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I had a preliminary interview today with a company from out of state (a North East location).
The interview started off well, until it got to the part about salaries. The recruiter asked me how much salary I made. I told him.
He then asked me how much I hoped to make with their company and I answered that it would depend, but that I'd like my salary adjusted for the cost of living for that particular state. I did not want to give an exact answer as I've been told you shouldn't do this early in the interviewing process.
The recruiter then said that it is not possible to progress to another round of interviewing without knowing how much I wanted. I then asked the interviewer what the salary range was for this position (it was not posted in the ad) so that I could know what answer to give.
His response was "It is PROPRIETARY"
WHAAAAAT!!!!!
I could not believe it. This was a first and I literally was tongue tied after that. He then proceeded to tell me that I needed to go out and do some research on what type of salary I thought I'd like and then let him know what I decide.
Is this normal? I mean, this recruiter already knows what I make, knows where I live (lower cost of living state), knows what type of position this is for, and was still unwilling to give me a range.
Was I wrong? Should I have given an exact answer? Has any of you given a salary figure early in the interviewing process or is this just weird.
I had a preliminary interview today with a company from out of state (a North East location).
The interview started off well, until it got to the part about salaries. The recruiter asked me how much salary I made. I told him.
He then asked me how much I hoped to make with their company and I answered that it would depend, but that I'd like my salary adjusted for the cost of living for that particular state. I did not want to give an exact answer as I've been told you shouldn't do this early in the interviewing process.
The recruiter then said that it is not possible to progress to another round of interviewing without knowing how much I wanted. I then asked the interviewer what the salary range was for this position (it was not posted in the ad) so that I could know what answer to give.
His response was "It is PROPRIETARY"
WHAAAAAT!!!!!
I could not believe it. This was a first and I literally was tongue tied after that. He then proceeded to tell me that I needed to go out and do some research on what type of salary I thought I'd like and then let him know what I decide.
Is this normal? I mean, this recruiter already knows what I make, knows where I live (lower cost of living state), knows what type of position this is for, and was still unwilling to give me a range.
Was I wrong? Should I have given an exact answer? Has any of you given a salary figure early in the interviewing process or is this just weird.
So.... here is my perspective. I would have found if I were interviewing you-- I would have found myself exasperated with you.
If you are interviewing for a position in another state, you should have done some research into knowing exactly what salary range you would be looking for to make a move to that state.
Also-- asking people their salary requirements gives the interviewer an idea of what type of candidate you are.
For example, I had a friend who was interviewing at another friend's company. The one friend set her friend up. She asked the girl beforehand what salary requirements are you going to tell these people? The other friend stated, 45k. My friend choked a little and said-- did you read through the requirements of this job? This job is a pretty high level position and if you come in asking for 45k you look like a naive and ignorant applicant because even with some quick research on the type of position the role would actually demand more like 60-80k based on the benefits program of the position (i.e. 60k with a certain bonus threshold, 80k if there are not bonus programs). What ended up happening is that the other friend realized that the person that was interviewing was not really performing at the level that the position was-- so it would be a stretch during the interview process. She really encouraged her friend to create a portfolio and be prepared in her materials, etc.
Now, if I am hiring for an accounting clerk and you tell me your salary range is 60-75k, I would probably not even continue the interview since the position is more of an entry level-- assuming I had interviewed you at all since I would not really hire say a proper accountant for a clerk role.
There are ways of poising your salary range without putting a dead set number down-- I always tell companies, I am looking at XYZ compensation. I can be flexible based on the variable pay programs you have in place and other assorted benefits. These variables of course can be negotiated.
I agree with lovetheduns. In this day and age you can go online and find out about rents, car insurance, etc. at the new location and crunch some numbers. It is all at your fingertips.
You should have done this in the first place. The recruiter shouldn't have to tell you.
To be honest, it looks really bad that you didn't do that in advance. It makes you look like you're not organized.
One of the first things someone should do when applying for a job is look at the COL when it involves moving. You knew in your case it was going to increase so you should have researched all of that and had it written down.
Instead of going back and forth you should have told them "I apologize I need to do some more research to give you an accurate answer"...instead they gave you the out to tell you to do your homework.
I agree with lovetheduns. In this day and age you can go online and find out about rents, car insurance, etc. at the new location and crunch some numbers. It is all at your fingertips.
You should have done this in the first place. The recruiter shouldn't have to tell you.
To be honest, it looks really bad that you didn't do that in advance. It makes you look like you're not organized.
One of the first things someone should do when applying for a job is look at the COL when it involves moving. You knew in your case it was going to increase so you should have researched all of that and had it written down.
Instead of going back and forth you should have told them "I apologize I need to do some more research to give you an accurate answer"...instead they gave you the out to tell you to do your homework.
IDK if that will now count against you or not.
Exactly SeainDublin
It speaks to a much larger issue-- than just naming a number. It sounds as if you did not do any real thought into this position and what it would mean to move.
Here is what the recruiter or hiring person is thinking...
