How To Answer “What Is Your Salary Expectation” Interview Question
‘What Is Your Salary Expectation?’ is a question that pops up pretty much in every interview, yet it evokes so much fear in the minds of numerous job seekers.
Between creating an outstanding impression and attempting to recall your entire professional history by heart, job seekers neglect to consider their salary expectations before appearing for an interview.
Also, if you haven’t conducted your research or prepared a response, you’ll probably end up giving a figure that is either too low or excessively high for the job at hand.
Why Do Recruiters Ask This Question?
Typically, ‘What Is Your Salary Expectation?’ is one of the pre-screening questions to determine a suitable employee for an organisation. Businesses have a limited budget assigned for each job, and they need to recruit qualified talent while also adhering to their budget.
If you possess specific knowledge in a field that has minimal supply but rather greater demand, businesses could offer you higher than the average salary range. Be ready to sell your abilities!
Recruiters ask questions like these because they want to understand how well you know your value. A professional realises the importance of their abilities in the market and can share them with utmost confidence. A fresher, on the other hand, may not exhibit the same level of confidence.
Tips To Answer This Question
So, how do you answer this question appropriately? Keep these tips in mind while you are preparing for your next interview.
Conduct Your Research
If you’re uncertain of how much salary to request, do your own research. There are several platforms such as Glassdoor that are useful to get data for average salaries. Also, just do a quick Google search about the job title with ‘pay’ and examine what comes up.
Always Have An Aim In Your Mind
Make sure that you state your salary expectation at a higher amount while keeping your experience, skills, and value at the top of the priority list. You can answer this question gracefully by saying, “I expect a salary of Rs 70,000. I feel that my industry experience and skills in this domain support my salary expectations”.
Make Sure That You Are Flexible
While talking about salary, be certain that you are flexible. On the off chance that the recruiter asks “What Is Your Salary Expectation” say “I’m absolutely flexible regarding the compensation. Nonetheless, I hope to get a salary ranging between Rs 30,000 to Rs 45000″.
Remember These Responses
Whenever recruiters ask ‘What Is Your Salary Expectation?’ There are many ways to respond to it. Here are some of the responses that you can try out in your next job interview:
- Response 1: “Before I reply, I might want to ask a couple of more inquiries to understand more about the position. This will help me provide a reasonable salary expectation.”
- Response 2: As a fresher, you could answer – “I want to know more about the job profile and my duties first before I can determine the financial aspect of the job.”
- Response 3: “As I mentioned beforehand, I have acquired some great work experience in the field of public relations, I have created numerous contacts within the business and I am extremely eager to interact with your new as well as existing clients.
Consequently, the compensation that I believe is appropriate for me is Rs. X. I feel that I can provide immense value to your organisation with my dedicated character. I am certain that I will dominate every challenge I am faced with”.
- Response 4: “In view of my research of comparative positions as well as the information I read from XYZ, I am expecting a paycheck for Rs X. I think that this number is practical given the obligations and duties of the job.”
Final Thoughts
Talking about salary is perhaps one of the hardest aspects of a job interview. It can very well be a make-or-break moment. So when a recruiter asks, ‘What Is Your Salary Expectation’, you should have a concise and organised answer.
Be bold and transparent about your remuneration prospect. Ensure that you have legitimate explanations and support for your expectations. Ultimately, be well-mannered, humble, and thankful to the recruiter for allowing you to express your viewpoints.
