Okay to ask for salary range?

[Anonymous]

I just had series of interviews with the same company (2 screening calls with HR, one face-to-face, and one y'day call with HR to debrief about the face-to-face).
The HR person asked me about my salary range, but I haven't asked anything about their salary range and benefits.

Is it OK for me to email the HR person and ask for their salary/benefits/compensations?

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Yes of course

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised people still apply for a position without knowing the salary range...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised people still apply for a position without knowing the salary range...

Isn't it ridiculous? Too bad all the employers don't want to tell you when you are applying...

[Anonymous]

op here - thanks for the replies. I agree that I should find out some of the compensation details.

How to ask? will they even send me anything or such a wide range that it would be useless information?

Dear X, please let me know the salary range and benefits for this position?

thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised people still apply for a position without knowing the salary range...

Isn't it ridiculous? Too bad all the employers don't want to tell you when you are applying...

What is worse is that many don't tell you the salary range but set up their online applications so that you *have* to put in a number for the salary you want. Or they make it so that you *have* to put in a number for your current salary.

It's really ridiculous. They should post a range, and then, within that range, base their offer on your experience/education. It saves everyone time.

[Anonymous]

That is exactly what prompted me to ask about their compensations (having to tell them my current and desired salary). is there a way to not answer this question for future applications?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is exactly what prompted me to ask about their compensations (having to tell them my current and desired salary). is there a way to not answer this question for future applications?

I've been job hunting for the last few months, and I haven't found a way around it. If the online application is automated, it usually won't accept it without the number. I had an interview and an offer a while back, and it definitely hurt me that they knew my current salary. I ultimately turned it down. But that was after some back and forth.

I had another interview recently with a private company. I avoided the question when they asked my current salary by telling them the range I was hoping for (this was on the preliminary phone interview). Then for the in-person interview, they wanted me to fill out their application (even though all of the relevant information was on my resume). And their application asked for complete salary history. I left all of those spaces blank. I never heard back from them after the interview, so I don't know if that was an issue. I thought it all went well. If anything, I was overqualified. They never gave me a range, even though I asked. And they didn't really say much about my ideal range, but they still brought me in for an interview, so I figured that it was okay.

I feel like the entire process stacks everything against the job seeker. It's such a soul-sucking process. I've learned (and most people agree) that it's very hard to get significant raises once you're in, especially, sadly, if you are a long-term employee. The time to really negotiate for the salary you want is when you are hired. But I feel like the trend of asking for salary history is the way employers reduce any leverage you have. They think offering your current salary or very slightly above is fine. But if the position your are applying involves more responsibility or longer hours, it's not an apples to apples comparison.

The whole thing is daunting. *rant over*

[Anonymous]

you are, not your are. sorry about the typo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is exactly what prompted me to ask about their compensations (having to tell them my current and desired salary). is there a way to not answer this question for future applications?

I've been job hunting for the last few months, and I haven't found a way around it. If the online application is automated, it usually won't accept it without the number. I had an interview and an offer a while back, and it definitely hurt me that they knew my current salary. I ultimately turned it down. But that was after some back and forth.

I had another interview recently with a private company. I avoided the question when they asked my current salary by telling them the range I was hoping for (this was on the preliminary phone interview). Then for the in-person interview, they wanted me to fill out their application (even though all of the relevant information was on my resume). And their application asked for complete salary history. I left all of those spaces blank. I never heard back from them after the interview, so I don't know if that was an issue. I thought it all went well. If anything, I was overqualified. They never gave me a range, even though I asked. And they didn't really say much about my ideal range, but they still brought me in for an interview, so I figured that it was okay.

I feel like the entire process stacks everything against the job seeker. It's such a soul-sucking process. I've learned (and most people agree) that it's very hard to get significant raises once you're in, especially, sadly, if you are a long-term employee. The time to really negotiate for the salary you want is when you are hired. But I feel like the trend of asking for salary history is the way employers reduce any leverage you have. They think offering your current salary or very slightly above is fine. But if the position your are applying involves more responsibility or longer hours, it's not an apples to apples comparison.

The whole thing is daunting. *rant over*

Then don't offer your salary history. It's really that simple.

[Anonymous]

I typically include my salary history when I apply. When I get the first phone interview, if the interview goes well, then I will add towards the end that I would like to know the salary range of the position in question. I will state that I have a target range in mind and I would hate to waste everyone's valuable time if their offer and my expectations were not compatible. I had one employer ask me my target range and I provided it and they said that they could do that, but wouldn't offer me the actual range.

