Question about salary and job listings

[Honeycomb8]

I met with a recruitment agency yesterday and now have an interview with a firm set up. The day before, I had gone on another interview with a different agency and they gave me an idea on the salary range the firm they were representing were willing to pay, but this one yesterday said a solid number but on their job listing it had a higher salary.

Was wondering what this would mean?

Is it that higher salary is only achievable if I were to have more experience, or does it mean I can potentially get closer to that number if they offered me the role and I had another offer on the table that was higher? Or was it just a lie.

Also, any advice on how to nail a panel interview-I will be interviewed by two partners and another person working on the same team. Both interviews for the respective firms are happening next week.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[j.man]

I encourage anybody to respectfully negotiate as high as they're prepared to defend and hold out for, which could mean arguing for higher than an exact figure or even beyond the top of a presented range. Sometimes companies will legit give a hard figure because they do operate more strictly on pay grades. Some offer ranges because they do more or less have an algorithm that factors in certain levels of experience and qualification. Or they could pick one because they feel it gives them the best psychological edge in negotiations. Can't really know for sure until it comes time to do or die. It's one of the biggest reasons not to afford anyone any undue loyalty until you're pretty much physically in the door.

Anecdotally, my wife recently accepted a new position we're relocating for and did a whole slew of interviews with different facilities. On a few occasions she was offered a salary that exceeded a posted figure or range. Others were candid enough when it came time to negotiate that the number was indeed as high as it gets, so negotiations ultimately ended right there, sparing everyone the trouble. For the offer she ended up accepting, she negotiated her offer up 15% from what they'd initially claimed was the cap. They actually ended up having to bump her super's pay to avoid any political fallout. They're not going to be afraid to assert their own interests, so focus on being your own best advocate in the fair value you hold for your work relative to the value you're placing in a particular position and employer.

As for panel interviews-- I love them. I wish all of mine had been. If you know how to read a room, you can beat a lot of odds that you might otherwise face. Obviously you want to appeal as broadly as you can, but research who among those present are the ones you'd absolutely need to please. Generally doesn't take a lot of legwork beforehand.

[Jibralta]

I met with a recruitment agency yesterday and now have an interview with a firm set up. The day before, I had gone on another interview with a different agency and they gave me an idea on the salary range the firm they were representing were willing to pay, but this one yesterday said a solid number but on their job listing it had a higher salary.

Was wondering what this would mean?

Is it that higher salary is only achievable if I were to have more experience, or does it mean I can potentially get closer to that number if they offered me the role and I had another offer on the table that was higher? Or was it just a lie.

What stopped you from asking them during the interview? It would have been a great question.** It shows you've done your homework. It gives you an opportunity to negotiate up. And it's a good habit to interview your interviewer to get an idea of what kind of person you'd be dealing with if you worked there.

Also, any advice on how to nail a panel interview-I will be interviewed by two partners and another person working on the same team. Both interviews for the respective firms are happening next week.

It's hard to answer this without knowing a little more about the positions you are applying for. For example, if it's a technical field, schmoozey BS would not be a good strategy.

_____________________________________________
**excepting the part where it is a lie--It could be a lie, of course, but it would be bad form on your part to mention that possibility to your interviewer.

[Honeycomb8]

I only discovered this after and it wasn't an interview with the firm itself (as mentioned) it was with the recruiter. I'm having the interview next week. It's in the legal and finance field.

And of course I'm not going to accuse them of lying lol, that's basic common sense.

[Honeycomb8]

I encourage anybody to respectfully negotiate as high as they're prepared to defend and hold out for, which could mean arguing for higher than an exact figure or even beyond the top of a presented range. Sometimes companies will legit give a hard figure because they do operate more strictly on pay grades. Some offer ranges because they do more or less have an algorithm that factors in certain levels of experience and qualification. Or they could pick one because they feel it gives them the best psychological edge in negotiations. Can't really know for sure until it comes time to do or die. It's one of the biggest reasons not to afford anyone any undue loyalty until you're pretty much physically in the door.

Anecdotally, my wife recently accepted a new position we're relocating for and did a whole slew of interviews with different facilities. On a few occasions she was offered a salary that exceeded a posted figure or range. Others were candid enough when it came time to negotiate that the number was indeed as high as it gets, so negotiations ultimately ended right there, sparing everyone the trouble. For the offer she ended up accepting, she negotiated her offer up 15% from what they'd initially claimed was the cap. They actually ended up having to bump her super's pay to avoid any political fallout. They're not going to be afraid to assert their own interests, so focus on being your own best advocate in the fair value you hold for your work relative to the value you're placing in a particular position and employer.

As for panel interviews-- I love them. I wish all of mine had been. If you know how to read a room, you can beat a lot of odds that you might otherwise face. Obviously you want to appeal as broadly as you can, but research who among those present are the ones you'd absolutely need to please. Generally doesn't take a lot of legwork beforehand.

Thanks for the informative response, I'll keep those things in mind.

[Deejmonster]

I have found salary information listed on job websites to be a useful tool in determining how much a position may or may not pay, but in the end I think it is important to remember that it is only a "tool". Some salaries listed can be dependent on location, experience, and the overall nuances of the job itself. I use glassdoor a lot when looking into this sort of thing but don't always believe it to be extremely accurate. If an employer comes out and states what they will be offering you, I always see it in my best interest to negotiate that number a little higher. The number you want and how far they are from it is going to be the sticking point. How much are you willing to risk to see that number and how reasonable do you feel you are being? If it's a matter of a few thousand different, I often negotiate.

I just recently accepted a new position actually. I did my research but couldn't find any numbers online. Similar postings were going for higher than what I asked for. When I was in the interview, my interviewer flat out asked what I was looking to make. I told them my number and when the offer came back it was actually a couple grand higher. Other postings actually showed me that I may have under-negotiated but I looked at my situation. It was almost a 20% salary increase, it was giving me the experience that I am looking for, and the most critical factor to me was that they are going to train me. I don't have much experience with the job I have accepted. So all in all, I think they gave me a fair shake. I could have asked for more, but I also come with a risk of needing to actually learn the job.

So in your case, you have a couple of options, accept what they give you or if it's close to the numbers that you want/see, try and negotiate upwards. I don't think an employer is going to back out of a deal over a couple grand.