Anyone can suffer from mental health problems regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, nationality, or socio-economic status.
However, men traditionally find it more difficult than women to acknowledge their own feelings and any mental health problems they may have. This is often related to macho assumptions about what it means to be a real man, particularly in cultures where the open display of emotions from men is not historically valued. However, in my experience, this is beginning to change, and more men are recognising the strength that comes from being emotionally authentic and open about mental health.
The limbo period following a job interview can be stressful for many job seekers. Once the interview is over, you might be left second guessing how it went and if there is anything else you should be doing to increase your chances of being hired.
“So, what are your salary expectations?” You know you are going to get asked this at some point during your job search – it’s a key piece of information for both the recruiter and hiring manager. And yet for many, being asked this question is still enough to make you shift about uncomfortably in your seat.
You’re not alone – many candidates find discussing their salary expectations a daunting prospect. More often than not, this is because they aren’t clear on: A. Who this conversation will be with – is it the recruiter, the interviewer or both? B. When exactly they will need to have this conversation – is it during the first meeting with the recruiter or during the interview with the employer? C. How much money should they ask for, and how should they negotiate this figure if needs be?
To help you prepare for these conversations and confidently ask for the salary you want and deserve, we have shared the following advice:
1. Know your worth and your priorities
Determine your ideal salary before meeting with a recruiter or hiring manager. How do you put a numerical figure on your skills, experience and potential? There are a number of factors to consider here. Think about your desired job title, location, industry, company size, skills and level of experience. Then consult a salary guide to ensure your salary expectations are in line with current market rates.
Next, consider how flexible you are willing to be with this figure, taking into consideration your other key criteria for your next role, such as flexible working, bonus schemes, training courses and so forth. Some organisations may not have the resource to pay you your desired salary, particularly if they are a start-up or a not-for-profit, but they could meet your other career needs in terms of progression opportunities or work-life balance. The key is to assess your list of “must-haves” for this role, and identify where salary sits on this list.
2. Work with a recruiter
Next, arrange a meeting with a recruiter who can put you forward for suitable roles. In your meeting, your recruiter will ask about your salary expectations. When they do, it’s best to be completely open and honest with them. After all, even though you have done your own research, your recruiter also knows the market rate for your role and level of experience. Furthermore, they know what their clients are able to offer. You may be asking for too little or too much – and it’s best you find this out sooner rather than later.
Rest assured, the recruiter will keep salary information confidential, and only disclose this to the client who is going to be interviewing you, which takes me onto my next point.
3. Get ready to talk money during the interview
The next step in the recruitment process is to attend interviews that your recruiter arranges with employers who are hiring. The hiring managers you meet with will be aware of your salary expectations, but very rarely will they try to discuss this directly with you in the interview. Instead, these conversations typically happen via your recruiter. However, be prepared to discuss your salary expectations on the rare chance the hiring manager raises the topic with you directly. Go into the interview with a clear idea of your salary expectations, based on your discussions with your recruiter. If they want to discuss salary further, particularly if they want to negotiate and lock in a figure, you can advise them to speak to your recruiter who will negotiate on your behalf.
Make sure you communicate confidence (read our advice on that here) in your salary discussions by sitting up straight, making eye contact and answering simply, avoiding filler words such as “just”, “might” “like” and “um”. For instance, rather than saying, “I feel like I want X amount ideally, just because of Y and Z. But what do you think?” it is better to state, “I am looking for X amount”.
4. Prepare to negotiate via your recruiter
If the interviewer wants to make you an offer, they will do so via the recruiter. When you hear the offer, whatever you do, don’t accept a verbal offer there and then if you are not happy with it. Talk to your recruiter about the offer and ask if there is room to negotiate. Your recruiter can negotiate on your behalf without jeopardising the offer, so make sure you fully utilise their service.
You could also give your recruiter some bargaining chips in case your salary expectations can’t be met. For example, perhaps you would consider flexible working or training and development opportunities.
Being clear on when and how to talk salary is essential to your career, whether this is when you are applying for new roles or asking for a pay rise in your current one (read our blogs on negotiating a pay rise subject here). It takes practice, but you will soon find yourself able to confidently and assertively ask for what you deserve both now, and throughout your future career journey.
Job interview coming up? These blogs can help you ensure it’s a success. Read more related articles below:
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By the age of 12 I had attended seven schools including an international school in Bangkok and a public school in Sydney. I was born in Taiwan, raised in a number of countries across APAC and currently live in Singapore. I look Chinese but I speak with an Australian twang. I say twang because it is mixed with some strange American-like accent that is sported by most international school children – yes, even those who went to a British international school like me. I am a child of expatriate parents, and I am what you would refer to as a Third Culture Kid (TCK).
