you were hoping for, it might make them wonder if they’ve offered too much (which means they could lose money!).
Is it ok to ask the salary at an interview
Introduction
Don’t ask.
This is one of the most important questions you will ask.
The most important question you will ask when going for an interview is “What is the salary?” This is because it is the factor that will have the biggest impact on your life.
It’s not just about making sure you’re paid enough to live on; it’s also about avoiding being underpaid, and being able to negotiate if you are overpaid.
Not asking this question can be detrimental to your future.
It is important to ask this question because it can be detrimental to your future. If you don’t ask for what you want, how will anyone know how much value you bring to the table? You might be offered less than what other people are being paid for similar positions.
Not asking this question could harm your career more than help it. It is not uncommon for employers to make offers based on their budget and not necessarily based on an employee’s skill levels or experience. If someone wants a job badly enough, they’ll take what they can get—and if that person has no idea whether or not they’re being paid fairly compared with others in similar jobs, chances are that offer will look pretty good!
Asking this question will open up a conversation about salary.
When you ask the salary question, you are opening up the conversation to include a topic that is usually not discussed until after an offer has been made. The best thing that you can do is to speak with your recruiter and get their advice on how to handle this situation.
In addition, asking this question will help open up a dialogue that allows you to learn more about:
- The salary range for the position (this will most likely be higher than what they initially offer)
- Benefits offered by the company (pension plans, medical plans etc.)
- Responsibilities of the position (hours per week/month)
If you are told that they cannot tell you it is because they are trying to underpay you.
It is perfectly legal to ask about salary and benefits during the interview process. You can ask the question in many different ways, such as:
- “I am interested in learning more about your company and what types of compensation packages you offer. May I ask what kind of salary range does this position typically fall into?”
- “What are some typical salaries for positions similar to mine?”
If they tell you that they cannot give out information on salary because it’s confidential, simply say, “I don’t want to waste your time if you feel that I am not qualified or within my budget range.” Then ask them if they have a general idea where the salary could be placed.
You can say that this is your first interview and you want to do it right.
Say you want to do it right when you ask about salary.
Ask the interviewer if they can give you a range of what they are thinking for the salary.
Let them know that this is your first interview, and that you want to do it right and make sure all of the details are covered.
Asking about salary can let you know if the company is trying to underpay you.
Asking about salary can let you know if the company is trying to underpay you. If they tell you that they cannot disclose this information, it’s likely because they are trying to pay you less than your market value and they don’t want a candidate to walk away because of it. Some companies will try to save money by offering lower salaries than others in the same field, but there’s no way for an interviewer to know what you’re making at your current job until after they’ve hired you.
Knowing how much other people are earning in similar positions can give applicants a good idea of what their next salary should be—and whether or not a particular position is worth taking on if it doesn’t offer enough compensation.
Conclusion
Asking about salary isn’t taboo! You have the right to know what you’ll be making and it’s an important part of being an employee. So don’t be afraid to ask, but do keep in mind that there are ways to go about asking for information regarding pay scale at an interview that may get better results than others. I hope these tips have given some insight into how you can approach this subject tactfully. Thanks for reading!
