Ask the expert: Asking for too much money scares employers away

By MARIE WILSON


Q: I have now applied for approaching 100 jobs through agencies, three of which have resulted with interviews. I also responded to adverts with a direct hire situation - this has resulted in an almost 100 per cent interview rate. But I still don't have a job.

Despite me asking for what I believe is the going rate for my type of job, it seems employers baulk at the amount of money I am asking for - on one occasion I was offered half what I expected. Sometimes full time jobs turn into short term contracts once I start discussing money. Other times job offers made at the interview go nowhere - I am told the contract will be sent out but nothing arrives.

It seems I am good at getting interviews, perform well in them - but never get the job. How does one negotiate a positive conclusion to a good interview?

A: Ending an interview is like closing a sale; you have to make sure you are as close to "yes" as possible, and then you have to set up the next steps for a job offer and a contract.

You seem to have three problems in your job search. You have had more than a few interviews that seem to have stalled on the issue of money. Something is clearly amiss. Given your suspicions, it might be worth seeking feedback from your "near misses" as to whether the salary was the obstacle. You might inquire as to how the salary they are offering has been determined.

If there is a clear mismatch, how are you going to help a potential employer bridge the gap? They are unlikely to double the salary they are offering so you may need to revise your expectation to something closer to what employers seem to be willing to pay. Perhaps you can negotiate a higher bonus for above average performance, to address part of the gap between your expectation and their offer.

In two recent cases you've gone in for a permanent post, and been offered a short term contract instead. Legal issues aside, this may also reflect discomfort with your salary expectations. A short term contract could be the employers' way of signalling that you would have to be very good before they could pay that much, and they want to check out your performance first. As you have noted, this is not consistent with the legal principles for term employment, but then again, you still don't have a job, either.

The third problem appears to be a positive interview followed by rejection. There could be two reasons for this: first, it may be your salary expectation; interviewers may have delegated authority for a certain range or amount, and if you are over that, it requires another approval. Alternatively, it may be that you are a forceful interviewee, and the person is uncomfortable turning you down on the spot, but when you are gone, allows the process to lapse.

One key issue in ending an interview (or closing a sale) is asking for objections - finding out what problems may prevent an offer being made (or the sale being finalised). So ask the interviewer what - not if - there may be difficulties in making you an offer.

If they acknowledge that your salary expectation is high, or they have to get approval, you may be able to help them to solve this problem: what if you met with the other person briefly? What if you structured your salary package in this way? By assisting the interviewer, you are getting closer to getting that offer. You can then ask what others steps need to be taken (on both sides) and when you might expect to pick up a contract to review; don't leave it to the mail.


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Dr Marie Wilson is associate professor of management at the University of Auckland Business School, research director of the ICEHOUSE business accelerator and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business.