I recently saw a LinkedIn post on which an interviewer complained about a job seekers asking about the organization’s compensation and rewards package in an interview. The interviewer called the question “surface level” and recommended (s)he ask better questions.
With just a quick Google search, it’s easy to tell he’s not the only interviewer/recruiter to think this. Heck, here’s an article by a highly respected HR blogger on Inc., 2 Reasons Why Asking About Salary in The First Interview is A Big Mistake. No disrespect – I honestly love J.T.. But, this is bull.
Job Seekers Must Be Able to Afford Their Jobs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs says that basic human needs must be fulfilled in order to realize higher satisfaction. To continue, the US Census bureau shares 39.7 million people were living in poverty in 2017. Similarly, 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. So, yes, in an ideal world people should find the job and organization that most satisfies them. However, at the most basic level, people work to put food on the table and shelter over their heads. When job hunting, it’s critical that people understand whether the position that interests them can fulfill these most basic human needs.
Interviews Are a Two Way Street
Moreover, interviews are not only for organizations to get to know candidates, but for candidates to get to know the company, job, and see if the complete package is worth continuing a conversation. In my opinion, compensation and benefits actually do share a lot about an organization. They go beyond recruitment marketing and employer branding and share real insight into a company’s culture, people philosophy, values, and more. This is how a candidate can tell if a company “walks the walk” and not just “talks the talk.” For example, if a company says, “we care about you,” but doesn’t offer a livable wage and doesn’t provide a reasonable amount of benefits, a candidate can tell that the company probably doesn’t actually care.
Read the full article on LinkedIn.