Perhaps the trickiest interview question to answer has nothing to do with your weaknesses, previous bosses, the number of basketballs in a 747 or handling disgruntled customers. One of the most impolite queries is "What is your previous or current salary?" How you handle this interview question may determine your pay at the new employer or whether you even accept the job offer.
Salary negotiations occur toward the end of the interview — usually only after the employer makes you a job offer. Hearing this interview question may surprise you for its frankness and abruptness when everything else seems to be going smoothly.
Your initial reaction may be to say to the interviewer, "My current salary is none of your business." Unfortunately, this frank response might make the hiring manager rescind an offer before you sign on the dotted line. On the other hand, the hiring manager may find your honesty and willingness to keep that information to yourself a sign that you stand up for what you believe in, and it may earn you respect in the minds of the people in the room.
Another safer way to handle this interview question is to state what your salary needs are for the potential employer. That way, you reveal your needs and how much you think your time is worth without stating how much you make now or how much you made at your last job. Perhaps your salary requirements are around $45,000 per year. If the employer can match that without any excuses, then the interviewer got the hint.
A real-world example comes from a contractor doing work on your home. You ask for an estimate or how much the HVAC repair costs per hour. You do not ask how much he charged your neighbor because that's between the repairman and another person. Similarly, an employer should ask what your salary needs are as opposed to how much another company pays you.
The potential employer cannot call and ask previous companies for salary data because that's confidential information. Your personnel file is between you and each employer for which you've worked. Remind the employer that you don't have a right to know the salaries of other workers at the firm just because you could ask the question to an HR staffer or a manager.
You can also try to deflect the question and bring it back to your past experiences, qualifications and skills. You can research the job market and find what other businesses pay for similar positions through job review websites. Come armed with information so you can make your best case for getting the salary you deserve.
How you respond to an interview question about past or current pay depends on what you want to divulge. You don't have to answer at all, but the interviewer may retract an offer if he thinks you're hiding something. If the inquiry becomes too upsetting, you can walk out and move on to a better company.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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