Money Talks: Negotiating salary for a new job

In the second of our Money Talks series on The Lowdown, we navigate the issue of salary before and during the job application process.

Let’s start with whether an employer advertises its salary.

Job descriptions can be vague with no hint of the salary range. Leaving out the salary from a job advert can mean that employers can get away with paying only marginally more than your current salary where you might already be underpaid. Women and people from minority backgrounds such as people of colour are regularly offered lower salaries than white men often due to unconscious bias and discrimination. They are also often the groups that may find it more difficult to negotiate, reinforcing pay gaps.

How can you find out the salary for a role before you apply?

If there is no salary information you can contact the recruiter and say something like:

I’m really interested in the role and the organisation, but I want to be respectful of your time and to ask whether you can share your salary range for this role?

Recruiting managers are often able to give a salary range and it may be a red flag if they refuse to do so.

How to prepare for discussing salary in an interview 

If you're at the interview stage, do your research ahead of the interview to make sure you know your worth. Research average salaries for your industry and the kind of role that you’re going for. You should also decide what the minimum is that you can accept.

If you want to raise the question of salary in an interview

You can ask about salary near the end of the interview, where the panel usually ask if you have any questions and say something like:

Thank you for your time and your questions - I’m really interested in the role and the organisation and hope that I’ll be able to progress to the next stage. I wanted to ask what’s the salary for this role?

If the range is too low, you don’t need to say anything in the interview. Thank them for the info and continue with your other questions to the panel.

What if you’re asked about your current salary or what your salary expectations are in the interview?

Salary offers are often based on what you currently earn. They can be a way for employers to offer you less than they should, below the industry average - and, ultimately, less than what you’re worth. If you feel comfortable sharing your current salary because it aligns well with what’s being offered, feel free to share it. But you can talk about the salary range you’re looking for based on your skills and what you know the industry rate is. Don’t give a specific figure which will give you less room to negotiate.

When it comes to communicating the salary range you expect, aim higher than what you’re willing to settle on as they’ll expect to negotiate you down a little. So, if you’re happy with a range of, say, £25,000 - £35,000, say that you’re looking within the range of £30,000-£40,000. You could include where you are willing to negotiate if you’re interested in particular benefits. Give your expectations confidently so that you appear confident in your own skills and worth and that you’re not going to settle for less. Where you can, justify why you’re looking at this range, but keep it short and clear.

You can say something like:

I’m looking for a salary range of around £30,000 - £40,000 which I feel reflects this industry and my specialist skills and qualifications in XXX that would add value to this role. I’m open to negotiating depending on benefits and extra packages you can offer employees.

What if the salary offered is too low but you want to negotiate?

There is no right or wrong time to do this but once you get a job offer is often the best time to negotiate salary. At this point, you know that they want to hire you and want to secure you in the role. When you let them know that you’re looking for a higher salary, don’t feel you need to justify it in a lot of detail. Keep it concise and to the point rather than talking about the cost of living and quality of life you need to meet. If you'd be taking a pay cut for the role and / or feel your experience isn’t reflected in the salary, you could mention this -

I’m delighted to be offered the role and I’m really keen to join the organisation. However, when I take into account my current salary / advertised salaries for similar roles / my experience and level expertise in XXX, I was looking for a salary closer to X for my next role. I hope that we could discuss this further with the hope of coming to an agreement.

How do you turn down a job if the salary is not high enough?

If you cannot compromise on the pay that’s offered, you can communicate this when turning down the role in a way that is gracious and respectful. Again, keep it short and don’t feel you need to justify your decision in lots of detail -

Thank you for taking the time to interview me and to discuss the role with me in more detail. Sadly, I don’t feel we can reach a mutual agreement on the salary. I would need £x to leave my current role and to reflect the experience and skills I’d bring to the role, but I know that is outside your range.

We hope this helps when you’re applying for your next role. Good luck!