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Requesting Salary Info

CheryllHCheryllH 33 Posts
in HR & Employment Law Vote Up0Vote Down
I don't have a lot of experience with the interview process and have a question about requesting salary info from a candidate.

If we have scheduled an interview with someone and we know that the candidate has received an offer from another company is it okay to ask what they were offered for salary?

We don't have a written application. Resumes are submitted online via our public website and desired salary range is requested. During the negoiation process if we make an offer and they come back asking for more then we do ask the candidate to show earnings.

I'm just not sure if it's appropriate to ask during an interview what offers they may be considering from other companies.
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Comments

  • 2 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • ACU FrankACU Frank 2,188 Posts
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    I only ask when it's a candidate we really, really have to get... you don't want a marginal candidate using it as an opportunity to drive up their price. When I do ask, it's usually like this: "You're a strong candidate, and you probably have received other offers. If you're considering those offers, I'd love the opportunity to compare ours with theirs so I can make sure there's nothing we've overlooked." Again, you're asking for info you probably can't verify, so you're opening your checkbook to a degree. In fact, I pretty much assume any info they give me is exaggerated or inflated. But if it's a "gottahavem" candidate, it may be the best way to find out what's really important to the job offer - salary, extra vacation, etc. The final trick is to make sure you add something to your package (or emphasize something that's already there) that is unique to your offer. That way, if they're BSing you about the other stuff, they can still accept your offer without feeling like they have devalued themselves in your eyes.

    "WidgetKing offered more money but I love the idea of your floating holiday, so I've decided to accept your offer."
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  • CheryllHCheryllH 33 Posts
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    Thank you so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
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