Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Q: I've been with my company for about 10 years; it's my second job out of college. I've been interviewing for other positions and am often asked about my current salary. I have done my homework and know that I am underpaid by about $15,000 for the position I am in. In fact, people hired in a level below me often get hired at the same salary I make. I know that companies I interview with will make offers based on the salary I make now, but even at a 15% higher salary, I'd not be making up the difference. How can I be honest about my current salary but also command the salary I deserve at a new company?

我已经为现在的公司卖命工作了10年，这是我大学毕业后的第2份工作。我一直在面试其它的职位，经常被问及目前的收入。经过一番调查，我发现现在工作的职位，公司大约少付给我15000美元。事实上，级别比我低的员工经常和我拿一样的薪水。我知道我去面试的公司会根据我现在工资来给我定薪，但即使薪水比现在高出15%，也弥补不了差价。我该怎样在如实承认现有工资的同时，让新老板支付给我更多薪水呢？

A: You've definitely got the right idea to be honest about your current salary. Potential employers can always find out what you earn and it would be the end of an opportunity if a company found out at a later date that you lied about your salary. "It reflects your ethics," says Sheryl Spanier, an executive career management consultant¹ in New York.

显然你诚实地透露当前的薪水是正确的。新老板一定会知道你现在赚多少。如果以后他发现你对收入撒了谎，那么你就得不到这个工作机会了。纽约职业管理执行顾问谢乐尔•斯巴涅尔说：“这反映了你的道德水平”。

To get what you think you deserve, you'll definitely want to know why you have been underpaid. Is it because you have had marginal performance, is the company or industry struggling or is the company bad at managing salaries? Perhaps you stayed on because of challenging assignments even though raises were paltry² and you see now that the best way to make more money is to jump to another firm. Once you get a handle on why you've be underpaid, you'll be better able to explain it honestly in an interview.

要获得你认为应得的收入，你肯定会想了解为什么现在的收入那么少。是因为你的表现不佳吗？还是因为公司或行业不景气？或公司工资方面管理不善？也许你呆在现在的岗位是因为虽然加薪渺茫，但工作内容很富有挑战性；而现在你明白了要赚更多的钱，最好的方式是跳槽。一旦你了解了为什么收入偏低，你就能更好地在面试中做出诚实的解释。

Recruiters and human resources personnel ask this question because they want to know where you fit into their compensation structure -- not necessarily to figure out how little they can pay you. But, there are ways to get around giving a specific number at the beginning of the interview or even shifting the focus of the question when asked about your current salary. The first thing to keep in mind is that companies are most interested in your experience. They want to know that the person they're offering a position to can handle the everyday challenges on the job. "Be very clear about how your experience and talent fits directly with the new position," says Andrea Eisenberg, a senior human resources consultant in New York.

招聘人员和人力资源部人员问这个问题是因为他们希望知道你在他们公司的薪金结构中处于哪个位置，不一定就是想了解能少付你多少钱。但是，在面试初期，当被问及目前工资时，你可以先回避明确数字甚至转移问题焦点。要记住，公司最感兴趣的是你的经验。他们希望知道，他们要雇的这个人在日后工作中能够游刃有余。纽约资深人力资源顾问安德里亚•艾森伯格说：“要很清晰地说明，你的工作经验和才能正好与职位的要求相吻合。”

Then, when the conversation gets around to a hiring manager's question about what you're making, Paul Gavejin, managing director of Total Compensation Solutions, a compensation consulting firm in Armonk, N.Y. suggests asking a few questions in return. You might say: “I’d be happy to tell you, but first, I'd really like to know what you think this job is worth?" or "What is the salary range for this job?" You could also reply with by shifting the subject and saying, "I'm looking at jobs in this salary range." It might also help to adjust your thinking when you respond. Think in terms of total compensation, and not just salary alone. To that end, you might respond, "My salary is X, my annual bonus is Y and the employer contribution to my 401(k) is Z. All totaled, my current compensation package is worth $(X+Y+Z)."

