Most often than not, hiring managers ask the candidate about their current compensation package on the first interview. On the candidate's side however, do they ask about the compensation plan at this early a stage of the hiring process? Would it be deemed inappropriate to inquire about the offer on the first contact with the hiring manager?
Personally, I don't ask about the offer on the first interview. The first interview is more of a exploratory discussion for me. Being shortlisted amongst all the applicants and getting an appointment for an interview would allow both parties to discuss if there is indeed a match. On the other hand, if asked, I give them a range of my financial requirements.
There was an opportunity offered to me in the past wherein I've gone through three interviews already. To put it bluntly, I was "hired". Almost, but not quite.
Early on, I was asked about my salary expectations and I gave them a range which I reckoned would compensate for the skills and experience needed for the position I was applying for. Then came the offer. The hiring manager gave me a call to briefly discuss the package. At that point, I surmised that the company was open for negotiations. The first item on her list was the monthly salary, followed by the vacation leaves, insurance benefits, etc. After hearing the first item, my mind shut her off... to me, she was talking gibberish already. Why? She is offering me a salary that is way below than my current pay. In turn, she justified that with the opportunity to attend training abroad. That said, I still declined the offer.
It (training overseas) was tempting alright. But downgrading my pay isn't the smartest move at this point of my career. Because if I do that, I have to work on catching up with the level of my current pay for "x" number of years.
After that experience, I was wondering if I have made myself clear enough or the hiring manager wasn't paying attention to what I've said. It could be that she focused more on the screening process.
She could have told me this:
“I don’t want to waste your time by getting you excited about a solution that will not fit in your budget constraints…" - www.ere.net
... So as not to have wasted each other's time in the entire process of hiring.
4 comments:
One needs to know what one's job is truly worth before mentioning a compensation figure. The internet would be a good source for that information. You've obviously set a "walk away" price for yourself but you also need to be ready to discuss and defend why you think the figure you mentioned would be "fair" to both you and your prospective employer.
i priced myself based on my skills and experience. the offer, on the one hand, was based on the position alone. that being the case, i decided not to take it.
It is not fair to be putting a price on training and making it a salary negotiating tool. It's not that they're spending for your tuition fee to get a masters degree ! Training will benefit the company more than you because you will use the skills in your job.
The hiring manager was definitely short changing you with the training offer :(
bw - exactly my point. it kinda irked me when they underscored the training as part of the package. i know it's important but it's the be-all, end-all of the job. duh.
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