How to avoid disclosing current salary
Currently in talks with the CEO of a small international startup (less than 10 total members spread across 4 countries). My existing profile is an exact match for what they are looking for in a candidate (they are implementation partners of my existing company's software). I am pretty close to closing it but now he wishes to know my existing salary. I tried to avoid sharing it but he wants to know it before quoting anything to me. I wish to get a huge raise (80-100%) since i will be moving from a known brand to an unknown startup with all the skills they need and more from Day 1. Any tips on how I can handle this situation?
Talking product sense with Ridhi
9 min AI interview5 questions
Are you currently employed? If yes, here's what you can do:
Assume you are at 100 and you need 200 and you need to reveal your current salary. Tell the CEO that your appraisal cycle is in Jan/Feb and you're anyway expecting 180. 200 then is a fair ask.
I think this is the best way to do.. In my case the earlier company was a startup.. So i went like, my company has recently raised a funding based on my idea / the work i did.. So definitely i expect a very high raise with promotion.. So i expect the new company to match it with a shade higher.. It generally works if company has the potential to pay higher.. But be prepared to answer smartly if they ask why do you switch company then when they value your work...
What would you reply to this,"why do you switch company then when they value your work?"
When you do want to answer a question . ask a question
So you can probably ask what does he have in mind. Massage it like -I am sure you would done some research on it/ I know that u know the importance of this role and would have allocated a budget as market standards etc etc
Or 😈 play like - I hope you are not asking as you are also trying to pay X% on current salary like mediocre companies do
Just random ideas - but yes can play around this
Sort of tried it, but he didn't budge and basically ended the conversation saying, we'll talk further after you share the numbers.
Ohk .. understandable
He probably wants to keep fixed cost down
Last leg of negotiation - pitch him a good percent of profits as bonus.
-(Just thinking from other side )
Tell them plain and simple. Last salary was x. I'm expecting close to 2x because of the risk involved in leaving established brand for your startup.
Nothing unreasonable, no lies or games, also be prepared to walk away if they don't give you what you want. That's how you really win a negotiation.
Well, I just quoted a higher number than my expectation and refused to accept the offer, negotiated hard because I wasn’t afraid of losing the offer. I was also in the process of interviewing for other companies that were okay to pay my expectations. I was nowhere close to landing them, but used that card and they met me midway which I was happy with.
