Question
You’re very firm about not disclosing your salary when applying or interviewing for a job. But let’s just say, for whatever reason, you’re forced to give the company something up front, like a pay stub, and you don’t want it to get contentious. And now they know you make $95,000. So you get the offer, and they offer you $105,000 because they think you’ll be thrilled with that, even though maybe the actual range is much broader than that. Once you’ve spilled the beans about your current salary, do you have any leverage when the job offer is too low?
Nick’s Reply
Let’s reel it back to the point where you felt forced to disclose your current salary and you gave it to them. At that point, to avoid contending with a job offer that’s too low, you really need to say something like this to them.
How to avoid a job offer too low
How to Say It
“Okay, I’ve told you what I make. Now in return please tell me what the salary range on the job is before we start this interview, so we make sure we’re both on the same page.”
Once they disclose or decline, you know what you have to work with and you can decide whether or not to continue the interviews. If they disclose the salary range, I caution you: Believe them. Don’t expect any offer at or above the top.
The second thing you can do is bring up your salary requirements.
How to Say It
“I’ve told you my current salary, but I also want to tell you what my desired range is. And unless we can talk seriously in that range, we really shouldn’t proceed.”
This is how to avoid getting involved in a process where the outcome will be a job offer that’s too low. Now you’re setting a groundwork for a potentially higher number, assuming they agree to your desired range.
Set ground rules for salary immediately
This is where most job seekers crumble. If there’s no agreement on the range, they’re willing to proceed anyway hoping “I can talk them higher later.” These are the same folks who, after investing a lot of time and energy, get an inadequate offer and complain the employer wasted their time.
Both these suggestions require, of course, that you establish ground rules about salary before the interviews begin. While I believe this approach is preferable, all is not lost if you’re suddenly faced with a job offer — an inadequate job offer.
You often (not always) have a different kind of leverage if an offer is tendered. They’ve now invested a lot of time and they’re facing sunk costs if you reject it. They’re not so likely to dismiss your request to negotiate.
Let’s say they’re offering you $105,000 ($10,000 more than you’re making). If you’re happy with that, good enough — accept it. Don’t attempt to negotiate just because “people say you should always ask for more.”
Ask for as much as you can justify
The real question to ask yourself is, are you happy with the number? If you are, don’t risk the offer over a few extra bucks. But if you are going to press farther, you need to take a step back and say something like this.
How to Say It
“Thanks for the offer. It looks like a good offer, but I think I’m worth $110,000, and I want to explain why… If I can’t justify what I’m asking for, then you should not hire me.”
If the employer is willing to follow you down that path, say thank you and engage them in discussion — don’t give some kind of authoritative speech! Ask for their input and comments. Make it a two-way attempt to explore what value you can add — and respect their viewpoint.
One of the biggest negotiating mistakes people make is they think that their task is to ask for more and see what the other guy says. That’s not it.
Your objective, your task, your responsibility is to be able to explain why you’re worth as much more as you’re asking, and to demonstrate how you’re going to bring additional value, success or profitability to the company that justifies your higher number. Through friendly, cooperative dialogue, this can lead to a win-win outcome.
You need to work this out in advance. Never just blurt out, “Well, I think your offer should be $5,000 higher. What do you think?”
You must be able to justify your request. But that’s another discussion. Please see The ONLY way to ask for a higher job offer.
While it’s best to establish a mutually agreeable salary range prior to the job interview, all is not lost if you find yourself facing an offer that’s less than you’re worth. You can still negotiate if you can show why you’re worth it. Just remember: Negotiating can also mean walking away.
Have you ever accepted a low job offer? Why? What could you have done to make it higher? We know employers control the purse strings. But what kinds of leverage does the job applicant have anyway?
: :
“If they disclose the salary range, I caution you: Believe them. Don’t expect any offer at or above the top.”
The reverse can also be true. There are some companies that will post a large salary range, like $40K-$70K. Many times, they may offer in the lowest quarter of that range.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the job market to negotiate an offer in. If you are making $95,000 and get offered $105,000, take it! Because guess what? The company will rescind the offer and move on to the next candidate. (who also interviewed very well) These companies aren’t fooling around. They know it’s a crap job market. They know because they got around 500+ applicants for the position. They have at least three other people who can do the job, and have made it to the final round, like the letter writer. The person probably got the offer because he was the cheapest candidate. So they ask for more money! Nope, they will go to the next person and offer them the job at 110K or less. The Reddit job/recruiting threads are full of stories of people who were shocked when their job offers were rescinded after they tried to negotiate even a slight increase. You negotiate when you already have a job, or have several offers, and you are willing to walk if you dont get it. Or you are a niche talent. There are many happy second-choice candidates out there who have recently started new jobs because the first-choice candidate foolishly asked for more money.
