AGREE/DISAGREE: "I don't think money should ever be discussed in an interview." —Susan Levine

24 Comments

1. JackieApril 13,2023 at 9:27PM UTC

   I don't think negotiation should be discussed in the interview, but I do think you should ask about the salary (range) for the position. Because if it's not within your budget, you should know at the beginning.

2. AnonymousApril 15,2023 at 12:23PM UTC

   This should be a given. Salary is one of the biggest reasons why we go to work. It’s the reality. I don’t want to waste their time or mine!

3. AnonymousApril 13,2023 at 9:38PM UTC

   Not knowing the salary band (range) wastes everyone's time. Better to know it up front. Save negotiation until an offer is made.

4. AnonymousApril 14,2023 at 1:43AM UTC

   Correct. The recruiter handles that. I want my hiring manager and team to interview me with job related, culture related topics.

   I don't like mixing tge two discussions

5. CJB62April 15,2023 at 4:05PM UTC

   But with many small companies, the initial interview is with the hiring manager. Usually don’t see recruiters involved if the company has less than 100-200 employees.

6. AnonymousApril 15,2023 at 12:22PM UTC

   Totally disagree with this statement although I would need more context. I don’t pay for my rent, taxes, groceries and utilities with good words. I need to know as soon as possible for which salary I’m competing for. Not disclosing salary up front is going to waste every body’s time. I remember once I went to a second interview for a project manager job and only at the end they asked about salary expectations. They were way too high compared to what they were willing to pay for (I have a lot of experience in my field). We lost 1 hour of time of three people so 3 hours in total in addition to the fist interview I had with the recruiter. This is silly and not respectful of anybody’s time.

7. AnonymousApril 15,2023 at 12:26PM UTC

   I always asked the range BEFORE setting up an interview. Most times they ask salary requirements first, but if they don’t I will- unless it was noted within the posting. No one ever seemed put off by it, and it has saved both our time when it was much too low.

8. AnonymousApril 15,2023 at 12:46PM UTC

   Hard disagree. I think it’s fair to say the majority of people are working in order to pay their bills, if I can’t accomplish that with the job I’m applying for it’s a waste for all involved, no amount of culture , “potential for growth”, or ancillary benefits will do that for me. So without the context of whether it’s included in a post (and an actual range) or by a recruiter, it needs to be a preliminary part of the interview.

9. Alexis GladstoneApril 15,2023 at 12:54PM UTC

   I'm not sure about the context of this statement but here is my general take.

   A salary range should absolutely be shared early in the process, whether it's through a recruiter, or the hiring manager if it's a small organization without a recruiter. This will save everyone time if there is a mismatch on either end. Not doing this also is one of the many reasons there is pay inequity for women and diverse candidates.

   The interview should be to get to know the candidate and for the candidate to get to know the organization.

   The final determination and discussion on salary should be after all of the interviews are complete. If there is a healthy salary range, you may end up placing someone higher in the range as you learn about their expereince through and skills through the interview process.

10. AnonymousApril 15,2023 at 1:09PM UTC

    it should be addressed before the interview. It saves the company money on bringing me in to interview and saves me time and effort if I know the salary is before I agree to an interview. Post the salary range in the job post or provide it some way before hand.

11. Victoria NoltenApril 15,2023 at 3:56PM UTC

    100% disagree. It’s a business transaction. My effort and brainpower for your money.

    You wouldn’t go to buy a car and hope you can afford it or go to the grocery store and eagerly wait to see if you afford the food you selected.

    Why is this different?

12. Victoria NoltenApril 15,2023 at 3:59PM UTC

    This whole concept reeks of classism. People are expected to pretend they work for a lark and not of necessity. It’s another way of punishing poverty. They want to hire someone as cheaply as possible rather than pay living wages for all.

