Dear Liz,
What's the correct response to, "You're perfect for the job -- but you're too expensive!"?
I wouldn't mind hearing, "You're too expensive" when I'm discussing a job opportunity on the phone. That wouldn't bother me.
That's not the way it's worked out, though. I've only heard, "You're too expensive" after I've already wasted time interviewing -- sometimes multiple times.
They knew before they met me how much it would cost to hire me. My interviews were scheduled by third-party recruiters. I wouldn't have gone to the interview unless we had a general understanding that they could pay me what I ask.
I've even had VPs tell me face-to-face, "We're willing to pay $X [much more than I expect] for the right person."
I sometimes think they throw around big numbers just to impress me and the other candidates -- to signal "You're nothing special -- we could pay someone a lot more than you'll ever get paid."
A VP told me that he was ready to pay twice what I'm looking for to get the right person for the job. Then a week later the recruiter called me and said the client loved me but they're not ready to pay my "high" salary.
How should I respond, if I should respond at all?
Thanks,
Margaret
Dear Margaret,
No response is necessary or advised. If they don't want to pay what you know you are worth, the conversation is over.
The more job search and interviewing experience you accumulate, the sharper your senses become.
Over time you learn how to spot frauds and scammers earlier and earlier in the process. It's sad that we have to talk about frauds and scammers when we're talking about hiring managers and HR folks at employers who could potentially hire you -- but we must!
There are job search scams all over the place. For instance, unethical leaders justify the practice of leading job seekers on and interviewing them multiple times just to milk them for free consulting advice. Their rationalization is, "We didn't have to pry the free consulting advice out of those candidates -- they offered it of their own free will."
You cannot simply sync up on salary requirements versus salary budget and assume you and your hiring manager have an understanding. You have to dig deeper. Beyond asking, "Can you afford to pay me $x?" you have to zero in on the Business Pain afflicting your hiring manager - that is, your possible next boss.
There is always some kind of Business Pain lurking behind a job ad. You cannot waste your time in the interview wanly answering questions. You have to probe for the Business Pain.
If you can get your hiring manager to talk about his or her pain, you will see them get energized. All of a sudden, the interview will be a much more important conversation to them than it had been before.
If you lose the thread and stop talking about your manager's pain, he or she will disengage or become bored. Sticking with the manager's pain is the key to your successful interview.
If you are talking about pain and you're hitting the mark, your manager is likely to jump to the next logical step in his or her pain relief quest and ask you, "What will it cost to get you on board?"
When the manager sees a way out of their pain they want to know whether or not they can afford it. That's the natural question for a manager to ask you when they've decided they need you.
That's when you have leverage, too. If you name a number and they say, "That will work" and then later they say, "You're too expensive" it's not that you're really too expensive -- it's just that they slept on it and talked about it and decided to take their chances with a more modestly-priced candidate.
They wanted what you bring but they couldn't step up to making the investment.
That's fine.
Is the manager's money-saving solution a wise or foolish one? We don't know. It doesn't matter. You don't have time or energy to sell anyone on your value. If you are clear about the contribution you can make and its economic value to your next employer then you have no reason to back off from your salary target.
If they want to hire someone cheaper, then they should. You certainly don't want the job if they offer it to you and immediately start second-guessing their decision to hire you at your "high" salary. That would be excruciating!
Just move on. God bless the managers who don't hire you. You have nothing to teach them, and no reason to try. You have a brilliant path to follow.
You're far too busy to linger anywhere your talent is unappreciated!
All the best,
Liz