There is a unique sense of comradery that comes with working in a small-to-medium sized business (SME). While such comradery can of course be experienced in larger organisations too, in an SME it is amplified because there are fewer people involved in projects, and the roles are sometimes less rigidly defined. With SME employees often working outside the silos of their specific roles and pulling together when needed, there’s naturally a more unified culture.
A lot can happen in 60 internet seconds. It’s estimated that in just one minute we send over 29 million WhatsApp messages, 3.3 million Facebook posts, 448,000 Tweets and 150,000 emails. And as digital natives, i.e. a group who have grown up using the internet and mobile phones, I’m guessing you have probably communicated using at least one of these mediums in the past day, the past hour even.
As such, it’s probably also fair to assume that using technology is second nature to you, and that you are able to quickly grasp the latest online communication tools, from instant messaging to video conferencing, with relative ease. In fact, a recent study found that globally, 65% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer to communicate digitally both inside and outside of work. And whilst your digital literacy is one of the most coveted attributes today’s employers look for in candidates, there is perhaps a concern that this has come at the cost of one important soft skill: face-to-face communication.
No matter how much technology evolves, face-to-face communication will always be fundamental for employee learning, productivity, wellbeing, relationship-building and ultimately, career progression and good business. So how can you prove to an interviewer that you have the face-to-face communication skills that every employer is looking for?
1. Prove you can build a rapport with others
First off, when you arrive for your interview, greet everybody you are introduced to (regardless of whether they are your interviewer or not) with a warm smile, eye contact and a firm handshake. Whilst these people won’t make the final decision, they will often feed back to the interviewer.
Secondly, take steps to build a rapport with your interviewer. Listen intently as they speak, and be careful not to interrupt – pausing for a second before answering. After all, listening is a key part of effective communication.
You should also bear in mind that we mostly communicate through our body language. Looking around the room, leaning back in your chair or fidgeting a lot can imply your mind is elsewhere and that you are disengaged. On the other hand, positive body language, such as sitting up straight, leaning forward, and nodding and smiling as you are spoken to, will show the interviewer that you are paying attention and are engaged in the process.
You may also like to consider preparing questions to ask your interviewer about their own career journey within the business. This is another great way to build a connection. Some candidates hesitate to ask these questions in case this comes across as too invasive. However, more often than not, the interviewer will be flattered when a candidate shows an interest in their career journey, just as long as these questions are professionally and positively phrased. For instance, you could ask “what are your favourite aspects of working here?”
I would also advise double checking with your recruiter to find out if you are likely to be introduced to any other employees during the interview process. If so, prepare questions to ask your potential team members to further illustrate your rapport-building skills.
2. Answer the interview questions with confidence and clarity
Another common concern that we hear from our clients, is that because digital natives communicate so much online, and are thus used to being able to edit what they are about to say before they hit “send”, they are sometimes less confident and concise when it comes to standing up and speaking in front of others. Employers worry that this will be a hindrance when it comes to speaking in meetings, giving presentations or talking on conference calls.
You can actively tackle this concern during your interview by preparing to speak with conviction and answering interview questions confidently and clearly. Before your interview, follow some of the recommended confidence boosting steps, such as taking deep breaths, picturing positive outcomes and speaking with your recruiter who can put your mind at rest.
You should also practice answering common interview questions, and sticking to a structure in order to keep your response concise and relevant to the question asked. I would recommend the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action and Result):
Q: “You mention here on your CV that you have strong communication skills. Can you describe a time you applied these to a face-to-face situation?”
A:
(Situation) In my current role, we recently launched a new service for our clients.
(Task) As a key account manager, I was asked to pitch the service to one of my accounts. The objective of the pitch was to communicate the unique selling points of this product.
(Action) I prepared my points thoroughly and practiced pitching to my boss. I was receptive to my boss’s feedback and adapted my communication style so that it was more simplified and used less jargon.
(Result) My pitch was well-received by the client who not only understood the service, but rolled it out within their business shortly after the meeting, which increased our monthly revenue by 15 per cent.
3. Be responsive in your communications, both before and after the interview
Lastly, your interviewer won’t just be assessing your communication skills during the interview itself, they will also be looking at how communicative and responsive you are before and after as well. For instance, they may well consider how quickly you respond to emails and phone calls, and how forthcoming you are in opening up the lines of communication yourself, albeit this will all be via your recruiter – but your recruiter will feed this information back to their client nonetheless.
Therefore, I would advise that you keep your phone close by both before and after the interview so you can respond quickly and easily. You should also be proactive in contacting the interviewer via your recruiter after the interview to thank them for their time and to reiterate your interest in the position.
No matter how much we evolve our online communications, nothing can replace the human interaction needed to build lasting professional relationships that can power your career forward. And just because you are a digital native, it doesn’t mean you don’t have the face-to-face communication skills needed to thrive in the world of work. I know this and you know this, it’s just a case of taking pro-active, smart steps to prove this to the interviewer.
Job interview coming up? These blogs will help you ensure it’s a success:
