Isn’t asking the salary question a waste of time?

Why do HR managers ask how much the applicant would want to be paid yet they have their own salary structures? Jim

Dear Jim,
Employers always desire to seek as much information as possible about the prospective candidates for recruitment, such that they make as perfect a match as possible, of the candidate to the vacant position.

It is frustrating for the employer to realise that the desired candidate is priced way out of reach after a lot of time has been wasted.
Some organisations may require you to state your current salary and what you expect to be paid if you are the successful candidate, earlier on in the application process.

This is usually part the elimination process. The question of pay expectations is useful for employers because the candidates provide information of what they are currently earning as salary, benefits and allowances, which is a practical indicator of where the market has priced a certain category of talent.

This information is a useful input for the orgnaisation’s reward and pay structure reviews.
The question is also dreaded by the candidates because they believe that by mentioning a higher figure they can easily lose out to the other competitors who had priced their labour cheaper, or worse, the candidates may find themselves ending up with a raw remuneration deal, lower than what the organisation was actually willing to pay. However, as a candidate preparing for a job interview, you are advised to form a desired price/salary in your mind based on what you think your labour is worth and, you should never fear to state your expectations with a rider that you are open to negotiations.

Moses Ssesanga
Head Human Resource
NMG - Uganda
[email protected]