How to deal with “you are overqualified” and “exceed our salary range” barriers Part 2

In part 2 of our series on overcoming the “nos” around dealing with your salary expectations in an interview, let’s put ourselves in the shoes of the employer.They have 100% more applicants than usual and have to find a sifting method to whittle the list down to manageable proportions.

And the most basic sifting criteria is salary.

If you're out of the range they won't even move to the next step or interview. Because if you exceed their salary range, they fear they will not be able to keep you. The consequence to the employer in hiring an "overqualified" person who doesn’t end up staying is the cost to hire, to train, the time they lose inducting a new employee, etc.  That is why companies instruct managers and recruiters to stay away from "overqualified" candidates.

The reality of the economic situation however, is that salary growth will remain static for the near future. In fact, most people can expect to take a drop.  But many company selection processes are lagging behind.

To avoid getting into a no win situation over salary negotiations consider these approaches:

• If you hear the salary range is not enough for you to survive on, then thank them and move on quickly to the next opportunity.
• If you are still interested at the salary level on offer and you're willing to take it to get your foot in the door, then the approach of “ I'm aware that my previous salaries were higher than what you are offering, but at this point in my career, it's more about the opportunity than the compensation”.  To make that statement credible, you have to reiterate your passion for the role, your unique value proposition and how you match up with the competencies of the role and the culture of the organisation.

Investing time in getting your job search strategy right, pays dividends down the line. For more information on salary negotiations and Career Management Strategies, contact Katherine Wiid of Recrion at 01780 484910 or visit www.recrion.co.uk.