How to Know How Much a Job Gets Paid When Glassdoor Can’t Help
When you are looking for a job, the salary is the first thing you think about, but the last thing you are technically allowed to talk about. The bitter irony of hiring etiquette: You do your best to promote yourself in such a way as to get an offer, but don’t dare talk about money until the time is right .
The standard career resource tools – Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Payscale – can give a rough idea of what you can expect in terms of salary for a potential position, but in truth, they can often be unreliable . However, there are other ways to get more accurate salary estimates for a given job – they just require a little more effort on your part.
Cold call to people who do not work in HR
You might be surprised at how helpful some of your potential future colleagues can be, especially if they don’t work in HR. Browse LinkedIn or another company’s directory (or similar) and find people who work in related roles. There is nothing wrong with emailing any of these people and telling them about your situation and what you are interested in learning about the company’s compensation. “You can work to find friends or people currently working internally and ask for a little talk,” says Lifehacker executive trainer and organizational consultant, Hilary Pearl. “Ask them about how people are paid or even what is the salary range for a given job.”
The division of wages is definitely considered much less harsh than it used to be, especially given that transparency about low wages in certain industries is used to protect fairer wage standards. Workers in some areas have attempted to share industry information and have done so publicly through Twitter hashtags and spreadsheets in which anonymous workers list their salaries.
But since most people do not work in such public areas, it would be more appropriate to directly ask the people in the desired position about salary ranges and even get their advice on how to negotiate the optimal package of services.
Government sites are actually good
They can be awkward and inconvenient to browse, but government databases can provide a more accurate range than many listings on top career sites. Sites like Glassdoor often list salary ranges based on a series of data points and tend to consist of self-reported salaries and artificial intelligence algorithms. Results may not necessarily be as accurate as what you can find on the Department of Labor website, whichcontains estimates of average wages for over 800 fields; U.S. state websites may also provide similar numbers that can help in job search. The California Department of Employment Development, for example, provides occupational-specific wage information across the state. (Not everyone lives in California, but it is the fifth largest economy in the world , for what it’s worth.)
And of course, many industries have their own online databases that you can refer to. Robin Sommerstein, a human resources consultant based in Los Angeles, gives an example of how this works in the legal profession: “When I worked as a human resources specialist in law firms, it was helpful to join the Association of Legal Administrators. There is free information on wages on the Internet, on how to negotiate wages on the Internet, ”she says.
Ask directly
Another idea is to literally ask the HR or hiring manager about the money, but if you go that route, you should do it politely. Timing is important, but you shouldn’t feel like you’re pushing something, especially if the interview has been a longer or protracted process.
As career consultant Adam Karpiak told Business Insider in 2019 , “Asking a company / contacting a salary range is usually 99% professional. Just avoid short, harsh answers. “
He expanded by telling the publication:
For example, if a company sends you a pretty email inviting you for an interview, don’t just say, “How much is she paying?” I’ve found that most companies value the salary discussion because no one likes to waste their time.
Basically, prevailing wisdom tells you to dance around the problem until the money people are willing to talk about it, but this is not always the best course of action. Taking responsibility for discussing compensation requires you to know your worth, which means that you should have already thought about what you think is the appropriate range, commensurate with your skills and experience. This is good information to have at any stage of the hiring process.
Consider benefits other than wages
Of course, in theory, the company can offer you little more than just two-week income. If a potential employer has a reputation for creating a great culture and certain benefit packages that you enjoy, that can make as much difference to you as the paycheck.
Pearl highlights how this can go a long way by advising “learn about the culture of the company before the interview so that you can weigh your personal criteria against its overall value proposition.” Consider the company’s bonus structure; the quality and amount of payment for medical services; whether there are special benefits such as child and parent care or tuition fees reimbursement, ”she advises. “Also, how important is flexibility to you?”
After all, there are many ways to find out how much a job can be paid without simply searching one of the most famous career websites. But it’s also appropriate to ask about salary ranges at the right time – and that doesn’t mean waiting until you get an offer.