Job seekers are keen to hear employers talk about the salary and they expect transparency at every step— from the job interview to the time they’ve become a long term employee.
As a manager, it is important to know what type of questions job seekers are going to ask. You want to prepare yourself well to this part. Knowing how to answer and act will help you attract excellent employees to work with you for a long period of time.
What can I do to get a promotion?
Specify the criteria for promotion so you can tell your employee exactly what those are, but remember to choose your words appropriately and always be careful not to over deliver. Breaking a promise can result in decreased productivity and quality of work, it could also be a factor of an employee’s resignation, or worse, it could end up in a lawsuit.
How is my salary determined?
Different companies will have different methods of determining salaries and most salaries are usually determined by the candidate’s applicable knowledge, relevant educational degrees, skills, and abilities, relevant experience and performance history.
Employees will want to know what factors influence internal equality. They need to perceive that they are paid fairly compared to their coworkers. It is wise to be transparent about your company’s pay structure and to be straightforward about the payment system.
Being transparent will prevent employees feeling undervalued and to leave their job. When employees believe that they are being paid fairly, they will increase their loyalty to the company which will bring many long term benefits for both the company and the employee.
If your company isn’t transparent about the payment system, it could also lead to the following question.
Am I being paid fairly?
This question might be the hardest one when the employee is actually underpaid. Most managers want to avoid this question, but it’s best to always provide an answer. If they are underpaid, tell them how they can earn more and provide details on where they stand salary-wise, but again, don’t over promise on anything.
Instead, make a salary adjustment if you think the employee has excellent skill and performance but is underpaid. On the other hand, when the employees are already paid fairly, tell them with the reason why they are already making a fair salary. This will make them feel respected and valued.
Why I don’t make as much money as my coworkers?
Employees usually do research on how much their coworkers are earning. It is actually fairly easy for them to do so; they can directly ask their coworkers about it. When they find out that they don’t earn as much as a colleague with similar skills, they may feel very upset. Set up a meeting to discuss this matter, and then you can decide if a salary adjustment will needed to be made.
Can I get a raise?
There are some factors that you can consider when an employee asks this question: their performance, the financial situation of your company, and the time they ask it. If the employee’s performance and achievement are outstanding, your company is financially stable to offer a raise, and the time is right, then it is appropriate to have a conversation about the raise.
If this question is asked when your company isn’t growing, tell them the truth and show them that you value them but it isn’t the right time. If the employee isn’t performing very well, you can tell them what they need to work on to earn a raise, tell them how you think they can get there. The key is to always be honest and transparent with your employees.
