Seated in front of the person in charge of our interview, sooner or later almost always comes the fateful question about salary. In short, the salary we expect for that particular position.
All in all a simple question, but one that puts several candidates in difficulty. Yes, because if it is true that it is essential to work for a living and not vice versa, the salary has a significant weight in choosing a new job. Yes, there are those who suggest choosing a job that we are passionate about so as not to “work even a day”; but the truth is that for better or worse we all pay attention to the financial aspects when it comes to a professional assignment.
“In general, the salary aspects are part of the individual motivation of those applying for a job and must be addressed and discussed like everyone else” he confirms Matilde Marandola, National President of the Italian Association for Personnel Management (AIDP). «The selection interview should be a moment of mutual growth and enrichment for both the candidate and the recruiter, without ever forgetting that the goal is common. The motivational structure of people is complex and the weight of the salary aspects varies according to many factors, including the individual economic condition, the professional stage and other variables ».
Among these are some characteristics of the position for which we are applying that could be particularly attractive, beyond the salary in the strict sense. For those who love to travel, for example, a job that requires many trips (perhaps to fascinating places) is generally very attractive: “I business trips for some they are motivating and interesting, for others indifferent, for still others they represent a problem and this impact is also influenced by the very important needs of reconciliation between private and professional life »continues Marandola.
It is equally true that our response to the “How much would you like to earn?” says something about us to the interviewer. Recently he did talk about himself an interview that Bill Gates he simulated in the guise of the aspiring employee of a hypothetical giant of the technology sector. The Microsoft founder provides a precise answer, which he prefers to a stellar salary, a share of the company he is applying for. Because? Well, because this choice reveals the confidence that the candidate has towards the success of the reality he would like to be part of. It conveys the idea that the employee himself believes and invests in the future of that specific company.
Here, such a choice is actually quite feasible only in certain contexts – in the United States it is more frequent, for example, than in Italy – and at a rather high level. Most of the talks we are holding do not actually envisage such an option.
So how to answer this question effectively? How do you prepare to provide a meaningful answer that takes into account all the variables involved? We asked the AIDP for some advice and you can find them all in the gallery at the beginning of the article.
(In the image the interview scene from the film The pursuit of happiness).
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