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The best salary negotiation advice I've ever received (aside from improving my BATNA[1]) is to push till after I get to the offer stage of the interview. That w

The best salary negotiation advice I've ever received (aside from improving my BATNA[1]) is to push till after I get to the offer stage of the interview. That way they already like me, they've gone through the process, and they are willing to try to meet me somewhere reasonable. So you're already a step ahead of the game in that sense. I've used something to the effect of "I'm sure you have a range in mind for this position that's commensurate with fair market rates. And I'm willing to be a team player and probably meet you somewhere along those lines. Can you tell me roughly what you're targeting for this role?" Most recruiters will be fairly candid with you. They'll offer something at the lower to mid range of the target band. At least that'll be a ballpark. From there, you need to decide if it's worth pursuing the process based on whether you'd be happy accepting what they told you + whatever you might be able to negotiate on top of it. The downside to this approach is that you allow them to anchor [2], in other words, your continuation of the process implies an inherent acceptance of the reasonableness of what they quote you. (And this is Google, after all, so they are likely to suggest something pretty reasonable in the first place.) There is no upside to quoting your current salary, and it is almost never a dealbreaker if you punt on answering. [1] BATNA = Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. In simple terms, this is your fallback option. The best fallback option is the strongest market price you can get independent of this offer. This isn't an invitation to shop an offer you receive, but rather, an establishment of your market value. A soft offer from another firm, ideally prior to going down the line with Google, is a form of BATNA. If you have no other options at the moment, then your current salary becomes your BATNA by default. [2] An anchor is a frame of reference established by the first person to throw out a number. A ballsy approach would be to anchor high right off the bat. Sometimes this works. Sometimes it backfires. I wouldn't suggest a bold anchor unless you know what you're doing. I also would caution against a high anchor if you know it's unreasonable relative to your best guess at the band this position occupies.

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JSeymourATL 11y ago
> "I'm sure you have a range in mind for this position that's commensurate with fair market rates. And I'm willing to be a team player and probably meet you somewhere along those lines. Can you tell me roughly what you're targeting for this role?" * This is solid advice. Keep in mind that for recruiters processing candidates is a daily routine. They'll be evaluating you for managerial transparency and probably guess based on your experience and skills your current compensation level. That data point serves as just other market benchmark. They know beforehand, making an attractive offer for you to move will require at least a 10-20% bump.
- rgovind 11y ago
  Sometime employers try to beat this logic by saying..."when we are making hiring decision, we want to move very fast and have all the information ready. Thats why I want you to give your salary info right away" I don't know how to say NO to that.
  - jonnathanson 11y ago
    Honestly, I'd be scared off by a line like that. That tells me the employer wants to play games with you in an attempt to minimize your compensation. Good companies and good recruiters aren't trying to minimize you per se. They want to hire the best people, and they know that the best people have a decent sense for market rates and aren't going to settle for that sort of line. Try to do your research on comps and industry standards beforehand, so that least you're reducing some information asymmetry going into the process with the recruiter. In my experience, you'll actually gain respect for asking about their ranges. It shows you have experience and know your worth. It also establishes you as someone who's been around the block and is no stranger to job offers and the way they really work. This is what separates the entry-level candidate from the managerial-potential candidate.
    - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
      Often the reviewer is an engineer etc who is just trying to fill in the boxes. They aren't gaming you; they are more likely a pawn. The way to say no, is to say no. "I'm not going to tell you my salary history; that pigeonholes me, and makes the unfair assumption that my utility to you is identical to my utility to my last employer. Lets talk about how you value this position. Can you tell me your salary range for others in similar positions here?"
pw 11y ago
I think you're right about anchoring. It can work, but it's tricky. I think one of the biggest pitfalls is quoting a number significantly greater than what the employer is thinking and raising question of why you're interested in this much lower paying job.

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JSeymourATL 11y ago

> "I'm sure you have a range in mind for this position that's commensurate with fair market rates. And I'm willing to be a team player and probably meet you somewhere along those lines. Can you tell me roughly what you're targeting for this role?" * This is solid advice. Keep in mind that for recruiters processing candidates is a daily routine. They'll be evaluating you for managerial transparency and probably guess based on your experience and skills your current compensation level. That data point serves as just other market benchmark. They know beforehand, making an attractive offer for you to move will require at least a 10-20% bump.

rgovind 11y ago
Sometime employers try to beat this logic by saying..."when we are making hiring decision, we want to move very fast and have all the information ready. Thats why I want you to give your salary info right away" I don't know how to say NO to that.
- jonnathanson 11y ago
  Honestly, I'd be scared off by a line like that. That tells me the employer wants to play games with you in an attempt to minimize your compensation. Good companies and good recruiters aren't trying to minimize you per se. They want to hire the best people, and they know that the best people have a decent sense for market rates and aren't going to settle for that sort of line. Try to do your research on comps and industry standards beforehand, so that least you're reducing some information asymmetry going into the process with the recruiter. In my experience, you'll actually gain respect for asking about their ranges. It shows you have experience and know your worth. It also establishes you as someone who's been around the block and is no stranger to job offers and the way they really work. This is what separates the entry-level candidate from the managerial-potential candidate.
  - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
    Often the reviewer is an engineer etc who is just trying to fill in the boxes. They aren't gaming you; they are more likely a pawn. The way to say no, is to say no. "I'm not going to tell you my salary history; that pigeonholes me, and makes the unfair assumption that my utility to you is identical to my utility to my last employer. Lets talk about how you value this position. Can you tell me your salary range for others in similar positions here?"

pw 11y ago

I think you're right about anchoring. It can work, but it's tricky. I think one of the biggest pitfalls is quoting a number significantly greater than what the employer is thinking and raising question of why you're interested in this much lower paying job.