@Kelly: I can’t argue with your position. I’d never tell a job seeker that needs to pay the rent and to buy food to turn down an offer.
But if a person is determined to get a better deal and is willing to walk away without it, I believe this is the best approach.
It seems that the general career advice that many job seekers are given, is to negotiate for higher salary, i.e.’don’t leave money on the table’.
In the current job market job seekers should only negotiate if they have ‘leverage’, i.e. already employed and have nothing to lose by trying to ask for more.
If unemployed you probably have no leverage to negotiate unless you have super critical skills that the employer desperately needs. If unemployed you might even have to settle for less than what your salary was, prior to losing your job.
If trying to negotiate with no leverage, all the money could be left on the table, i.e. prospective employer withdraws the job offer.
Cannot agree more. Also learned recently that referrals no longer pay dividends — on three occasions now at three different employers, either a current employee of the hiring manager or a close associate of the hiring manager submitted my resume for a current opening directly to the hiring manager, accompanied by their strong recommendation no less! In all three cases, was told that referral or no referral, all resumes must be submitted online to be dumped into the Applicant Tracking System. Was told this keeps the process fair. In other words, I was subject to all the same steps as any other applicant. Sadly, this appears to be the new reality.
So you do exactly as recommended early on, with the skillful and almost casual question “what’s the pay like”. And you set your number. You get through all the interviews. You get to the offer, and its 10 or 20 k less than discussed previously. What then?
@Dee: If the offer is that much less than they acknowledged you’re looking for, you have to decide whether to try to negotiate for more and walk away if you don’t get it, or accept the offer they made.
There is no magic answer, I’m afraid.
My purpose was to advise a job seeker that wants to negotiate.
That says a great deal about the company…that they would lowball the offer after you were led to believe a certain number. From what I have heard, various excuses are used such as regrading the position, the financials at the company, even a mistake made by the HM. Or coupled with a promise (rarely made in writing) to evaluate and level up after a 3-6 months review. (BTW that is a strategy often used in negotiation if the candidate wants the job.)
Agree with you that it depends on the need of the candidate, but “confusion” about compensation (and I’m not talking about a complicated package, just the base salary) is a red flag. I’ve also heard that even a written out level up/evaluation after 3-6 months means that you’re out after that time no matter if you’ve knocked it out of the park. A PIP or a simple ‘you didn’t make it out of the evaluation period” is used.
I recently turned down an interview due to a very low salary offer. The position was for a Sales Specialist for a very well-known cybersecurity suite of products with a major distributor. I asked 2 times for the salary range and was told that they want my salary requirement. After researching the industry standards for the position, I came up with a number. They insisted that I provide a range, and I finally gave in and told them $125,000 + commission and bonuses. Their response was $50,000 all in with bonuses and commissions. We were talking about selling a product that was over $100k. I told them their salary was unacceptable based on the market research I had done. That ended the email conversation. Based on the position description, with 25 years plus in the cybersecurity industry, I am not sure where they will find a more qualified individual for that salary.
THE best comment thus far.
The $50k you were offered is just as insulting as the $10k stapled onto the salary of the job seeker’s $95k in this article.
You stated that “They insisted that I provide a range,…” which is interesting that they didn’t give you a range and didn’t explain how they came up with $50k.
I would’ve walked too.
It tells you volumes about how they run the company.
Now focus on their competition with what you’ve learned!
I have had similar experiences. I have been approached regarding positions. I have asked about numbers, but I asked for a range to see if we are “in the same ballpark.”. Several times, we weren’t and the conversation ended politely there. Other times, I have been asked for more information and I had the opportunity to explain where I thought I offered value. Several times, it resulted in the company deciding to increase the range.
In my current company, I have the opportunity as a hiring manager to make the case up the chain as to why a candidate will deliver more value to the organization than the stated range. It is not an easy sell. It shouldn’t be. I have to answer hard questions. But, I have been successful. The more information Incan get from the candidate as to how they will contribute, the easier my job is.
@Just Me: We need more managers like you that don’t “outsource” decisions about hiring to HR or anyone else.
Job seekers please note what Just Me reveals about what you need to do to help Just Me get you the deal you deserve:
“The more information [I can] get from the candidate as to how they will contribute, the easier my job is.”
It’s all about what you’re going to do to make the employer more successful.
Thanks for sharing a hiring manager’s view, and I’m not surprised to see it helps you get better offers yourself!