"Am I seriously going to pursue this candidate, who is in a different state, and has no clear idea of what he needs for a salary? Would I be wasting my time since it appears as if he does not know how much this job should pay or how much he would need to make a move here?"
Personally, I see no point in not giving a range. You can ALWAYS put some caveats and give them some idea of what would make you accept something at the lower end versus something at the higher end.
So.... here is my perspective. I would have found if I were interviewing you-- I would have found myself exasperated with you.
If you are interviewing for a position in another state, you should have done some research into knowing exactly what salary range you would be looking for to make a move to that state.
Also-- asking people their salary requirements gives the interviewer an idea of what type of candidate you are.
For example, I had a friend who was interviewing at another friend's company. The one friend set her friend up. She asked the girl beforehand what salary requirements are you going to tell these people? The other friend stated, 45k. My friend choked a little and said-- did you read through the requirements of this job? This job is a pretty high level position and if you come in asking for 45k you look like a naive and ignorant applicant because even with some quick research on the type of position the role would actually demand more like 60-80k based on the benefits program of the position (i.e. 60k with a certain bonus threshold, 80k if there are not bonus programs). What ended up happening is that the other friend realized that the person that was interviewing was not really performing at the level that the position was-- so it would be a stretch during the interview process. She really encouraged her friend to create a portfolio and be prepared in her materials, etc.
Now, if I am hiring for an accounting clerk and you tell me your salary range is 60-75k, I would probably not even continue the interview since the position is more of an entry level-- assuming I had interviewed you at all since I would not really hire say a proper accountant for a clerk role.
There are ways of poising your salary range without putting a dead set number down-- I always tell companies, I am looking at XYZ compensation. I can be flexible based on the variable pay programs you have in place and other assorted benefits. These variables of course can be negotiated.
I actually had an idea of what type of salary I was considering but I didn't want to give it away. I have always been told to say 'Negotiable' when it comes to salary talk, particularly regarding positions where the salary range was not posted.
In all my years of interviewing, I have never had a recruiter not be able to tell me what the salary range for the position was, once we got on the phone. NEVER. This was a first and like I said, I was tongue tied. I was open about my current salary and how I'd like a cost of living adjustment, while also saying I was flexible. But as far as the actual dollar amount, I didn't give that.
Anyway, I appreciate your perspective and I will borrow some of the language you used in your last paragraph for future interviews.
My thoughts are as others have said, find out what someone in that position makes. Also I wouldn't change positions for less than the equivalent of a 25% raise. Saying that I could make less in some places and still make more. If I were to stay where I am and was offered a job they need to pay 25% more or I stay where I am at.
If you are moving and want an idea you can use City Data as a resouce to get an idea of what an area cost. Also plenty of calculators out there that can tell you the cost of living in an area and also that can show you pay scales for many professions. It is up to the applicant to do their due dilligence.
I agree with lovetheduns. In this day and age you can go online and find out about rents, car insurance, etc. at the new location and crunch some numbers. It is all at your fingertips.
You should have done this in the first place. The recruiter shouldn't have to tell you.
To be honest, it looks really bad that you didn't do that in advance. It makes you look like you're not organized.
One of the first things someone should do when applying for a job is look at the COL when it involves moving. You knew in your case it was going to increase so you should have researched all of that and had it written down.
Instead of going back and forth you should have told them "I apologize I need to do some more research to give you an accurate answer"...instead they gave you the out to tell you to do your homework.
IDK if that will now count against you or not.
I don't think you correctly understood what I wrote. It is not that I did not know what salary range I was considering, I just did not want to give it out, particularly since I did not know the salary range the company was offering . It was not posted.
Like I responded to previous postings, I have always been told to never give an exact figure when discussing salaries. It has to do with not underselling/overselling yourself. Also, until you've progressed in the interview and are more certain about the role, giving out a figure too early, could end up biting you in the back. This has always worked for me.
I also do COL comparisons constantly. But the fact of the matter is, the figure given by those sites are usually over-stated. For instance, I use this siteModerator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed and when I put in my salary and compare for New York, it adds $100,000 to my current salary as what is equivalent for NY. Now, which company do you know will give you a $100,000 base raise, even for out of state moves?
My thoughts are as others have said, find out what someone in that position makes. Also I wouldn't change positions for less than the equivalent of a 25% raise. Saying that I could make less in some places and still make more. If I were to stay where I am and was offered a job they need to pay 25% more or I stay where I am at.
If you are moving and want an idea you can use City Data as a resouce to get an idea of what an area cost. Also plenty of calculators out there that can tell you the cost of living in an area and also that can show you pay scales for many professions. It is up to the applicant to do their due dilligence.
I am thinking now that perhaps my initial posting was not that clear. It's not that I hadn't done the research, I just didn't want to give a figure. I was hedging (as I've always done) and wanted the recruiter to give me their salary range.
As I think more about it, I think myself and the recruiter were doing the same thing. We were both hedging. I didn't want to give out a figure and the recruiter didn't want to tell me their range.
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