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One of the most frequently asked questions we hear at Phoenix is whether salary expectations should be included on your CV.
While most candidates feel they would rather not enter the interview process with their top line salary figure presented from the outset, here are our 7 reasons to consider before playing your hand and gambling with the outcome...
1. It can make hiring managers question your motives:
By including your expected salary in your CV, it may look like you are too heavily focused on money, rather than the job opportunity itself. It is the role of the Recruitment Consultant to ensure your salary expectations are in line with the position.
2. It can detract from your skills and experience:
The purpose of your CV is to present your professional skills and experience to hiring managers. Including your salary expectations at this early stage is unnecessary and could even detract hiring managers from absorbing important information about you.
3. You may be filtered out of the process sooner than others:
Hiring managers want to quickly narrow down their stack of CVs. If you include your salary expectations and it doesn’t match what the business is prepared to pay, you may instantly be excluded from the entire process BEFORE you’ve even got the chance to demonstrate your passion for the role!
4. You can appear less experienced:
If your salary expectations are too low, you may appear less experienced than your counterparts, which could result in you being removed from the process early.
5. You may get a lower salary offer:
By making the first move and including your expected salary, you may end up asking for a figure that is lower than what the business was prepared to pay. The business then has no reason to offer you the full amount they had budgeted.
6. It can reduce your opportunities to negotiate:
Including your expected salary means you’ve made the first move in terms of salary conversations - reducing your opportunity to negotiate. It’s often encouraged to wait until the hiring manager suggests the salary that they will be willing to pay first, before you outline your expectations. As noted above, your Recruitment Consultant should have presented the salary range for the position in question.
7. It can reduce your chance of making a connection:
Adding your expected salary may mean you don't get a chance to meet face-to-face. During the interview process, you will have the opportunity to meet the hiring manager, to build a positive connection, share your skills, highlight your experience and emphasise the added value you will bring to the business. You may find that if you’ve made a powerful impression, the business will be willing to meet your salary expectations and even go beyond their initial budget to secure you.
What should you do instead of including your expected salary in your CV?
Salary discussions should come much later in the recruitment process (when the final interview is due to or has taken place).
At your initial meeting with a specialist Recruitment Consultant, you should outline what you expect in terms of salary package in a new role. It is then their job to ensure that this figure is the starting point when salary discussions begin.
If you get asked about your salary expectations prior to attending an interview or being provided with a job offer, try to answer without giving away exact figures. You could simply explain that you would be willing to discuss salary once an offer is on the table, or when you’ve established whether the role is a good fit for you. Alternatively, you can suggest that any salary negotiations should be conducted with your Recruitment Consultant.
If you are asked for a figure, make sure it is clear to the hiring manager that your salary is negotiable based on your responsibilities and the complete job package on offer. This will ensure you provide a suitable answer, while avoiding getting ruled out of the process early.