Buying a car or considering an offer…I figure out what works for me before any interviews.
I also look at non-salary benefits (mine is professional training and conferences, in writing).
@Gregory: You raise an important point about alternatives to money. This might be helpful:
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/16870/compensation-negotiate-beyond-money
Nick, I think there’s an important point missing here. The point where the job applicant should refuse to provide any current (or past) salary information until AFTER a legitimate offer has been made by the potential employer. (original poster said, “…for whatever reason, you’re forced to give the company something up front, like a pay stub…”) Unless if I miss my guess, in the absence of someone holding a gun to your head, the only person who can “force” you in this scenario is…YOU.
A significant number of US states and cities have enacted laws prohibiting employers from requiring or requesting current or past salary information in the course of negotiating an offer for future employment. There’s a good reason for that. Your past and present salary information is no prospective employer’s or recruiter’s business. Once you fall for this routine you’ve lost control of your situation. There’s nothing to “negotiate.” You’re at their mercy. So, consider that if this encounter was unpleasant enough to “force” you to do something against your best interests, how do you think your continued employment for this morally-challenged employer could be any better?
The only way to deal with people like this is to always be ready to turn around and walk away. Better to walk away with your self-respect intact, rather than waste your time with an employer who will most likely take advantage of you and not pay you what you’re worth.
@Steve: As you know, I agree with you 100% and I could point to loads of articles on this site about not disclosing your salary. The OP starts out by acknowledging this but then asks what to do after spilling the beans.
Thanks for your excellent summary about not disclosing. I should have made that point somewhere in the column!
If you have to pay bills and eat, or need the job for other reasons, then you can accept….but know that at one point, after three months or 2 years, you will be screwed over. No matter what you do. In this market, you sometimes have to take it and keep looking. It’s a market worse than post 9/11, or 2008-9.
Particularly if you are in a bonused or commission situation…you WILL be screwed over before you get that bonus or commission. ESPECIALLY if you are a top ‘president’s club’ performer in year 2.
It now seems to happen regularly.
Nick, idea for an article on CFOs essentially taking over the company.
@DeeC: Point taken! Good idea for a column about bean counters running HR and the entire biz! Recruiting and hiring are any company’s most critical strategic edge — and they let it get very dull!
If a company’s only differentiator is price, economics tells you that someone else will be incentivized to undercut you. That could be through innovation or scale, but often it through cutting costs and profit margin. Bottom-line, if you are not differentiating yourself from your competitors, it is a drive to the bottom and lower and lower profits.
Innovation and differentiation requires people. It requires creativity. It requires skill in working with your customers. AI can’t do that. AI can interpolate. It can’t innovate. (It can help in skilled hands.). To do what is needed to innovate and differentiate, you need to have the right team.
Recruitment and retention. That is what will make or break a company. Sure, you can plod around and rely on process for awhile. That works until a nimble competitor comes to the table. And then, you are an empty Seats store.
Recruitment and retention needs to be a full contact sport and it requires a team and a strategy. I am s big fan of Jim Collin’s Good to Great and Built to last. The takeaway many people get from the books is on the hedgehog concept. However, before the hedgehog concept, it is “first who, then what” or getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus. I do think keeping the right people on the bus is just as important.
To this day, I have “Top Grading”, “Good To Great”, and “Ask the Headhunter: reinventing the interview to win the job” on my bookshelf.
I review them (and others) every once and awhile.
Good stuff.
A few years ago, I referred to facts in the “Ask the Headhunter” book as a response to a post on this site and some know-it-all elitist college “professor” type spouted off the ever popular ‘change or die’ narrative dribble eluding to the premise that anything “old” (yet tried-and-true principle) is worthless.
The Bible is VERY old – so, should we throw that out too?
Since you brought up some “oldie but goodie” books, wonder how that “professor” would grill you today?
@Just Me: It’s astonishing. Employers just can’t get to the fact that employees are not an expense. They’re an investment. A key differentiator. Hire like you have already estimated the ROI for each and every employee. Yet managers will tell us it’s impossible to actually measure individual profitability — and all that means is, they should not be managers!
I have a theory, a psychological one, about many companies adopting a “defeatist” mindset, like they are victims, already beaten, or about to be. They are deep into survival mode. It’s taken from not only the personal but also and mainly from historical national politics. If you look at France’s Third Republic prior to 1940, like many companies, France’s rulers were more concerned about their own welfare and propping things up to look good than running the country well for their citizens and planning for their good future. Government was chaotic. Companies concerned with DEI, “culture”, not seeking the best and brightest only the cheapest, dumping money into AI at the expense of their product/service, and more concerned about looking good financially to the investors for the next quarter fits into this. I realize this view may have holes in it…thoughts?
