I really don't get this advise about not giving out a number. Seems like you yourself don't know your worth. Most of the times, save for FAANG companies, no other company is willing to pay me what I am asking for. So to go through the whole laborious and lengthy interview process only to find out during negotiation stage that they are not going to even match my current compensation is a lot of wasted time. If I talk to a recruiter, I tell them what I want even before interviewing. Most of the times, recruiters from non FAANG companies tell me that they won't be able to pay that much even if I performed stellar in the interview. I don't give out a number to FAANG recruiter before the interview but I do give out during the negotiation stage and so far my comp has been at at least as good as my peers'. My understanding is that most companies have a salary range and they want all the employees on the same level to be within that range. They won't break those rules regardless of how good you are. You are only one among many good candidates. So you should aim to be at the high end of that range during negotiation. That's how I decide the number to give out.
Exactly. I don’t proceed to a second conversation without making it clear that I’m not coming cheaply and, if they’re not aligned with that, we can both save a lot of time by politely ending the conversation now.
Sometimes that takes the shape of describing my current comp in detail; other times it’s more “it starts with a <digit>” when I’m pretty sure they’re off by more than one.
There's a big difference between saying what you want, and giving your current salary. The former avoids wasting time but the latter gives an advantage to the recruiter.
About giving our a number, I see two cases:
- if you have a decent job, not in a rush to change, do give out a number that is very high (top of the range for the job or more). This anchors a high figure and hey, they may give it to you.
- Otherwise, wait for them to give a number. If pressure, give a range with a high end.
They actually don’t tell you if you ask them. I’ve tried to do this with a few recruiters at the phone screen stage just to save everyone’s time but they usually don’t give a number, presumably because they do have flexibility for filling out roles that are in demand.
Yes employers have comp bands for each level within an org. You can always ask to come in at a higher level.
The thing is you never know how much a company values a particular role. By giving a number first you basically preempt the scenario where they might offer more than you would have thought to ask for.
If they come in low to anchor the negotiations on a lower number, that can also give valuable information about how much the organization values your role / function.
Either way it is in your best interest for them to show their hand first.
