Asking about pay in a job interview

[TicklingTips]

Wise TMF members, do you, as a prospective employee or employer, think it's acceptable for someone in a job interview to ask what the pay will be? I've always done it and never had a negative reaction to it. In one interview I was told I was the first person who had asked that, but I still got the job. To me, it's just necessary information - that's the money you have to live on! But others have advised me it gives a bad impression. Thoughts?

 

[duderino84]

It makes it sound like you're in a rush. I never bring it up. Then again, I'm not sure I could get paid worse than where I am...

 

[desdemona]

I expect to hear if the person I'm interviewing has salary requirements. In person (or in the advertisement for the job), I will normally give a pay range so that we don't waste each others' time if we aren't in the same ballpark.

 

[milagros317]

I would expect to be asked by the candidate what the starting salary will be, unless it was specified already in the advertisement for the job.

 

[chicago]

Yeah, if it wasn't brought up either pre-interview (sometimes it's listed in the job ad or something) and it's not mentioned during the interview, I bring it up at the end when the interviewer typically asks if I've got any questions. I feel like it would create a worse situation if you were to take the job only to find it didn't pay enough to cover your needs and then you either have to get a second job, possibly causing you to perform poorly at your first or cause schedule conflicts, or you have to quit which has to be frustrating for an employer since they have to re-train someone else all over again. Might not always be the case, I'm just thinking in terms of my job lol

 

[FootballGuy]

Nothing wrong with it. Really the company hiring should post that info in the job description anyways. Personally, I always advertise what I pay when contracting work out so there's no confusion.

 

[camble4eva]

Personally I have always left this until the end of the interview but have always put the question as "can you please advise what the package is?".....so your not just putting it down to money