I am going to take exception to your comment that seems to imply that DEI and seeking the best and brightest are mutually exclusive. They are not. Yes, there are people who have used it that way, but more people have made it out to be that way then it really has been.
Our country, well all of humanity has found ways to separate people. We have created have and have nots. But those groups are artificial. Humanity is a bell curve of abilities and that bell includes everyone. We cannot afford to write off the people on the top end of the bell who have grown up in an environment without proper role models and opportunities.
I am not a DEI expert, but I have listened to some very good DEI professionals over my career. What have I learned? The value of the diverse search. I don’t just recruit from a few places. I recruit broadly to make sure that I find excellent candidates wherever they are. I try to understand their situation and set them up for success. I have gone into schools and encouraged kids and teachers about what is possible. I have helped programs which have encouraged kids to go into technical fields, etc. We need to make use of all of our talent, not a part of it.
In my past position, i grew a part of an organization that was more diverse than the organization as a whole. You know what? it was also one of the highest performing parts. I never hired anyone who wasn’t the best candidate (willing to accept the offer of course). But because I searched broadly and worked to understand my hires, the organization succeeded. Many of those people have grown into leadership roles. Creating roles models which will hopefully lead to a virtuous cycle. Being diverse and searching wisely and broadly did not hinder success. It helped create it.
@Just Me:
Unfortunately people confuse DEI with quotas.
A DEI initiative at a company I worked at involved Veterans.
Often, when military steps away from Active Duty, they stay in the Reserves or National Guard. Which involves one weekend a month and two weeks a year.
Some employers do not line this. The company I worked at was not only good with this, time off for military training did not count against PTO.
Additionally (as we all know) some Veterans come back from deployment with challenges that most of us civilians do not deal with.
The company had resources specifically for Veterans, and sponsored confidential support groups.
By addressing things specific to Veterans, there was a place for them in the organization.
@Just Me: Thanks for such a practical discussion of DEI, which has become so politicized that the debate is a waste of time. The underlying foundation of DEI makes good sense to me. It’s the implementation that can cause problems but that’s true of any good management initiative.
Unfortunately, having worked for larger healthcare organizations, I have seen “DEI” as the first rule-in or out. There’s something called ESG (environmental, social, governance) that investors score companies on. DEI is weighted heavily on this. It’s pretty explicit around new hires at companies. You don’t get ruled in if you’re over 50, white, male or female. Period. So much for performance and ability.
@DeeC
I understand your frustration. However, I will give you hope. Investors are, after all, focused on results and performance. If it doesn’t work and companies dont provide good numbers, the methodology will be changed.
The diversity part of the Social line is there because it is believed that having a diverse workforce will be more sustainable. If companies (like in your industry) are gaming it in such a way that will reduce performance, it will be modified or go away.
Most investors want results. If an investment methodology fails to deliver results, it will go away. If your organization fails to get results, leadership will be grilled on investor calls, the BOD will get involved, and changes will happen. Of course, those processes sometimes don’t work as well as they should.
Yes, life’s needs necessitate sometimes taking that job that is not right for you but ALWAYS keep looking. I’ve heard some say always keep looking even if you are fairly happy and settled at your job. You never know when layoffs will happen.
I’ve been asked for my salary range or what I made before. First, the company posting the job should know the range they will pay, hopefully based on fair market value. Secondly, I always thought it was rude to ask someone what they earn currently or earned at a previous job. How would the recruiter, HR person or HM like to be asked by a candidate what they currently earn.
When asked I say that my salary is confidential and I cannot disclose it and leave it at that. If the person insists they must know, and I’m not in desperate need of a paycheck, I know at that point I will not be able to do business with this person or company.
Employers should be aware that people talk to one another about how they are treated when they are interviewed. Word gets around about the bad actors in town and then these companies wonder why they can’t attract good candidates. I could tell you stories about the quality of candidates some employers are getting and it’s not good.
Employers get what they pay for, just as we do when we buy something. If I buy cheap and the thing falls apart, I got what I paid for. If I’m willing to spend more, I get a better quality product. Employers are buying the talent and skills of job candidates and it works the same way. Pay cheap and you get what you pay for. Pay fair market value and chances increase at finding better quality candidates.
I worked with someone who owned a business with someone else. His business partner always wanted to pay cheaply as possible, so their turnover rate was high, about every one to two years employees left. He told his partner they should pay more to attract better candidates and to keep them longer. He wouldn’t do that so the guy finally sold his portion of the business because he was fed up with the revolving door of employees coming and going, and the training and onboarding of hiring.
