Tips
How to Discuss Salary in an Interview: A Guide from Both Sides
Money tends to spark emotions. Here’s a brief, practical playbook from both angles: for candidates—how to state your range with confidence; for companies—how to keep the talk steady.
Table of Contents
For Candidates
Your goal is to shift the conversation from “how much are you worth” to “what value do you deliver.” Lean on three pillars: market data, your results, and an honest salary range.
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Collect your market anchors.
Check ranges for your role and city across two–three sources. Note the lower bound, median, and upper bound. This gives you a frame and a factual language. -
Prepare results in numbers.
Three short, metric-based cases. Formula: action → metric → period → business impact.
Example: “Optimized ticket processing. Minus 120 hours per month, ~€3,000 saved per quarter, SLA up to 92%.” -
State a range, not a single number.
Make the range your anchor. The lower bound is comfortable, the upper is ambitious and backed by cases. Tie the corridor to scope, bonuses, and a review in 3–6 months. -
Look at the full package.
Don’t calculate base only. Ask for the bonus formula and historical payouts, equity/options, health insurance, vacation, flexibility, learning budget. Convert the variable part to an annual estimate. -
What to say when asked “What are your expectations?”
“For {role} in {city}, I see a market range of {A–B} € net. My results: {case 1 with numbers}, {case 2}. I’m comfortable in the {B–C} € range depending on scope and the bonus structure. If part of the comp is KPI-based, please share the formula and typical payout range so I can calculate the equivalent.” -
If they ask about your previous salary.
Gently redirect to the role’s range and your results. Keep the focus on the value of this role, not your history. -
If a counteroffer appears.
Take a pause. Compare total package, scope, manager, processes, and growth path. If you stay, put changes in writing: level/grade, scope, KPIs, review timelines. If you leave, thank them and propose a clear handover plan.
For Companies
Your job is to remove the fog around numbers, speed up the process, and keep trust high. Transparency and predictability save everyone time.
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Set an upfront anchor.
Publish or state the range, bonus structure, and review timing. Candidates share realistic expectations faster, and you avoid extra rounds. -
Compare total packages.
Spell out TTC (Total Target Compensation): base, variable (with formula), indexation, equity/options, insurance, vacation, flexible schedule, remote work, learning, equipment/tech package. Show retrospective payouts for the last 12–24 months—this reduces skepticism about “theoretical” bonuses. -
Anchor ethically.
Offer a sensible corridor and growth conditions. The top end is for proven impact and expanded scope. The bottom end is a start with a clear upgrade plan in 3–6 months upon hitting KPIs. -
Counteroffer = tool, not fire drill.
If you retain, change more than the number. Discuss role design, processes, mentorship, workload. Put all changes in writing with criteria and dates. This lowers the risk of a second exit. -
Sanity-check your ranges.
Benchmark against the market by role and city. If you sit below references without strong upsides in scope and growth, your funnel narrows and time-to-hire expands.
A candidate should come prepared with a market-based range and proof of results—and state a range, not a single number. An employer should share the range and bonus logic upfront, compare total packages, and put agreements in writing. That keeps the money talk calm and professional—and moves both sides toward a mutually beneficial outcome.
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