Most Dangerous Job Interview Question & How to Dodge It

Most Dangerous Job Interview Question & How to Dodge ItMost Dangerous Job Interview Question & How to Dodge ItYouve almost made it. Youre in the final stages of the interviewing process, sitting across from the person who could be your next boss, and then comes the zinger, the most dangerous question of them all How much did you make at your last job? Negotiation experts will typically advise you to dodge the question at all costs. But new research from PayScale shows that for half the population, thats the wrong move. When a woman is asked about her salary history and refuses to disclose, she earns 1.8 percent less than a woman who offers up the numbers. When a man is asked and declines, however, he gets paid 1.2 percent more. Lydia Frank, vice president of content strategy for PayScale admits the finding threw her for a loop Weve always offered ways to disengage from that question Im super excited about this opportunity, and Im open to discussing a competitive offer. Giving women t his advice- maybe it wasnt the right advice? Maybe not.The good news is that, as employment-and-labor-news junkies likely already know, the salary history question is on its way out of bounds in a handful of cities and states. Massachusetts, Philadelphia, New York City, and, most recently, San Franciscohave made it illegal for employers to ask for a candidates salary history in hopes that it will continue to close the pay gap. Until this goes into full effect- and becomes widespread- heres what you should do. First, Know the Jobs Value, and Then How You Add to It Before you apply for any job, separate yourself from the position and research its market value. Katie Donovan, negotiation expert and founder of equalpaynegotiations.com, suggests Its not what youre worth, its what the jobs worth. We act like its some crazy idea for a job to have a value. Its like a house, it has a market value, and it changes when there are too many and too few available. Once you know the jobs value, then departure thinking about howyour skills and experience add to it. Use sites likeGlassdoor,PayScale, andFairygodboss to hone your numbers. Dont anchor yourself to your previous salary. The market could have changed since you were last hired. Frank says Its really important to discuss the value of the position- not the value your last employer placed on your skills. Understand where youre going company-wise, industry-wise, and the actual location. All of these should factor into expected compensation. Applying Online Zero It Out, and Never Lie When applying online, if you can skip the salary question, skip it. If its a required field, then try entering zeroes across the board. Donovan advises More often than not, that will take care of the requirement, but whatever you do, dont lie. People like to inflate, and its a risk. If they find out you lied, thats cause to rescind a job offer. If the form doesnt allow you to zero it out, then tell the truth. If and when you get to the interviewing process, Frank suggests saying something along the lines of Based on our discussions- or descriptions for this position- I think the range should abflug here- do you agree? Shift discussion away from your personal salary history by talking about the research that got you to your numbers in the first place. Use Recruiters and Headhunters as Allies These same rules apply when youre talking to recruiters and headhunters, as well as prospective employers. Recruiters can be in-house or agency-based, and while they serve as intermediaries between you and the company, keep in mind theyre not always a reflection of the company itself, says Frank. You want to get as much information from a recruiter as you give out.So, ask about the company, the position, the benefits package, and specific salary guidelines theyve been given, so you can better gauge the number you should expect to hear. If he or she is aggressive about getting your number, again, you can say something like This is what I was making, and I dont think its current market value for my position. It is more what Im thinking For the headhunters you reach out to, consider them more as your advocates and be as honest as possible. It is where you say I know Im a woman, and I want this job to be paid appropriately and with parity. Help me, guide me, and make this as equitable as possible. Im making $80,000, and I should be making $100,000- how do we address the fact that Im underpaid? Before Offering Numbers, Boomerang the Question Now, lets say youre in the interview with a qualifikation employer and the question is asked. Before taking a shot, put the ball back in their court. Rachel Bitte, chief officer for Jobvite, suggests Just because youre asked the question, dont hesitate to boomerang it. You know the position, the company, and youre getting to know me as a person- what are you thinking? Id rather the employer say a number before you start talking what youre going to make. Unless you ve seen what the budget is, youre going to underestimate. If Necessary, Hit the Pause Button Even though you want to avoid saying a number first, dont leave the compensation discussion until the end. You dont want to go through the entire interviewing process to find there isnt going to be a match. Its a waste of everyones time. However, if you think youre nearing the number you want to hear, but you need a little more time to seal the deal, then take a pause, says Bitte If you find yourself across the table, and you dont think its going to be fruitful- you two are not going to be able to meet in the middle or sign on a napkin- dont ever hesitate to say This is a really important decision, were both excited, and I want to be thoughtful about this. I want to come back to you and make this work. We can talk about this tomorrow. This move can buy you time to go over expectations, criteria and practice what youre going to say. It also sets up the conversation to be over the phone So metimes people are better negotiating on the phone with a script and data- youre able to hide the sweat. Thats advice Ive leveraged and advice for women in general- its good for the pleasers in us. When someone asks me a question, I think Im supposed to have an answer. Just because someone asks you that question, you dont have to answer it immediately.