by Angela Copeland | Mar 26, 2024 | Career Corner Column, Interviewing, Job Interview, Job Search, Money, Negotiation, Newsletter, Pay, Recruiter, Salary
It’s no longer socially acceptable for a company to ask an interview candidate how much money they currently make. It’s also not terribly good to ask the candidate how much they want to make. These days, the standard is to share the pay range for the role. Then, the candidate can decide whether or not the range is acceptable.
In the past, recruiters would argue that asking questions like these made sense. They wanted to know if the candidate was “within their budget” for a particular role. In reality, if the candidate provided a salary number at the low end of the range, they would be paid on the low end of that range. And, they might not ever know it.
Fortunately, many states across the U.S. have agreed that this practice is not okay. It’s not fair. And, it allows pay disparities to continue, and to grow. In other words, if you are currently underpaid, and your future salary is based on your current salary, you will continue to be under paid in the future. If a company pays a fair market rate, then you have a better chance of making what your skillset is truly worth.
Unfortunately, not all recruiters have gotten this message. When a recruiter shares that they have been working as a recruiter for over thirty years, you can bet there’s a decent chance they aren’t playing by the current rules. They will continue to ask questions they should not.
Unfortunately, as a candidate, there’s not much you can do about this issue. If a recruiter asks your salary and you don’t provide it, you’ll likely be eliminated from consideration. You’ll be perceived as difficult, because you aren’t willing to go along with this outdated line of questioning.
The good news is, you can decide not to work with a particular recruiter. You can decide you won’t participate when something like this occurs. There are many recruiters who will care about the candidate experience, and who are willing to follow the laws and this current way of interviewing candidates.
In addition to questions that a company is not allowed to ask, there is a question that candidates are allowed to ask. In certain states, it’s the law. A candidate can ask the company what the pay range is for a certain position. The company should be willing to provide the range. This gives the opportunity for the candidate to share with the company whether or not the range provided is one they are interested to pursue.
Sadly, this is another area where some recruiters are trying to do their own thing. When asked for the range, it is not uncommon for the recruiter to respond with, “My company hasn’t set a range for this role. We’re trying to see what the market will bear.” As you can imagine, this is most not likely accurate and is an antiquated way of interviewing candidates.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jan 5, 2021 | Career Corner Column, Negotiation, New Year, Newsletter
If last year taught us anything, it’s that things can change in an instant. Even small things we took for granted can become complex and unknown. Life is short. We’ve learned that the time is now to get our priorities in order. It’s important to decide on what matters to you and to focus in on it.
For many people, their personal life has a greater weight. Suddenly, a spouse, children, and loved ones are more important than ever before. And, it makes sense. The realization that our lives may be cut short has never been more present.
Even though there is still a pandemic raging, life continues to move forward. This is not the time to give up your career dreams. It’s time to pursue them differently. 2020 prepared us for living and working under the strain of a pandemic. 2021 is our opportunity to put what we’ve learned into practice.
It’s likely your priorities shifted over the last year. If so, here’s an exercise you may want to try. Write down the goals you had one year ago this time. Then, adjust them for our new normal. You may want to be in a smaller city. You may want to live closer to your family. You may want to permanently work from home. You may want to focus less on climbing the ladder and more on happiness. Whatever your goals are, putting them on paper can help to clarify what you are setting out to do.
If you’re like many people, accomplishing much of anything right now can feel impossible. There are things you can do to help make this process easier. After you write down your goals, type them up on your computer. This will allow you to prioritize them and to create steps under each goal. Move the most important goals to the top of your list. Then, outline what you will need to do to achieve each goal. Estimate the time each step will take you. Begin to put a timeframe around each step and goal. Decide on what you’ll accomplish this week, next week, and next month.
I know this sounds simple. But, as you continue to live through the pandemic, you can use your goals as a guide. Having goals written down can help you to stay on track when things are feeling tough. You have a game plan already that you can focus in on.
Don’t plan to check things off your goal list at the same rate as in the past though. The pandemic creates new challenges every day. It will likely take you longer to complete tasks, and that’s okay. The important part is that you stay focused on your goals and on moving forward. That way, we can make our way through 2021 more smoothly than we did last year. Although we may continue to live with a pandemic, this year we’re more prepared.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Apr 9, 2019 | Equal Pay Day, Negotiating, Negotiation, Podcast, Women in Business, Women in Tech
Episode 185 is live! This week, we talk with Martha Gimbel in Washington, DC.
Martha is the Research Director for the Indeed Hiring Lab. Previously, she was the Research Director and Senior Economist at the Joint Economic Committee on Capitol Hill, a senior policy advisor to the Secretary of Labor, and an economist at the Council of Economic Advisers focusing on labor market issues.
On today’s episode, Martha shares:
- What is Equal Pay Day?
- How large is the gender pay gap is today?
- Myth Discussions: We uncover some of the biggest myths around the gender pay gap. Is one gender more ambitious? Do men negotiate more or less than women?
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Martha‘s work, visit www.hiringlab.org.
Thank YOU for listening! If you’ve enjoyed the show today, don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on
Apple Podcasts! When you subscribe, it helps to make the show easier for other job seekers to find the show!
by Angela Copeland | Jul 24, 2018 | Interviewing, Job Interview, Negotiation, Podcast
Episode 178 is live! This week, we talk with Kate White in New York, NY.
Kate is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve murder mysteries AND multiple career books, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: How to Ask for the Money, Snag the Promotion, and Create the Career You Deserve, and The Gutsy Girl Handbook: Your Manifesto for Success.
