Interview etiquette for finding out the pay!!!

schenelpatterson · Mar 18, 2009

My cousin is a healthcare recruiter and she said a lot of times, she tries to beat candidates to the punch and ask them what their salary requirements are. The reason.....they are trying to see if they can "afford" you. The only bad thing about it is that sometimes you can undercut yourself out of money - hence, the reason why after you start you find out you make less than everybody else. Even if they ask, I always ask what is usually the starting pay for someone with my background. That way, you'll force them to give you a range and you can in-turn decide if that's something you want.

gnomik79 · Mar 25, 2009

LOVE this debate! :) Extremely informative....:)

XYnurse2B · Mar 25, 2009

So, I started the post...And since then have stopped asking about the dough. :up:

However, there have been a few places that have just laid it right out there. "We offer $:twocents:/hr, with A, B, and C differentials." It SEEMS, those places are usually the ones who are "proud" of what they're offering. Like, they know it's better than other places and they want you to know it's better.

BUT, I just interviewed with a smaller hospital, expect to get an offer, and actually expect it to be fairly decent... they didn't want to talk $$ one bit! Their HR will be calling with an offer tomorrow, which can then be accepted, negotiated, or denied.

Bottom line is this... It's just a safe play to not ask about the $$. Not because it's some hard and fast rule, which it isn't. Otherwise hospitals wouldn't be laying it out there in an interview. You don't ask because you just might step on some "old school" toes, get their panties in a bunch, and make things uncomfortable. :down:

Really, you should be able to get a pretty good idea about your areas' new grad starting wage just by spending enough time on AN.com. There really shouldn't be anything wrong with asking, but it just isn't the best move.

ksangel · Mar 25, 2009

i recently interviewed for 2 jobs. one i thought when really well. i was asked several questions related to the job i would be assigned. along with job description and code of conduct. toward the end of interview i was asked about questions i may have. nurse/patient ratio. how many nurses assisgned to the units, educational benefits down the road( going to acls, rn, wound healing class, ceu's). all appeared to sit very well with the nurse doing the interview. both times i was offered a tour of the facility. the first tour was great she showed me all over the facility and its importance. the second barely showed anything other than lobby, and a few clinical type rooms. i really hope that the first calls back. she stated she was checking references and such and would get back to me. she called today and touched base with me and asked to resubmit part of application, which i done immediatly. she stated she was looking forward to working with me soon pending the reference checks. just keeping my fingers crossed. only the first one would give me a starting wage. was not asking about expierence or diffrential pay etc. just wanted a ball park figure. which she did give me. more than i had hope which is nice. it is alsso a large facility so potential to move into a better postion over time is possible.

thrumylense · Mar 25, 2009

So, for those here who feel that asking about the benefits (which includes the $$) should not be brought until you have been offered a job, how about the fact that the interview may be long....and once you do ask the question regarding the benefits, the benefits may not be very good. You may well say no thank you. You have wasted your tme and the interviewers.

thrumylense · Mar 25, 2009

I so totally agree with post #23!!!!

caliotter3 · Mar 25, 2009

Not bringing up matters of pay sounds like the way to go. But, if I had not mentioned anything at the time I was being hired one time, I would have found out the hard way that the employer's intention was to pay me $9 an hour less than I was previously paid. I am assured that the employer would not have come away from that situation embarrassed. They thought it was peachy keen to pay licensed nurses at CNA pay. You have to be proactive when the situation calls for it.

Atheos · Mar 25, 2009

We can try and change the system I guess.

I'm all for idealism but this is the real world.

In this climate, talking about pay prematurely can hurt you.

thrumylense · Mar 25, 2009

As I sit here thinking about this, I would definitely ask if their institution honors and pays a differential for experience. That is a good way to bring up the pay benefit in a nice way. I am not a new grad. I am a guy who has been out of the field for 5 years with 23 years experience in high acuity full service ICU's.

I am taking a refresher course right now and have been told by the program director/instructor that I will have no problem getting a job back in ICU. I feel she is right. :)

XYnurse2B · Mar 25, 2009

Yes it can. Sad but true. Why take the chance, Right??

XYnurse2B · Mar 25, 2009

Dude, you're GOLDEN! You have the power to negotiate because of your ample experience. Us new grad peons just get to take what they offer and deal with it....not that it's really all that horrible.

As I sit here thinking about this, I would definitely ask if their institution honors and pays a differential for experience. That is a good way to bring up the pay benefit in a nice way. I am not a new grad. I am a guy who has been out of the field for 5 years with 23 years experience in high acuity full service ICU's.
I am taking a refresher course right now and have been told by the program director/instructor that I will have no problem getting a job back in ICU. I feel she is right. :)

nurselindah, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2009

I think that it used to be taboo to ask about salary up front. I never brought it up first in an interview. That said, after my last interview, the DON did not know the pay range and asked me to call Human Resources in the hospital. I did and was told immediately the pay range. My reason for asking? I was offered another job the same day that paid a dollar more an hour. But, I didn't want that job as much. Being single and poor, I opted to take the dollar more an hour job. I need to pay my bills and live. I was honest with Human Resources as to my reason for asking what the pay rate was and they respected it.

Side note, I hated the higher pay rate job and called the DON back. They hired me that day and I LOVE my new job!!! Every dollar does count but my sanity is worth more.:chuckle