5. What’s the lowest salary you would accept?
There is a certain way a job search should be conducted. Not everything is about pay and your recruiter should know it. Focusing only on pay is a bad sign, especially asking you the lowest salary you would accept. Who in the world wants to look at the worst-case scenario? If a recruiter raises this question, it spells bad news for you.
First of all, your recruiter should know every line of work isn’t solely about money. Company reputation, office location, average employment time by others – all are very important, too. A good search consultant will ask about your profession, experience and additional wishes. Only after narrowing down a list of potential employers should he dare to TELL you about the pay.
Notice we put the word “tell” in all caps. This is because such information should come in the form of an announcement. “Company X is offering you $140,000 annually, how does that sound?” Pay is not a filter used to search for companies in the beginning stages. It’s something you personally negotiate at the time of the interview. Anything before that is simply rude and pushy.
It’s up to you to tell your search consultant whether a pay rate is acceptable. You and the recruiter should be on the same page, and that is simply aiming for the best. Calculating pay and bonuses only come after you decide you like the position and the workplace. If someone asks about the minimum desired pay or anything similar – run. And don’t turn back.