What is a good way to feel out a company for salary expectations?

Honestly I didn’t find a method. You could put salary requirements on your resume if you’ve been in a field long enough and know what you should be getting paid. I once talked them up a dollar an hour…. But I’m not sure really how to go about doing that.

If they hire you, they will make you a salary offer then. You can take it under advisement, and then ask for more if you feel it necessary. Usually companies go with their best offer first to get a new employee to jump at joining them.

The best way, I think, is to not be too coy.

If you know the job, the industry, the area and the competition, then you should have a good idea of what the salary range is before you even apply for the job. Obviously it’s not always possible to know all of that, if you’re new to an area, an industry, a particular job or new to employment in general.

In those cases, you should ask the hiring agent early in the interview process what the salary range is. There’s no sense in pursuing a job that you won’t want once offerered. The HR person will understand that it’s a time-saving (and perfectly appropriate) question if you’re unsure of any of the foregoing. No one wants to waste time on an interview that will come to naught.

Do your research. Here’s one salary finder. I’m sure there are many others. So know what the competitive salaries are and have lots of good reasons why you are worth that much. It’s helpful if you have two job offers so you can always go elsewhere in that situation.

Always allow the company to bring up the subject of salary. Never bring that up yourself. When they ask you what your salary expectations are, you should be ready with a range that covers what you think a resonable expectation is. A very good practice is to name on the low side a minimal salary you expect, and a high side about $2,000 above that figure. So for a job you would refuse if they didn’t pay you a yearly minimum of $60,000 you would give a range of $60,000 to $62,000

@CaptainHarley Why would you give a range? People will always go for the lowest number they know you will accept. Or even lower, just to test you.

It’s a way of YOU testing THEM. If they truly want you, they will probably offer the middle number first. In our example above, that would be $61,000 per year. It’s also an indication of your willingness ( and your ability ) to negotiate.

I once got up and walked out when offered less than the minimum amount I had indicated. They called me at home and offered me the maximum number. : )

To be honest, I only had to interview for one job in my life. When I did, I really negotiated. I gave a salary range between the lowest I would accept (I didn’t disclose that to the employer) and a reasonable higher amount hoping to get something in the middle. I also was proud of myself for asking to not have to wait for my benefits to start, which I got; and I also stood firm on my days off and hours.

Sometimes, as the price to them of your accepting your minimum, you can negotiate an early performance review and set a dollar amount increase for acceptable performance. There are many angles to the negotiation process, and if you allow yourself to relax, it can actually be a lot of fun. : )

I once told a prospective employer that, “Well, that number is kind of low, but that’s ok, as long as you’re willing to grant a 14% salary increase at six months if my performance is acceptable.” The guy’s mouth dropped open! LOL!

Of course, that was back in the days when prospective employees had a bit of leverage. I don’t know how that has changed now. But I DO know that employers are willing to pay top dollar for people they think are going to help them remain competitive. Playing “the salary game” is a big indicator for them that “this guy is a real hard-charger!”

Alot of this information can be found online when you look up the company you are interested in.
The employment office has this info too if the company registers with them. Try temp agencies too for info.

I have found that calling an employment agency to find this out can really work. Agencies used to work for the employee, by representing us for a small contingency fee, but I believe they only work for employers now.

@YARNLADY

Follow the money trail. Sigh! : (