If this question arises early, odds are that the interviewer is really asking: “Can we afford you?” If it arises much later, the interviewer may be hoping that your salary requirements are aligned to what they have budgeted for this role.

Example:

“It’s important to me any new role is positive from a work standpoint. I want the work that I’d be doing to be impactful, and I want to know that I can contribute meaningfully to the organization. That’s why I’m most interested in this role: My personal values and ambitions are aligned with the company’s mission. As far as annual compensation, I’m open to how it is paid out, whether through base salary or a bonus structure. For a move to make sense to me, I would need the total compensation to be between [desired salary range]. Additionally, in future conversations, I’d also like to discuss how we might leverage the signing bonus to compensate for some of the long term Incentives like stock options that I’d be walking away from in my current role.”

Why this answer worked well: The answer offered a range instead of an exact figure, and suggested several ways that compensation could be structured.T he candidate explained the value they’d like to offer the company, and expressed genuine interest in the role.

This is a question you’ll get all too often, so here are a few tips to help you master the answer:

Give them a salary range.

Let them know there’s room to negotiate (instead of starting with a specific number). Avoid going too low though, because that’s going to work against your interests. And don’t go too high either, or you may freeze yourself out of the opportunity.

Do some neutral research.

Give them a reasonable place to start from. You can use a resource like the LinkedIn Salary Tool to find out what other companies are paying people in this role and share with them what you learned about this salary range. Then they’ll have to base their compensation at least on those numbers because you’ve let them know what other similar organizations are giving to employees who do that job.

Bring up signing bonuses.

Doing this can create a win-win situation for both parties. At the end of a negotiation, asking for extra money up top is often a way to bridge the gap between what you want and what you’re being offered.

Some More Tips

• Know the industry norms for similar jobs.
• Talk about ranges, rather than exact numbers.
• Make the case that you offer premium value.