Job Interview - Salary & Benefits Discussion

February 24, 2007 2:29 PM

Finding Salary Information for Internet Project Management work.

I had a preliminary job interview earlier this week that I think went really well. The hiring manager is supposed to contact me early next week (fingers crossed for a follow-up interview with more of the staff). Two things I've been trying to research/figure out during the intervening time:

1) The issue of salary expectations was brought up with the comment of making sure their expecations are on the same page as mine. I'm taking that to mean he might think I'll want more money than he has budgeted. The position is doing project management for an online media site, so I'm trying to find good sources of salary information (especially for my not so urban area) so that I can have a range that's based on reality instead of guessing what they'd be likely to pay. It doesn't require actual certification from the Project Management Institute, but I'm looking for sources of salary range information for that type of job title, especially be region.

2) Near the end of the meeting, the hiring manager started telling me about the work environment having flex hours, casual dress, benefits and said that I could talk to the HR director if I had questions about compensation. I know as a job seeker, the golden rule is to not bring up anything related to compensation until *after* you have the offer in hand. I'm not counting on anything until after I've been asked to a 2nd interview and got through it okay. But the fact that he started telling me all of this, that's a pretty good sign, right? Or does it just mean I was dealing with somebody who jumped the gun a little early in the game?

posted by gov_moonbeam to work & money (5 comments total)

What country and what city are you in? Your profile does not reveal this.
posted by seawallrunner at 2:44 PM on February 24, 2007

I'm in the Western US - greater Sacrameno CA area.
posted by gov_moonbeam at 3:25 PM on February 24, 2007

Have you already taken a look at Salary.com? It seems like such a natural, I hesitate to mention it, but...

And yeah, they may be budgeting on the low end, trying to compensate with extra goodies, and wanting to find out where your expectations fall. Remember, everything is negotiable.
posted by CMichaelCook at 8:03 AM on February 25, 2007

You should try saying that salary is negotiable and you would like to know what their thoughts are. I hate this question when I am interviewing and try not to answer it. If you answer too high, you potentially lose the job, answer too low, they potentially think you're not a quality candidate.

As far as having flex hours, etc. that could be read a lot of different ways. Maybe they're softening you up for when they let you know how little you will be paid? There's no way to tell.

Anyway, I would ask them what they've paid others in the past, etc. Do anything but answer this question. When they give you a number think about whether you would like that number to be higher or lower.

By the way, the name of the game (for me) is not always to try and get as much money as possible. If you're expensive, you could be a target for a layoff. At the least, expectations regarding your work will be high. Better, to my mind, to come in at an average salary in the beginning and have everyone be blown away with what great work you do.

Remember that your job negotiation really begins after you get the offer (in my opinion). After the offer is a good time to ask that your salary be upped a bit, that you would really like more vacation, etc. At that point, they've somewhat committed to you as a choice.
posted by xammerboy at 9:54 AM on February 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

Okay so update time - I had a brief convo via e-mail with the hiring manager acknowledging my thank you note and that he'd follow up. I didn't hear back, so eventually I call the HR director, who said essentially:

1) "Who are you?"

2) "We're hiring for what position?"

She also mentioned talking about benefits, but I said that I didn't think it'd be a good idea because I don't have a job offer.

That was 3 weeks ago, so I e-mailed him again and got an apologetic response stating that he's been slammed, I'm still a candidate they're interested in, and that the company would follow up soon with another interview. So, I guess that's encouraging? Although at this point I'd have to go dig up again all the research I did on salary ranges.
posted by gov_moonbeam at 11:27 AM on March 24, 2007