“…revolving door of employees…”
That about sums it up, yet all we continue to hear (for yet another decade) from HR is that there’s a “talent shortage” – LOL!
Unfortunately when employers hold the whip hand, as they did after 9/11 and the dot com bust, and after 2008, candidates and employees have to take what they get. Reputational loss to me is always overstated because nearly everyone approaches or is at the same low level. The tens of thousands of layoffs attributed to AI, Verizon being the latest, (losses due to bad investments, not efficiency) is another terror element.
Layoffs due to falling stock prices and declining market share are most frequent among publicly traded companies.
Private too.
Are you all forgetting that in some U.S. states now it is *ILLEGAL* for an employer to ask for your previous salary/pay at ANY job? I know it is like that in Massachusetts now. (JOBSEEKERS – you should find out if it is illegal in your state to be asked about previous salary.)
I know a lot of people feel very pressured to provide salary info because they are intimidated or desperate for a job but you should NEVER cave in and tell them. WHY??
1. It’s none of their business. Just because someone asks for it doesn’t mean you have to hand it over. How much one makes or made at a job is private financial information and no one, even a prospective employer, is entitled to that.
2. The company might tell you they need to know your current salary so they know how much to pay you. That’s a complete LIE! The company has already budgeted for the position before you even sent your resume over. I mean, they’re running a damn company – do you think things are going to grind to a halt because you won’t reveal your salary info? My point – they may want it but they certainly do not need it. Wanting to know how much you make is solely for the purpose of low-balling you. And a lot of job seekers fall for it.
Personally, I’d never go to an interview where I did not know the basic salary range and basic benefit plan info before the interview. Things need to start off where you and the company are both in the same ballpark, at least. Details can be negotiated later in the offer stage if they desire to hire you.
If you get a really obnoxious / pushy recruiter who is really getting on you about revealing your current salary here are some things you can say to put them off:
1. “I don’t feel comfortable speaking about my salary expectations until I’ve completed the interview(s) and have a total and complete understanding of the scope and duties of this job.”
2. “My current salary info is private but I would be happy to discuss the salary range you think is appropriate for this position.”
3. “I don’t usually discuss salary until further along in the interviewing process but I assume you may already have a budget determined for this role.”
NEVER throw out the first number. You put yourself at a disadvantage if you do.
Overall, excellent advice Job Guru!
Many tips you gave Nick has addressed (and even promoted) over the span of close to two + decades.
@Chris S: True, we’ve discussed all of Job Guru’s points many times here, but it’s always worth repeating them!
Because the “salary question” is so rude, I suggest a snarky response under appropriate circumstances: “I’ll share my salary if you’ll disclose your salary and that of the last person to hold the job we’re discussing.”
If the manager doesn’t grin and sheepishly say, “Touche!” and instead takes offense, it’s time to end the interview.
Your point #3 is really important here. Discussing salary beyond ranges is a bad idea early in the process. But later in the process it might be helpful.
All of the discussion here assumes an antagonistic relationship between the potential employer/employee. It is not always that way!
For my current position, we discussed ranges early on. The ranges matched. Eventually I was asked what salary would make this work. I chose a number at the that was between my desired start and the top end of the range. I was expecting to negotiate down. What did my new employer do? They offered me the top of the range. More than my ask. What do you think that did for my motivation and performance?
As I have said before, I (and my organization) know that the people will make or break the company. I had an applicant that was way overqualified for the position’s pay level. (Current company was going through layoffs.). Part of my pitch to up the range (and the position’s responsibilities) was the person’s current salary. Note that I did not ask. It was offered.
Most of the advice here seems to assume that the company is going to act improperly. Maybe that is the norm. But there are still some good companies (and managers) out there!
@Just me: Sorry if I implied companies will always try to take advantage. My favorite HR manager’s policy on job offers is to learn the candidate’s salary and, if it’s low, to do anything necessary to bring it up to where is should be. If that means doubling their pay, so be it. Some companies recognize that doing right by employees is the best way to build a thriving company.
One thing to remember is cost of living. I was contacted for a job on the
San Francisco Bay peninsula and asked what my salary requirement was. Cos of Living was more than 3 times as high as where I was!
As a Federal employee, I could not really keep my salary secret, there is a website with last year’s salary for all of us.
They don’t even need to go to the website. Many feds include their GS level on their resume. If not, a hiring manager can make a pretty good guess. The salary tables are out there.