On today’s episode, Kate shares:
- What she learned from her career as Editor-In-Chief at Cosmopolitan magazine
- Her advice for media and journalism job seekers
- Brave job search strategies for job seekers
- Tips on your appearance during an interview
- What she learned about asking for a higher salary that will help you in your job search
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Kate’s work, visit her website at http://www.katewhitespeaks.com/. You can also follow her on Twitter at @katemwhite. You can find her books on Amazon.
Thank YOU for listening! If you’ve enjoyed the show today, don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts! When you subscribe, it helps to make the show easier for other job seekers to find it!
by Angela Copeland | Jul 23, 2018 | Career Corner Column, Media, Negotiating, Negotiation, Newsletter, Vacation
A good vacation can be one of the most relaxing things you can do for yourself. Whether you prefer the beach, camping, or grilling out in your backyard, down time is something we all need. Unfortunately, we’re not all getting this much needed time to relax. Can you relate?
In the United States, there’s no minimum vacation or holidays that companies are required to provide to workers. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that 77% of employers offer paid vacation time. On average, employers give ten days of vacation after one year of employment. The number of vacation days grows based upon tenure. After twenty years, most employees receive twenty days of vacation. In addition to vacation, many companies offer holidays.
It’s interesting to compare our vacation to other places. In France, employees are granted a minimum of five weeks of vacation. In Australia, the minimum is four weeks. In Belgium, the minimum is twenty-four days. In Denmark, the minimum is five weeks. Now, it’s not to say that there aren’t other countries with smaller vacations. In some areas of Canada, the minimum is ten days, for example.
But, what are we really doing with our two weeks of vacation? You probably guessed it. In many cases, not much. I recently heard an interesting term, “vacation shaming.” It’s an all too familiar idea where employers place negative feelings and shame around the idea of taking time off.
This vacation shaming causes us to feel uncomfortable requesting time away. Despite receiving two weeks of vacation each year, many Americans are only taking about half of it, according to a survey conducted by Glassdoor.com.
Even if we are taking vacation time, many of us are staying plugged in. We answer emails, take phone calls, and sometimes attend meetings remotely. There’s a fear of getting into trouble and losing our job while we’re out.
For employees who do choose to take vacation, some companies set rules that limit the options available. For example, a company may have a policy that an employee may not take more than four or five consecutive days in a row. For those with an international destination in mind, this can really limit the options.
Being successful at work if often tied to being the best version of yourself that you can be. And, that requires you to take care of yourself. Vacation is a great place to start on this goal.
If you’re looking for a new job, do your best to learn about the company’s policy about taking vacation, both official and unofficial. Many online review sites can provide an employee perspective.
Then, don’t forget that vacation time is negotiable – just like salary. When you negotiate your offer letter, know that you can ask for additional time off.
In the long run, taking time for yourself is more important than any amount of vacation shaming. We all need a break sometimes.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jun 25, 2018 | Career Corner Column, Negotiating, Negotiation, Newsletter, Salary, Salary Negotiation
Have you ever been asked, “How much do you make?” in a job interview? This question usually shows up during the first phone call.
You’ve applied online. The HR manager calls you. The conversation seems normal at first. They ask, “Why did you apply for this job?” and “Tell me about yourself.” The all of the sudden, bam! “How much do you make?” Or, they may try, “How much have you made in the past?”
These questions are tough, and they have more of an influence on your future than you may think. Whether you’re currently underpaid or overpaid, answering this question wrong can completely eliminate you from consideration. And, answering too low can also put you at a disadvantage.
A number of states and cities have started to reduce or eliminate this question altogether. In 2017, Delaware and New York City banned employers from asking about salary history. In January 2018, California banned questions around a candidate’s pay history. In July 2018, Massachusetts will join suit. In 2019, Oregon will ban employers from asking. New Orleans and Pittsburgh are also implementing this rule on city agencies.
It may not be clear right away what’s wrong with this question. Many companies think of it as finding out if the person fits into their budget.
But, the problem is this. If someone has ever been underpaid for any reason, including discrimination or just an unfortunate circumstance, that person will likely always be underpaid going forward. Asking the question, “How much do you make?” ensures that your future salary is based on your current salary.
But, what if you’re switching between industries and one pays much higher salaries? What if you’re switching between a higher education job and a corporate job? What if you’re moving from an inexpensive city in the middle of the country, to a pricey city on the coast?
Once you’re behind in salary negotiations, you will likely always be behind. Unless you’re protected by a rule that bans the question completely. Banning it puts the responsibility back onto the company to decide what a particular role is worth to them. It forces the company to pay employees more fairly, based on the work they produce – rather than their negotiation abilities.
If you find yourself being asked this question, do your homework. Before you’re asked how much you make, know the response you want to give. The less you need the job, the riskier you can be with your answer. I often advise job seekers to ask the company if they would feel comfortable to share their pay range with you. This allows the company to share their salary instead. Alternatively, you can offer your target range. But, base this range on data. Scour websites like Glassdoor.com for as much salary information as you can find about your job.
Pushing back on this question helps guarantee that everyone will be paid more fairly going forward.
Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
It’s no longer socially acceptable for a company to ask an interview candidate how much money they currently make. It’s also not terribly good to ask the candidate how much they want to make. These days, the standard is to share the pay range for the role. Then, the candidate can decide whether or not the range is acceptable.
You must be logged in to post a comment.