Asking pay rate before being offered the job...

PeteyPie · May 29, 2009

I find out about pay rate and compensation BEFORE I even apply. I just make a quick call to HR and ask what the pay range is for X qualifications and what other benefits they have. I've never had a problem at least getting a basic range to consider if it's even worth my time to apply.

I never bring it up in the interview.

Cherish · May 29, 2009

Exactly that is why you should look at salary.com before any interview. That way if your asked what you would like to be paid, you can honestly say with my experience and the city/town you live in this is the current pay range or benefit compensation for this position around this area. This is NOT taboo as every interview book or article on the internet suggests this is okay.

I guess would be another reason statistically males get paid more than females, they are not shy on the topic of pay and benefits and the art of negotiating.

roser13, ASN, RN · May 29, 2009

A co-worker recently accepted a new position without knowing the salary. Granted, it was something she really really wanted, but still... :eek:

tntrn, ASN, RN · May 29, 2009

I think a good interviewer should make sure the prospective employee has that information and how it is determined (years of experience with other facilities, e.g.), but HR should have already done it.

2BSure · May 29, 2009

I didn't even realize it was taboo. If they're allowed to ask me my qualifications as a candidate, I don't see why I shouldn't be able to ask them their qualifications as a potential employer, and compensation is a huge factor for me.

OK taboo is a bit strong. Still, I have read a number of posts on this site and elsewhere advising new grads to NOT ask remuneration questions the first interview. For the life of me I cannot see why.

Freedom42 · May 29, 2009

OK taboo is a bit strong. Still, I have read a number of posts on this site and elsewhere advising new grads to NOT ask remuneration questions the first interview. For the life of me I cannot see why.

Generally, you don't ask about pay before you have an offer because if you do, you've given the employer the upper hand. If you ask the employer what the wage is first, the employer will quote the lowest figure. Now there's the potential for you to be paid what's convenient for the budget, not necessarily what you're worth. I'd rather know that an employer really wants me before raising the issue of salary. Once I know that, I have a basis for negotiation. It's no longer just a meet-and-greet.

2BSure · May 29, 2009

Generally, you don't ask about pay before you have an offer because if you do, you've given the employer the upper hand. If you ask the employer what the wage is first, the employer will quote the lowest figure. Now there's the potential for you to be paid what's convenient for the budget, not necessarily what you're worth. I'd rather know that an employer really wants me before raising the issue of salary. Once I know that, I have a basis for negotiation. It's no longer just a meet-and-greet.

I think you are mistaking me for someone asking advice. What I am interested in is where this idea came from. I don't see how a potential employer gets the upper hand. If someone asks me/us I give them the range for the position. I assume you are thinking along the lines of -- if someone actually comes back for a second interview after hearing a low figure/rubbish package they must be desperate and you have them over a barrel?

I see this as someone able to look after their needs professionally and take this question no differently than those such as:

Why is this position vacant?

What is your staff turnover rate?

or any number of other questions a candidate can ask.

In the non-nursing professional world this is not seen as a disadvantage to the candidate.

Freedom42 · May 31, 2009

I think you are mistaking me for someone asking advice. What I am interested in is where this idea came from. I don't see how a potential employer gets the upper hand. If someone asks me/us I give them the range for the position. I assume you are thinking along the lines of -- if someone actually comes back for a second interview after hearing a low figure/rubbish package they must be desperate and you have them over a barrel?
I see this as someone able to look after their needs professionally and take this question no differently than those such as:
Why is this position vacant?
What is your staff turnover rate?
or any number of other questions a candidate can ask.
In the non-nursing professional world this is not seen as a disadvantage to the candidate.

I did not think you were asking for advice. You said that you did not understand why new grads are told not to raise the issue of salary in an interview. I don't think salary shouldn't be discussed at all, only that it shouldn't be discussed before there's an offer on the table. I don't think you can presume that your first interview will necessarily be your only interview for a particular job. I'd rather wait until I'm sure I've met with the person who will make the ultimate hiring decision before ruling myself out over a dollar figure that my interviewer might not control. Someone higher up the food chain might have the authority to make a better offer. Personally, I think this applies in any professional setting.

Itzallgood · May 31, 2009

Pay Rate would be on my first questions I would ask.

If not in my range I would not move forward with an interview.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · May 31, 2009

I don't care if a candidate asks me what the pay range/rate is for a position, do you? I don't understand why, as professionals, talking money is seemingly out of bounds.
I am interested to know your reasoning either way....

Because traditionally, across all professions, it is considered unprofessional. If you read any article on interviewing, asking about the salary is a good way to blow it.

To ask the pay rate of the job up front, is the candidate assuming that they may actually be offered the position....which is the rationale why it's not discussed.

However, a GOOD interviewer will discuss the pay for the job up front without the candidate asking...mainly because there is nothing that wastes more people's time than to go through 2 or 3 interviews and then to discover in the end, that you wouldn't get out of bed for such and such salary.

Jobs that I have interviewed for...when the salary is held out until the bitter end...there is usually a reason why it's not mentioned....b/c it's low.

llg, PhD, RN · May 31, 2009

A lot depends on HOW the candidate approaches the interview and HOW they address the compensation issue.

As someone who has interviewed many people applying for jobs ,I hate to see people more interested in discussing the compensation than the job itself. I am looking for someone who genuinely WANTS the kind of job that I have to offer. When someone comes in who seems only minimally interested in the patients and the actual work required by the job, I get really turned off. I see that person as someone who is not going to be happy in their work (only doing it for the money, experience, whatever) and who will not "shine" when doing that work.

Also, an applicant should already know what the general range of compensation is for the type of job before they get to an interview. They should have done their homework and be aware of the typical pay for that type of job -- and they should be willing to temporarily assume that the compensation is within that neighborhood as they make the first contact with the Recruiter and begin having the first conversation. If they have not done their homework, THAT makes a bad impression. If they are not willing to invest a little time exploring the job possibility without assuming a reasonable compensation, that makes them appear not very interested in the work itself (see above) and/or unwilling to give the employer the benefit of the doubt for even a little while. If a candidate is not willing to invest a little time and effort before knowing the pay, they must not be very interested in the type of work being offered and/or not be very flexible -- not the type of employee that goes to the top of the list of applicants.

So ... that's why I don't like to hear too much emphasis on the compensation issues early in the application process. It just gives the wrong impression of yourself as a applicant. Other applicants are probably appearing more interested in the position and they will be seen in a more positive light.

On the other hand ... I DO live in the real world and don't mind a general question or two at the end of the interview. "What type of scheduling could expect if offered this position? What is the general salary range for this position?" etc. are fine and usually open up a conversation during which the applicant can find out the basic information they are seeking. Detailed discussions are best left to after an offer has been made, but most employers should be willing to give out a little general information early on in the process.

It's all in the degree of tact you use and the overall impression you make on the interviewer. There is an art to doing it successfully and some people are better at it than others.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 31, 2009

I would ask (and have asked) about the rate before receiving the job offer. I don't press it right away, but if I don't know before the interview, I do ask during the interview. My logic is that is that if the rate isn't what I want, I can withdraw my interest right away. Then the company doesn't waste time mulling over whether to offer me the job when I'm not going to accept it because of the rate, and they (and I) can continue searching.

Also, by asking about the rate, it gives them the opportunity to try to improve the rate or negotiate other benefits if they really want to have me, but I never ask about rates with that intention in mind. If that happens, it happens. More often than not, it does not :) I ask primarily to save their/my time.