If you’ve ever been interviewed in Israel, you have probably experienced the scariest question of them all: “What are your salary expectations?” This question strikes fear in the hearts of job seekers everywhere, because the wrong answer can have far-reaching consequences. If you quote too high, you risk losing the job altogether. But if you quote too low, they might take you up on it and underpay you for months or years to come.
Unfortunately, if you are asked this question point-blank you do have to give an answer, so here are some tips on navigating this issue.
Market research
You will be in a much better position to discuss salary expectations if you’ve done some market research and know what salaries are common for people in your position. It can also help to know if the company you are interviewing at tends to be generous or frugal in its salaries. You can look for this type of information on websites where people anonymously report their salaries, in articles posted online about careers or by asking people to share their first or second-hand knowledge. Most Israelis will not tell you their salaries (or share information that will help you guess it) in a public forum, but many will be happy to share privately if they know they are helping out a fellow colleague. Ask publicly, but stress that you are open to discuss via private message.
Don’t undersell yourself
Women, especially, have a tendency to undervalue their work and ask for lower salaries (and more modest raises), so they often find themselves making less than their male colleagues and sometimes even less than their subordinates. Before going to an interview and answering that dreaded question about salary expectations, try out your quote on friends, family or former colleagues and get their reactions. Saying it out loud also helps you be more confident about the quote so you don’t sound wishy-washy in the interview.
Don’t answer too quickly
In some Israeli job interviews, you are asked your salary expectations before you have even gotten any details about the job. If that happens to you, ask for more information about the responsibilities of the position before answering. You may have to adjust your expectations based on what they tell you about the job. For instance, if you didn’t know the job included management and are now being informed it does, ask for a higher salary than you originally planned.
Quote a range
Your salary expectation doesn’t have to be a specific number. You can say that you are looking for a salary between x and y. Obviously, the lower number should still be acceptable to you, since they may very well end up offering that to you. The higher number should be higher than you actually expect to get, so they can negotiate you down.
Stress your flexibility
Another way to approach this question is to quote a number on the higher side and stress that you are flexible. If the number is way above what they want to pay, this job is likely not for you. But if it’s above their range but not obscenely so, they will jump on your flexibility and begin a negotiation. Once they start negotiating, remember that you can ask for benefits like sick days from day one, more vacation days and Keren Hishtalmut, in lieu of a higher salary.
Use your current or previous salary as a marker
Switching jobs is an opportunity to raise your salary. When asked about salary expectations, you can say that at your current or previous place of employment you were making x and would like to improve upon that. This is a reasonable answer, since employers expect that you are looking to increase your salary in your new job. If you were paid market value before and spent a few years at a job, a higher salary is certainly in the cards. Obviously, this strategy won’t benefit you if you were being severely underpaid in your previous position!
Turn the question back on the employer
This advice comes with a caveat, as many have reported that they tried it and it didn’t work. But others have had good experiences with answering the question with a question of their own. When the employer asks your salary expectations, ask them what range they have in mind for the position. Sometimes they will tell you and then you can try to get the higher end of that range. Often, they will still insist that you quote a salary without them giving anything away, at which point you will have to give a more direct answer.
Negotiate in the HR interview
Many Israeli hiring processes include an initial interview with your potential manager, followed by an interview with the HR department. That second interview is where serious salary negotiations happen. If you think you lowballed yourself in the previous discussion of salary or want extra benefits, this is the time to ask for what you want. If you change your quote drastically from what you initially said, you risk losing the position, but if you say that you thought it through or did more research and would like slightly more, you may very well receive it. The company wants to hire you at this point, so you have some negotiating power and you should take advantage of it.
It’s not easy to navigate the question of salary expectations, but these strategies should help you answer the question confidently and get the salary you deserve.