Ask the expert: Avoid the salary shock

By DR MARIE WILSON

Q. I applied for a job and after several months and a series of interviews, I was finally offered it, but at a salary about one third less than I am being paid by my present employer. Frankly, the salary difference was a shock. I had inquired about the salary earlier in the interviewing process and been told only that it was "competitive". When I expressed surprise at the salary offered the interviewer said that they paid "market rates" and that they hadn't realised I was only interested in the money. We didn't make any progress after that. I feel I wasted a lot of time and emotional energy. Is there a polite way of finding out salaries earlier in the process?

A. The short answer is yes. Particularly when there are multiple interviews, you can certainly press for a salary range, and if that is unsuccessful you can communicate what you are presently being paid, or the salary range that you are seeking.

There are some additional factors to take into account. First, you have characterised the other employer as offering a low salary. What if they are paying an average rate and you are presently well-paid, or even over-paid?

If you are looking around for more challenge or a better career path, this may require earning slightly less but gaining a broader set of rewards from the job.

Second, you seem to be considering only salary. Other rewards aside, there are often a range of benefits, from car parking to support for education, that may go some way to reducing salary differences. You need to compare the total rewards for both jobs, not just the salaries.

If you are going to continue to look for other work, it might be worth trying to find out what a "competitive salary" is for your type of work. You can call on advertised jobs, use survey information from your professional or business association, inquire of firms, and use friends and networks in your industry to try to build up a picture of salaries and benefits for jobs like yours.

At least then if you are made an offer that you consider low, you'll have facts and figures to use in negotiating a counter-offer.

* * *

Q. My daughter is applying for her first job after university. She has been shortlisted by a well-known firm, and told that she will be going through a series of up to 10 interviews including testing and some group assessments. This seems a bit excessive. Is it just a way of making sure that she doesn't have time to interview with other competing firms?

A. While 10 interviews seems a bit excessive, getting several sources of information on a candidate is good practice. With new graduates who have little or no relevant work experience, it may take several interviews to get a good feel for the candidate's skills.

Candidates who have to pass several hurdles may feel that they are being carefully selected, but creating this selectiveness may have to be balanced with fatigue and the loss of some candidates who are snapped up by other firms.

While it is time-consuming, it can be a good investment in ensuring those selected will be able to do the job, and it gives the candidate more information about the firm.

Other firms use summer work experience or project work to do the same thing, but these can be applied only to a small group, while the interview process allows the organisation to look at many more potential staff.

* * *

Email a question for Dr Marie Wilson