“What are your salary expectations?” – a common question during recruitment processes that has quite a complex answer. It usually forces candidates to tell recruiters their expectations at the beginning but, often, companies hide their offer until the last moment.

How many recruitment processes have you been through without knowing how much the company is willing to pay? How many interviews have you done that were a waste of time because the salary proposed was too low? This article will give you some inside tips on how to get comfortable with the salary question and show you that it’s also in your hands, as an IT professional, to change the way business is done!

Salary is a sensitive, yet a very important factor when someone considers a change in their career. It should meet your expectations and be perceived as fair within your direct colleagues. Although, during our years of IT recruitment, we have seen that the salary can be a huge block point. That’s why we don’t want you to stop jumping to a new challenge because of it.

Why companies keep playing this game

Even though some companies disclose the salary at an early stage of the recruitment process, there are some pros and cons, especially when it comes to displaying salary ranges in job ads.

Companies that value transparency, efficiency and that want to attract more candidates, are usually the ones that reveal their salary policy. On the other hand, some companies only do it at the end of the recruitment process – most of the time to protect themselves -, which can be a complete waste of time for both parts.

At SprintCV.com, we believe that IT recruiters and companies should be transparent since the first interview. More than asking how much candidates wants to earn, they should inform how much they can pay them, based on their skills, experience and fit for the position. We believe that this honest and transparent early assessment only leads to win-win situations!

How to answer: what is your salary expectation?

It’s a frequent tactic for companies and recruiters to force the candidate to take the first step and answer this famous question. When facing this situation, we suggest you “reverse the game” in a polite way and ask recruiters how much they can pay you. Some tips on how you can reverse the question:

• “Dear (name), I would like to ask you instead what’s your budget to hire a professional for this given position?”
• In case they refuse to answer, you can keep pushing in a gentle way, such as “Does your company have a salary/level policy? Could you please tell me in which I would fit in?”
• Or “What is the maximum rate that you can pay for this position?”
• Or you can try a bolder approach: “I believe an experienced recruiter like is aware of how much your company pays for a professional with X years of experience. Can you please let me know?”

Let us tell you: you will be surprised by the good results!

And, this is the way you can do your part and change the way the recruitment processes are done. You have the right to be aware of how much they can pay, you can level your salary negotiation and decide if you would like to proceed with the recruitment process.

Small note: If they refuse to answer, you should access if you want to work with professionals or companies that don’t believe in transparency.

Sprint CV – Free IT recruitment coaching

Besides our recommendations, we want to be on your side when you decide to go all-in for a new challenge. We are here to provide you free guidance on the next steps of your career such as:

• Second opinion on your CV
• Advice and help you to search for a better job
• Connect you with companies hiring to work at the European Commission

Feel free to reach out to us on LinkedIn or Email.

Have a great week!