The Dreaded Salary Question!!! “What salary are you seeking?”

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When you have been called by an employer or recruiter in response to an application that you submitted, have you ever been asked the dreaded question: “What salary range are you seeking for this role? If the answer is yes, and you never heard from them again, there is some important information that you need to know.

Why we ask?
There are a number of reasons why we ask this question:
• We need to qualify you for the job specification from our client. They have set a range based on budgets available, what they believe the role is worth and the type of skill/experience required
• We need to see what the market is currently paying or expecting for this type of role so that we can compare this with what was specified originally and then advise our client on the expected range from applicants
• We need to know where you actually sit in your predetermined worth as a candidate – you have skills, experience and qualifications that have a value

How to be prepared?
Start doing some research. Even if you have already started sending out applications, spend some time looking at what the market is currently paying. Some salaries have slipped whilst some more in-demand roles have risen. Write it down and note what each role is asking for in qualifications, responsibilities, skills and expertise, then compare this with what you bring.

How do you find this information?
At least 60% of jobs advertised don’t have a salary or hourly rate listed. It is not a trick or the fact that an employer or recruiter doesn’t want to reveal their cards too early, it is simply an attraction strategy to keep the salary open for a range of candidates of varying skill and experience levels. You can find out a salary range that is being paid when viewing jobs that are posted online through advanced search functions, which you should do before calling a recruiter or employer. Take SEEK for example, when we load a job into their system, we must indicate a salary range for the job to upload. The range can vary but it is generally fairly close to the mark. The exception to this is in cases where there are bonuses/commissions – it may be the base or a target range selected instead. We then select whether to display this salary range or not. For you, this means that you can go to SEEK and use the advanced search function to narrow your search based on a salary range as well. Try it for yourself, go to the advanced search function, fill in the usual details that you would and click the search button, write down the number of jobs that appear and then do the search with a salary range that you are seeking and note down the number of job that now appear – there should be a difference. When you find a job that you like, keep playing around with the salary range selector until your job disappears, then you will find out where it sits, and hopefully it will sit where you hoped!

The phone call
If you research better and know where you sit, when you get (or make) that call it will be for a job that you targeted in your range and the person at the other end of the phone won’t have a heart attack when they hear you say a figure $10,000 above their target. The best part is that if you are getting the phone call, they are interested in you, and if you meet that salary range, an interview could end up being the next step!

Job Application Strategy – do you have one???

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I made a phone call to an applicant the other day for a role that we have been recruiting for and was really impressed. The applicant’s phone rang and she answered with “Hello David”. This is a very rare occurrence, I hadn’t even introduced myself! Would you believe that she was also successful through our interview process and commenced in the role only a few days ago.

Now… you don’t have to be that switched on to impress us from the first phone call however ‘first impressions count’ and what this candidate showed was a very good first impression. She knew what she had applied for, knew who was looking after it and must have saved my phone number into her phone to know who could be calling her. Too often, we make calls, the candidate asks ‘which job is this for?’ or ‘where are you from?’ and then we have to explain ourselves, and at the same time thinking whether this is actually going to work out for all of us.

How do you get yourself in the spotlight?
Have a job search strategy. When you have a strategy and the right tools, you will know exactly where you stand, what you’ve applied for, particulars about the jobs, contacts and where the application process currently is. When we train jobseekers in job searching strategies we focus on them having the following tools first:

  • A current resume – sometimes you will make a phone call and the employer or recruiter will ask you to send it straight through to them . Unfortunately a number of candidates will respond with “I just have to update it first”. Don’t be that person – it shows that you are disorganised!
  • A draft cover letter prepared for the type of role(s) that you would generally apply for that outlines your skills, experience and intention
  • A spreadsheet or table to track job searching activities. I recall seeing a really good one prepared by a candidate that was applying for one of our roles a few years ago – she also made it to final selection. It should indicate the date that it was advertised, title, company/recruiter, contact name, phone, particulars, the process and outcome
  • A phone that works – you may laugh however a good number of candidates are uncontactable… and are unsuccessful as well!
  • A schedule of when you may be available to interview – this goes a long way for us as we can then book in to see you sooner rather than later

Most importantly your strategy should be aimed at applying for jobs that match your skill base. We receive a number of applications every day that make us stop and scratch our head to ask why this person is applying for this role? We get used to repeat offenders and start hitting the delete key instead of opening up your application to save wasting time. Don’t be that person. Be strategic – it is far better to apply for one role this week that matches your skill base rather than three that ‘kind of do’. You will stand a much better chance against other candidates this way and possibly come out on top – we are sure that you would rather that!

Get all of these tools in place, focus on your strategy , impress us and win that job!