How do you avoid disclosing salary/salary expectations?

[MsFogi]

I have thrown my hat in the ring for a role that I saw on LinkedIn - I am not really looking to move but this role looked interesting and a good fit. They have come straight back and asked what my salary expectations are. At this stage I don't really have any expectations/wish to disclose my salary to a competitor company (I am fairly senior). Also, I think that disclosing such expectations/current salary only works in the favour of the employer and perpetuates the sex pay gap. So MNers who are more eloquent than me - how would you respond to their one-liner email asking what my salary expectations are?

I would tell them, but I would be honest. If it’s too much for them, surely it’s better to know now and not waste your time?

I'd reply, "I think first you need to be clear on what salary you're expecting to pay, then I will consider whether it fits my expectations" or some other such BS form of words

I wish companies would just put a salary band on the advert - they will likely have a salary budget in mind!!!
Alternatively could you response with salary expectations 'betweeb x and y Subject to total package'

"What is your range?"

They will have a range

I’m very interested in the role but I’d like to understand more before we discuss figures. If you’re able to let me know the salary range you’re working to, I can assess whether it meets my expectations.

“I’d love to discuss this at interview - do you have a salary band you’re recruiting at? If you could share I’d be happy to confirm if it’s in the same range as I’m looking for.”

Yep, I'd say "I'm interested in hearing the salary range on offer, so I can consider my expectations within that, alongside the other benefits offered in the package".

@NoSquirrels

“I’d love to discuss this at interview - do you have a salary band you’re recruiting at? If you could share I’d be happy to confirm if it’s in the same range as I’m looking for.”

Something like this ^

I could only think they are doing this for the following reasons:

• is it a new job, start up company and this job hasn't been in post before? They are therefore unsure what range to pay?
• You CV shows your are very over qualified, and they might be thinking your pay expectations are way out from their range

Never seen this done TBH, BEFORE, an interview. Could you ask for an informal chat before and interview?

Say exactly what you said: “disclosing such expectations/current salary only works in the favour of the employer and perpetuates the sex pay gap. I look forward to hearing from you the salary range for this role.”

Also, I think that disclosing such expectations/current salary only works in the favour of the employer and perpetuates the sex pay gap.

Absolutely right! If they are confident they're paying fair salaries, then they can be transparent. If they aren't confident they're being fair, then they won't want to.

Pretty standard in my husband's industry too. It's a good way at cost saving and as you say OP there is research that men tend to ask for (and therefore get) significantly more for the same role. My husband recently asked salary expectations for a mid management role in his company and the only female candidate asked for £15k less than the lowest rate from the male candidates. If you can get an idea of the range then start at the top and make them negotiate you down, not the other way round.

Thanks for the great suggestions!

Let us know how they respond, OP. Don't let yourself be pressured into giving them your expectations without anything from them first. If they act like dicks at being asked what range they're offering then they aren't someone you'd want to work with anyway, IMO.

I got fucked over recently when an online form
Asked for my current salary. The day after I submitted it I got a pretty big pay rise (after 2 years of freeze)

My new employer had gone off and got approval for made me An offer based on the previous salary.

I negotiated up but basically ended up being a Salary match which I was pretty miffed about given I would have expected to have made higher up in their advertised banding.

Do your market research before putting Down a figure ans don’t sell yourself short

On the other hand, why don’t you just have a think about what you think it should pay / you deserve and say that?

Currently facing the same issue and it's so frustrating.

If I say, oh I'm looking for 100k, they are hardly going to say oh, we are actually expecting to pay 120k for this role!

But when I ask them what the salary on offer is, I get told oh well, that will depend on a lot of things....

Right now I'm in a crap situation with a prospective employer for a role that I really like the sound of, but we haven't discussed numbers at all yet. I'm worried that the salary won't be high enough for me to justify a move and would sooner know that now before we waste more time but everytime I broach the subject, they dance around it.

I'm worried that the salary won't be high enough for me to justify a move and would sooner know that now before we waste more time but everytime I broach the subject, they dance around it.

That's really poor. And must be quite off-putting too.

What annoys me most about this is that men very rarely seem to experience this but yet loads of women do. Are the men being more direct about it and so the employer is put in a position where they have to have the discussion earlier? Or are employers taking advantage of women's nervousness around discussing salaries?

It really annoys me.

I don't know how it perpetuates the pay gap if you know the average salary for similar roles and what you are worth salary-wise.

I'd say I want a better understanding of the role before I commit to a salary.

Just say could you tell me the salary range for this job. It's cheeky. If they won't I wouldn't bother. They are obviously trying to get away with paying as low a salary as they can.

@girlmom21

I don't know how it perpetuates the pay gap if you know the average salary for similar roles and what you are worth salary-wise.

I'd say I want a better understanding of the role before I commit to a salary.

How do women know the average salary for similar roles when job adverts never give details of the salary or range on offer?

How do women know what they are worth, salary-wise, when all salaries are a secret? Especially as women tend to be underpaid.

@PearPickingPorky glass door tell you average salaries for similar roles at similar companies

Girlmom21 There is evidence men ask for, and get, more than women on average. Follow the Gender Pay Gap account on Twitter. Surely you are aware of the structural inequalities facing women in society? I hope so as you presumably have daughters.

@WTF475878237NC

Girlmom21 There is evidence men ask for, and get, more than women on average. Follow the Gender Pay Gap account on Twitter. Surely you are aware of the structural inequalities facing women in society? I hope so as you presumably have daughters.

Of course I'm well aware the pay gap exists, and that if companies can pay us less they will, but if we use the resources available to find a fair salary for the role, then ask for a little more in case they play hard ball, we know we're being paid in line with what's fair

[quote girlmom21]@PearPickingPorky glass door tell you average salaries for similar roles at similar companies [/quote]
Glassdoor is pretty useless. That's really not going to help anyone!

As an example, I've just typed my job into Glassdoor and the salary range is 27k to 86k.

So, if a job advert says "salary: competitive" and they come over all coy like PP's have experienced, or they say "what is your expectation, what should I ask for?