保罗•盖文金是来自纽约州阿蒙克市的一家薪金咨询公司“全薪建议”的常务董事。他建议，当招聘经理问你赚多少时，你可以反问他一些问题。你可以说：“我很乐意告诉你，但是首先我想知道你认为这个职位值多少?”或者“这个职位的工资大概处于什么范围？”你还可以这样转移话题：“我想要找的工作，薪水大概处于这个范围。”这也可以帮助你在回答过程中调整思路。在考虑收入时要计算全部所得，而不仅仅是工资。最后，你可以说：“我的收入是X，我的年终分红是Y，雇主会替我交纳的退休金补贴是Z。 所以，我的当前收入是(前3者合计数）。”

Another tactic³ might be to tell the interviewer that you appreciate that they have asked you about your compensation but that you won't be making your decision about the job based solely⁴ on that criteria⁵ alone, says Ms. Spanier. "Tell them you're looking for an opportunity for growth, career development, and the ability to make a contribution," she says. You could also say that the job you did for ten years is a very different position than the one for which you are applying, even though the skills are similar.

斯巴涅尔女士称，另一个策略就是告诉面试人员你尊重对方对你的收入的提问，但是你不会只根据这个标准来做出决定。她说：“告诉他们你正在寻找上升空间、谋求职业发展、以及寻找提高自身能力并为公司做出贡献的机会。” 你还可以说，虽然工作技能类似，你已经做了10年的那份工作和现在应聘的很不一样。

Clearly, you only want to deflect⁶ the question up to a point, otherwise you'll start to annoy the hiring manager. The idea is to try to get as much information as you need about the position and salary range before you disclose your previous salary. "The goal is not to get screened out before you can fully⁷ explore your candidacy," says Ms. Spanier.

显然，你只想部分回避这个问题。如果绝口不提，你就会惹招聘经理生气了。 要尽可能地在透露目前薪资水平之前，获得关于面试职位以及工资范围的更多信息。 斯巴涅尔女士说：“宗旨是在确定自己会成为职位候选人之前，不要出局。”

If the interviewer insists on knowing what you're currently earning at the start of the interview, it's best to have a few already-thought out answers in your mind that can explain your low pay. "You'll want to do a little explaining about how you've been at the organization a long time and while you're not looking to leave based solely on salary, you would expect to be paid fair market value when you make a move," says Ray Skiba, director of human resources for Streck Inc. a medical-device company in Omaha, Neb.

如果面试官最开始就执意问你的当前收入，那么最好准备一些现成的回答来解释收入为什么偏低。位于内布拉斯加州奥马哈的斯特克医疗器械公司人力资源部门主管瑞•斯科巴说：“你可以解释自己在原来公司的呆了这么久，没有只因为收入而辞职。在当你找新工作时，希望获得公平的薪酬。”

Perhaps your company traditionally gives out very low annual increases or froze raises altogether for the last few years -- mention that or say that while the company provided many on the job challenges, it didn't offer much in the way of compensation. "It is pretty common that people who have been with companies a while don't often keep up with the typical salary ranges" adds Mr. Skiba. You might want to share a recent performance appraisal⁸ to make clear that your salary issues aren't a matter of performance.

也许你原来的公司一直以来年度加薪都很低，或是这几年根本没加薪。你可以说出这一点，并且表示虽然工作很有挑战性，可是公司待遇方面却没有什么竞争力。斯科巴先生还说：“很多人在公司工作一定时间后，都不能获得应得的薪金，这是很常见的。” 你也许可以通过一份最近的业绩评估报告来表明你的工资水平与你的工作表现无关。

Mr. Skiba says whatever you do, don't be too pushy⁹. "Show your value on the job and you'll be taken care of," he says. If you get the feeling that's not the case before you take a new job, "you won't want to work there anyway," Mr. Skiba adds.

斯科巴先生还认为，不论你如何应对，态度不要太强硬。他说：“表现出你在工作中的价值，雇主就会考虑你。” 接受工作之前，如果你发现情况和你预计的差别太大，“那你也不会想去那里工作。”