13. Coach Nancie Kay ShumanApril 15,2023 at 4:36PM UTC

    There are industries and positions where the pay scale is all over the board. An Executive Assistant to a CEO can make anywhere from $50K - $250K a year. It is therefore imperative that this conversation happens early in the interview process. And I believe the interview process starts when the phone rings to set up a meeting.

14. AnonymousApril 15,2023 at 5:27PM UTC

    Completely disagree. But, it's all about the timing. Wait for the moment when you are asked about your expectations and if you live in a state where there is pay transparency and they share that info, ask how they will level you into that range. What are the basis points that they use to determine your worth internally in their hierarchy and overall structure. Find that out when you are speaking and also find out how often they review and reward highly performing resources.

15. Liz MilneApril 15,2023 at 10:03PM UTC

    Hard disagree. If I'm looking for a job, it's not because I like you or your company, it's to make money to pay bills and fund the things that I actually like to do. (Disclaimer: as a freelance writer I do get paid to do the things I like to do - but I have other hobbies that I can't monetise!) Don't waste my time by playing coy with salary: tell me how much you are willing to pay up front - preferably even before I apply for the job!

16. AyianApril 15,2023 at 10:28PM UTC

    Disagree. This is a business proposal. I'm telling you what I can provide in services, you must tell me what you're going to provide in return. If it's a lowball offer, I can tell you to your face that my experience and skills are not available on the market for that rate and benefits and thank you for your time.

17. Sidney BristowApril 16,2023 at 1:00AM UTC

    This comment must've been made by a person privileged enough to mean it. Only the privileged can say such with a straight face.

18. AnonymousApril 16,2023 at 3:34AM UTC

    Wrong. I'm using my time and energy (and lying to my current employer, if I'm interviewing during the day) to suss out if you will be a good fit, money is why I work and I need to know asap what the range is. Extra vacation days and company culture don't pay my bills.

19. Kelly MeigsApril 16,2023 at 1:20PM UTC

    Disagree - save everybody’s time and get that out front!

20. AnonymousApril 16,2023 at 2:13PM UTC

    Hard disagree. I'm not interviewing for a new friend or lover. I'm interviewing a potential employer. The very nature of that relationship implies that financial compensation is the basis, and I'm not going to sell myself short anymore. Not in today's market. I think we all know the whole "family" thing went out the window right around the time they started firing people via email, so business is strictly business. I will either perform X services for you or I won't, depending on what you're offering me to do so. I hate being that cold, but it's the way it is.

21. Kathy LeskiApril 17,2023 at 1:49AM UTC

    Disagree! If all states were to require salary transparency, then maybe not with the recruiter, but later in the interview process. Why waste everyone's time if job comp isn't aligned with expectations? One should do their research on what job compensations are for the role they're looking for and in they're industry and area. When asked, simply state what you were looking for, but negotiable once understanding the full comp pkg. Especially with startups, comp pkgs look very different and have a bit of high risk/high reward to them.

22. Vanda LeeApril 18,2023 at 5:37AM UTC

    It absolutely should be before the interview ends. The candidate needs to know whether or not to proceed with a salary range at least. If it's not in an acceptable range you're wasting both parties' time. I think organizations should post a salary range in the job posting - it would eliminate a lot of unnecessary applicants who won't do the job for the salary. It's called transparency and it's not practiced as much as it should be.

23. IntentionGirl299847April 20,2023 at 9:57PM UTC

    It most certainly should! I have walked out of many an interview as the money being offered was either an insult to my knowledge and degrees, or a blatent attempt to low ball. This has saved me from going through 4 or 5 interviews basically wasting my time. And yes I did try to negotiate with these people but the attitude was that I needed them. Nope. Nada. They needed me and my experience. As they found out and tried to reopen negotiations. Too bad so sad I moved on.

24. Larisha ShelmanApril 21,2023 at 10:10PM UTC

    Disagree. It should be discussed/confirmed per whatever ad was placed. My state requires the pay to be shown in the ad. There's been a few places I applied that stated a lower amount during the interview after I confirmed the ranges.