Tough Interview Questions: What Salary Will You Need to Join Us? | JobSearchTV.com

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter offers several ways to answer this tough interview question.

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Today, I want to tackle 1 of those tough interview questions that is designed to make you squirm, designed to have you hurt yourself in your discussions withInterview the potential employer.  Today’s tough interview question is, “How much are you going to need to take this job?”

Let me just explain the underpinnings to the question which is, “What is the least amount of money that you will take in order to accept our offer?”  I want to get into that with them so there are several different ways to respond.  Whatever you do is fine but it all depends upon where you are from the standpoint of self-confidence, where your skills are, where you are in the market.

Here are a few examples:

One of the responses that I would give (I’m a veteran guy and if I were ever in the position where I was looking for job, I would answer sarcastically) is something along the lines of, “WHATEVER YOU THINK I’M WORTH is EXACTLY what I would need.”  What that sense is a message of, “Screw you.  I’m not to get into this.”

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As a beginner, 1 of the things you can say is, “I’m really looking for an opportunity.  If you decide on the right person for you, and certainly, this is a great opportunity for me, I’m going to encourage you to make the strongest offer because other people are going to be interested in my credentials as well.”  The key thing in answering this question is that last phrase – – “because others are going to be interested in my credentials as well.”

What you are saying to them is, “I do want to get into this loan number game.  I would have you make a strong offer for me and make a decision.”  Catch that one?

Here’s another approach.

“So, what would you need in order to accept an offer from us?”

“I don’t really think that’s the right question because what I need isn’t relevant here.  What I believe I am worth is.  What I’m seeing in the data around the web is such and such.  I’m currently running this; this is how I value myself based upon what I am seeing.  I would expect to come in within this range or more.”

Notice that you are demonstrating confidence by saying, “What I need is relevant.”  That knocks out the lowball offer. “What is important to me is what my value is.”

Here’s another way of addressing it. “What I need isn’t relevant here because what need employees that you are trying to get me at a bargain price.  I want you to understand that, if you hire me, I’m going to be responsible for X number of million dollar budget (or X number of million dollar sales quota).  My expectation is that you want to take care of someone like me very generously.  After all, if your expectations and someone is going to be responsible for generating (I’m just going to arbitrarily pick a number here) $15 million in sales, you are not going to pay me $50,000 a year.  You want me to be happy.  You want me to feel as though I am an important achiever because frankly I will be.  That’s the fact of it.  You’re not hiring a loser here.  You are hiring a top performer.  You need to compensate me as a top performer.”

Again, a different level of response and sophistication.

Finally, here’s another one.

Again, I’m not responding to the question of what salary earning.  I’m responding to the question of what salary would you NEED in order to join us.

“My current compensation is such and such.  I will be looking for an increase of X percent.  That translates into approximately such and such or more.  Again, what I believe is that I’m going to be getting multiple offers at this point; I like this opportunity and I am liking some of the other ones that I am seeing.  The fact of the matter is money is going to be an important variable for me and, I’m going to encourage you to make your strongest offer because I know others will”

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ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER

JeffAltman, The Big Game Hunter
JeffAltman, The Big Game Hunter

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2400 episodes.

Are you interested in 1:1 coaching, interview coaching, advice about networking more effectively, how to negotiate your offer or leadership coaching? People hire me to provide No BS career advice whether that is about a job search, hiring better, leadership, management or support with a workplace issue. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us 

My courses are available on my websitewww.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses The courses include ones about Informational InterviewsInterviewing, final interview preparation, salary negotiation mistakes to avoidthe top 10 questions to prepare for on any job interview, and starting a new job.

I do a livestream on LinkedIn, YouTube (on the JobSearchTV.com account) and on Facebook (on the Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter page) Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 PM Eastern. You can send your questions about job search, hiring better, management, leadership or to get advice about a workplace issue to me via messaging on LinkedIn or in chat during the approximately 30 minute show.

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