How to answer salary expectations
Expert sources (3)
- 1
How To Get A Raise While You Still Can | Chris Voss
Chris VossNegotiation expert - 2
Body Language Expert: How To Overcome Awkwardness | Vanessa Van Edwards | EP 565
Vanessa Van EdwardsBehavioral investigator - 3
The Most Important Career Advice You’ll Ever Hear With Harvard Business School’s #1 Professor
Mel RobbinsBehavioral Change Expert
Mentioned experts haven’t endorsed RiseGuide
Summary
Strategic approaches to navigating compensation discussions include: using calibrated questions to open the conversation, negotiating alternative pathways such as a lower starting salary tied to future performance-based returns, focusing on the value of your work to keep both sides motivated, and leveraging nonverbal cues like mirroring the interviewer to influence the outcome.
A few strategic moves help when you are asked about salary expectations:
- Use calibrated questions: Chris Voss suggests thoughtful questions, such as asking how you are meant to accept a figure that sits well below your worth, or what happens if the role stays unfilled, to open up the conversation and get the employer thinking more broadly 1.
- Negotiate alternative pathways: If the immediate budget is tight, you can propose a lower starting salary tied to an agreed pathway to better pay once you hit specific performance standards.
- Focus on value and motivation: Mel Robbins points to clearly communicating the value of your work and making sure the deal keeps both sides motivated, rather than leaving you feeling resentful 3.
- Leverage nonverbal cues: Vanessa Van Edwards notes that nonverbal communication, including mirroring the interviewer, can nudge the final number in your favor 2.
Insight
Ask for a pathway to higher pay: propose starting at a balanced rate with a clear, agreed-upon plan that leads to an increase once you hit specific milestones, rather than accepting a static figure.
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