Dear Jobsblog:
When and how is it appropriate to ask about salary, benefits and vacation time? I don’t want to seem like I’m just looking for money and perks, but, at the same time, this information is important to consider. How should I approach this? Whom should I ask these questions?

-All About The Benjamins (just kidding)
 

Dear Mr. (or Ms.) Benjamins:
Compensation (salary, benefits, etc.) is an important aspect of any job search. As a recruiter, it’s easy to forget how nerve-wracking this question can be for the candidate. After all, I answer it almost every day.

Questions relating to compensation are best dealt with early in the process and need to be treated with tact and care. By no means are they something that should be put off until the end or skipped over lightly. Candidates should approach compensation questions in terms of Who, When and How.

Who
The first thing to consider is whom you ask.  For this, your recruiter is your best resource. They have the most information on the position, know the salary ranges and are familiar with what is common for a specific team. That said – keep in mind that it can sometime be difficult for the recruiter to estimate compensation. Years of experience and current salary can sometimes act as a guide – but Microsoft is very much a “pay for performance” culture. The in-person interview will guide your salary far more than any other factors.

When
Next, is when to ask. I would suggest that the best opportunity is during your first phone interview with the recruiter. Obviously, you don’t want to comes across like compensation is your only motivation for a career change, but you also don’t want to get too involved in a process which was never meant to be. As both a candidate and a recruiter, it’s important that both sides have a clear understanding of reasonable expectations. Any experienced recruiter is sure to make compensation a part of their conversation even if you don’t breach the subject.

From my perspective, I don’t want to spend hours interviewing someone if I know up front we can’t match their salary (especially if there are other roles within the company which might). And it’s only fair that I should give this information back to a candidate or let them know what to expect as well.  I can’t imagine you’d want to spend weeks in a job search, only to be disappointed when the salary doesn’t match!  I know the world isn’t perfect and this happens occasionally… but when it does, it’s often because one side didn’t set clear enough expectations up front.

How
Finally, is how you ask. Again – the main point to consider is that you want to cover all the important details, without  making the impression that it is your only interest. I have a bit of a strong opinion here, in that if your main motivation lies somewhere else, it will come out naturally during the interview.  Compensation is a very important consideration – but is it the most important?  People tend to ask questions in the priority the place them – and if not – will often give that impression. Consider other aspects of the role or positions that are important to you and then segue into the more difficult topics.

In any case, do yourself a favor:  be very open and honest from the get go and it will pay you dividends in return. By setting clear expectations from the beginning, you can rest easy and focus on the really important pieces of the interview – like actually getting the job!

-Kenji