If the first call I get is for an in-person interview, I'll give the same comment to the person scheduling the interview, saying that I would hate to schedule the interview and waste people's time if our acceptable salary ranges were not compatible. At least in IT (my field), pragmatism is considered a virtue and it hasn't interfered with interviewing as far as I know. And the last time I was job hunting (end of 2013), I ended up with two job offers in two days having done this. Both jobs gave me ranges and the offers were fairly close, although one was at the extreme top of what they wanted to offer and the other was in the middle of what that employer was willing to offer. In both cases, the offers were about 5%-8% higher than my previous salary, but were in line with my target salary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is exactly what prompted me to ask about their compensations (having to tell them my current and desired salary). is there a way to not answer this question for future applications?

I've been job hunting for the last few months, and I haven't found a way around it. If the online application is automated, it usually won't accept it without the number. I had an interview and an offer a while back, and it definitely hurt me that they knew my current salary. I ultimately turned it down. But that was after some back and forth.

I had another interview recently with a private company. I avoided the question when they asked my current salary by telling them the range I was hoping for (this was on the preliminary phone interview). Then for the in-person interview, they wanted me to fill out their application (even though all of the relevant information was on my resume). And their application asked for complete salary history. I left all of those spaces blank. I never heard back from them after the interview, so I don't know if that was an issue. I thought it all went well. If anything, I was overqualified. They never gave me a range, even though I asked. And they didn't really say much about my ideal range, but they still brought me in for an interview, so I figured that it was okay.

I feel like the entire process stacks everything against the job seeker. It's such a soul-sucking process. I've learned (and most people agree) that it's very hard to get significant raises once you're in, especially, sadly, if you are a long-term employee. The time to really negotiate for the salary you want is when you are hired. But I feel like the trend of asking for salary history is the way employers reduce any leverage you have. They think offering your current salary or very slightly above is fine. But if the position your are applying involves more responsibility or longer hours, it's not an apples to apples comparison.

The whole thing is daunting. *rant over*

Then don't offer your salary history. It's really that simple.

Have you never applied for a job online? Most require you to put a number in for current salary. You cannot submit the application without providing a number. It terrible. This trend may change though, many Companies are changing this practice because its one of the main factors that leads to gender income inequality. Google has stopped this practice, and an article in the Washington Post yesterday said that the federal government is changing its policy on requiring salary information as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is exactly what prompted me to ask about their compensations (having to tell them my current and desired salary). is there a way to not answer this question for future applications?

I've been job hunting for the last few months, and I haven't found a way around it. If the online application is automated, it usually won't accept it without the number. I had an interview and an offer a while back, and it definitely hurt me that they knew my current salary. I ultimately turned it down. But that was after some back and forth.

I had another interview recently with a private company. I avoided the question when they asked my current salary by telling them the range I was hoping for (this was on the preliminary phone interview). Then for the in-person interview, they wanted me to fill out their application (even though all of the relevant information was on my resume). And their application asked for complete salary history. I left all of those spaces blank. I never heard back from them after the interview, so I don't know if that was an issue. I thought it all went well. If anything, I was overqualified. They never gave me a range, even though I asked. And they didn't really say much about my ideal range, but they still brought me in for an interview, so I figured that it was okay.

I feel like the entire process stacks everything against the job seeker. It's such a soul-sucking process. I've learned (and most people agree) that it's very hard to get significant raises once you're in, especially, sadly, if you are a long-term employee. The time to really negotiate for the salary you want is when you are hired. But I feel like the trend of asking for salary history is the way employers reduce any leverage you have. They think offering your current salary or very slightly above is fine. But if the position your are applying involves more responsibility or longer hours, it's not an apples to apples comparison.

The whole thing is daunting. *rant over*

Then don't offer your salary history. It's really that simple.

Have you never applied for a job online? Most require you to put a number in for current salary. You cannot submit the application without providing a number. It terrible. This trend may change though, many Companies are changing this practice because its one of the main factors that leads to gender income inequality. Google has stopped this practice, and an article in the Washington Post yesterday said that the federal government is changing its policy on requiring salary information as well.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2015/04/14/the-worst-question-you-could-ask-women-in-a-job-interview/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/08/05/new-opm-chief-beth-cobert-takes-aim-at-gender-gap-in-federal-salaries/