I think I shot myself in the foot

Question

I am being interviewed for an executive role and I didn't ask the salary range of the recruiter now I have to fill out their automated application which requires a minimum salary.  Crap, what do I put?  I mean this could be a $150K job or it could be a $250K job based on what I am seeing on various sites.  Putting a range in isnt going to work it has to be a dollar value.

Barb Hansen · Answer

As you have noticed there are huge salary ranges for some (many) executive jobs, depending on location, and size and stage of company (small angel round company will pay a lot less salary than a 250 employee series B funded company --- although the smaller company will probably compensate more with stocks).

Here is what I would do in your situation:

1. Know your personal wage range 
2. Research the salary range in your area 
3. Knock 20/25K off the top of the high end (as very few people, will be making the top range) 
4. And then use the high-medium salary (the high salary after you've knocked off 20/25K off the top) - assuming that new top number is within your wage range.

As you already know, executive salaries are comprised of more than just salary (stocks, vacation, bonuses) so you have room to negotiate up as you move forward.

Cara Houser · Answer

Go high - remember whatever number you give will be the ceiling.

Jackie Ghedine · Answer

The first thing is not to get caught in your head with stories about how can an executive not ask the salary question, it will just chip away at your ability to think clearly and problem solve.

If you are looking for a new role as an executive, you are probably moving from another role and moving up. Use this as your first indicator along with your personal intuition  and digging into yourself.

Investigate one step further (beyond job boards) and ask people. Use your network, do you have any connections on LI that may have insight or may be connected to someone who does? What about here on FGB, maybe just share the title and responsibilities and someone can give you more clarity?

Remember, this is just the first step in the negotiation process.
You've got this.

Nicole Rogers · Answer

Go high. Use your good judgement, and answer the questions within yourself - is your ask practical in your line of work and for this position/industry? Are you a top performer who knows this is fair? And if your number isn't the same as theirs, let them discuss with you - work through a plan over time to get you to your number, or consider an overall package - additional vacation, childcare support, vehicles, etc - to get you to a place you want to be. This is pretty counter to what we've been taught in negotiations, but I recently sat in a workshop discussing just this, and these values of knowing myself and going high really resonated with me and proved true. Good luck!

Kristyn Parker-Meyer · Answer

Did you check out glassdoor to see if they had anything?

Amy Fortney, PMP · Answer

Look at Salary.com and Payscale.com for the average and compare your experience and education with those results. I always find Payscale more realistic for jobs that are not on either coast. Then, look at Glassdoor and see if there is anything on how the salaries look for their roles. Finally, what do you need to be paid? Adding 30% to that amount is their real cost for you. Barb Hansen's advice is solid.

Eugenia Silva · Answer

My advice is to be honest about your target - it doesn't make sense to go through an entire interview process if you have significantly higher expectations. At my previous employer we were not permitted to discuss the range on the position but could only ask the candidate what salary they were targetting. I was able to tell them if they were looking for a salary that was significantly beyond the range, but sometimes candidates insisted on remaining in the process. This often resulted in lopsided expectations. On the upside, if a candidate is really desirable to the employer, negotiations often had positive outcomes for the candidate. Consequently, I would also suggest that if you do get to an offer stage, to negotiate - they can almost always sweeten the deal.

Daniele Kodama · Answer

Have you tried Glassdoor or other salary research tools?

Jacob Garland · Answer

Is it possible to N/A that block of the application? If not, you may consider putting a high expectation and then negotiating from there.

Anonymous · Answer

The recruiter works for the company, he is not a third party, I feel like a complete idiot, what kind of executive doesn't ask this question!

I think I shot myself in the foot

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