No matter what stage of your career you’re at, the old job interview never seems to get any easier. It doesn’t matter if you’re vying for a promotion or trying to break into a new industry; the interview format often remains the same.
While you’re prepping for your job interview, it’s normal to focus on the guaranteed (if ever-so irritating) questions, such as ‘What are your weaknesses?’ and ‘Describe yourself in three words’ (how about ‘anxious’ and ‘slightly sweaty’?).
When the inevitable ‘What are your salary questions?’ is asked towards the end of your interview, you may breathe a sigh of relief that it’s nearly over and gabble something along the lines of “I’ll take anything!” which – you realise later – might have made you sound a bit desperate.
Trust us, we’ve all been there. That’s why GLAMOUR chatted to Richard Evans, careers mentor and education expert at The Profs, and Dannielle Haig, a business psychologist, to find out why we’re all so rubbish at answering this question and – more importantly – what we can do about it.
It won’t come as a surprise to learn that women don’t negotiate their salaries as often, or effectively, as men.
In a report released to mark Equal Pay Day, the day in which women effectively stop earning, compared to their male counterparts, in November 2021, Glassdoor identified that half of the women in the workplace don’t feel confident enough to ask for a pay rise, and are 26% less likely than men to ask for an increase.
This problem starts with the initial salary negotiations during the job interview. As Fiona Hathorn, the CEO of Women on Boards UK, puts it:
“We know that simply asking for a pay rise in the right way will not fix decades of inequality or begin to address the systemic and structural barriers surround equal pay, but we also know that women have been socialised to be uncomfortable, hesitant and even apologetic when negotiating salary.”
Fiona emphasises the importance of negotiate your starting salary, saying it can “make a dramatic difference over the course of your career.” She adds, “In the book Women Don’t Ask it’s revealed that about 7% of women attempt to negotiate a starting salary, compared to 57% of men.”
Dannielle Haig attributes women’s reluctance to discuss salary expectations to a “complex mixture of neuroscience, culture, and environmental factors.” She explains that, “self-assessment studies also show that men tend to overrate themselves in their competencies whilst women will underrate themselves in their capabilities.
“This consequently has a huge impact on confidence and actual awareness of contributions to a business or team compared to men who are more likely to overestimate their contributions and abilities making them more confident and punchy when asking for a pay rise or negotiating a salary.”
Dannielle adds that, “women have always been subject to harsh criticism before they’ve even had the chance to talk based upon their looks, clothes, weight, style etc. I think that has had a damming impact on women’s confidence from the offset which solidifies self-belief and acknowledgement of worth in the workplace.”
Richard Evans argues that when it comes to answering questions about salaries, you need to do your research ahead of the interview. He recommends “look[ing] at salary comparison websites such as Glassdoor.co.uk and Prospects.ac.uk in advance so that you know the average salary range for your role.”
“Next, assess how much you want this role and how well you think you have performed in the application process. If you think you aced the interviews and that this company is just one of many similar roles for you ask for the highest salary bracket in the job description (or else from your research).”
“On the other hand, if you really think this role is the perfect next step in your career and haven’t performed your best, aim towards the lower end of the range – you can always ask for a promotion once you have secured the role.”
“It will amaze you how much power you have over your own salary. Simply decide your target figure in advance, and when asked the dreaded question, coolly state that number and offer no explanation (or apology) for it!”
For more from Glamour UK’s Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
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