The JobSync Blog
The Buck Stops Here
September 13, 2011
As a hiring manager in a difficult job market, it is easy to become complacent about salary negotiations. With unemployment hovering just above 9%, you probably feel more empowered than ever in negotiating with candidates who you assume are desperate to take any job. And that goes for trying to get an idea of a candidate’s salary requirements long before making a job offer. After all, with hundreds of resumes on your desk, salary demands are a quick way to screen out expensive job seekers who would never be happy at your company making less than what they are expecting.
Today, however, this task is not as easy as one would think. Job seekers continue to be coached by various sources that they should stonewall and put off this question for as long as possible throughout the interview process. In online applications, many have even been advised to enter the number zero in the salary field. Still others will try and turn the tables on you and ask you to supply a salary range for the position in question.
With such roadblocks being thrown up in even a poor economy, hiring managers need to be especially strategic in extracting this information. First, put candidates at ease and always try to convey to them that your company values the work and experience of employees who are a good fit for your firm. Second, reinforce how many candidates have applied or are in the running for the position, and then add that not a few have supplied salary histories. Third, inform the candidate what you perceive to be their strengths and weaknesses and that you are trying to gain a better picture of what they might contribute to your company and at what cost. The mere fact that you mention other candidates and weaknesses will imply that you have justification for offering a lower salary. The benefit of this is that it will serve notice that it is in the interest of the candidate to stake out a salary position now rather than later.
Sometimes, it takes more than a penny to get a job seeker’s thoughts, but it can ultimately save you thousands of dollars a year if you do.
Page: 1
