How to Make Sure “Binders Full of Women” Get Equal Pay

Jim Hopkinson, Salary.com contributing writer

Politics. Women. Money.

When you’re talking about those three subjects, you’re either watching a Presidential debate or sitting at a very interesting dinner party.

One of the hot topics coming out of the October 16 town hall presidential debate was the subject of fair hiring practices for women. As Mitt Romney told a story about his push to hire more women in his cabinet, he uttered the phrase “Binders full of women” in reference to the stacks of resumes of qualified candidates that were brought to him. Continue Reading

10 Salary Negotiation Myths

Jim Hopkinson, Salary.com contributing writer

A rough translation of a myth could be “a legendary story, usually concerning a hero or event, especially one that is concerned with deities or some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.”

Many people play up salary negotiation as some kind of mythical exploit, as if a Cyclops from human resources was guarding a 10 percent salary increase. Perhaps only few select heroes can effectively navigate this rite of passage and pierce the heavily guarded castle.

In reality, as author Selena Rezvani puts it, a negotiation can simply be “a conversation that ends in agreement.” So before you retreat back over the drawbridge, let’s take a look at the other definition of a myth — a falsehood — and see if we can come out victorious. Continue Reading

6 Salary Negotiation Tips for Recent College Grads

Are you interviewing for a new job and getting the point where the hiring manager, recruiter, or other human resource professional is asking you how much money you want? If so, welcome to the world of salary negotiations. Don’t dread it. Embrace it. You’re in a rare position to substantially impact your compensation by helping to convince your future employer how much you deserve to be paid. These six salary negotiation tips may just make the difference between you being underpaid and therefore probably being unhappy versus you being paid what you deserve and therefore more likely to be happy in your new job: Continue Reading

Salary Talk During the Job Interview

Even though you may have gone through a phone screening that involved answering questions about salary, the subject may come again as the interviewer becomes more interested in hiring you. At this point the interviewer want to know whether they can “afford you.” This is a very tricky part of the interview and could even break your chances of getting the job. Tread lightly and protect your information is the rule.
Here are some sample questions and answers to assist you in formulating your own answers to questions about salary during the interview. Some of the answers are stronger than others and some will fit certain situations better than others. You will want to use your own words to answer this type of question however these examples will provide words to use that may be more affective in answering these difficult questions.
Q “What are Your Salary Expectations?”
A#1 – “I was making $60,000 at my last job, plus bonuses. I would be expecting at least that and a 15-20% increase.:
(This is not a good answer)
A#2 – “I’m sure whatever you offer will be a fair amount for a person with my qualifications. Salary is not the most important factor to me. I’m looking for opportunity.”
(This is a somewhat weak answer)
A#3 – “I really need more information about the job before we start to discuss salary. I’d like to postpone that discussion until later. Maybe you could tell me what is budgeted for the position, and how your commission structure works.”
(This is the best answer)

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