New York City is the latest part of the US to consider a bill that would make it illegal for employers to ask job candidates about their salary history. Massachusetts and Philadelphia have already passed similar legislation in an effort to close the gender pay gap. With New York City noting its desire to adopt this policy, many legislators wonder how long it will take for support of this legislation to come from their constituents. This might leave you wondering how you’re supposed to craft a fair offer for a potential employee for the job they’re interviewing for. Here are five things you can ask a candidate to understand their compensation requirements without directly asking about their salary.
- What is important to you when you’re looking at a total compensation plan for your next role?
When you ask a candidate this question, they’ll likely talk about which parts of their compensation are meaningful to them beyond just their salary. They’ll likely talk about how they feel the cost of their medical and dental insurance rate in comparison to other positions in their field, and give you insight as to whether their role is bonus eligible or not. They might even allude to how their short/long commute figures into the cost of their overall compensation. As a hiring manager, you should get an understanding from this answer if the candidate is looking at their compensation beyond their salary, of if they’re so focused on their salary, some of the more intangible pieces of their compensation aren’t being figured into how they’re measuring their total package.
- Have you ever managed anyone before? If so,what were the responsibilities of the team you managed?
No matter what industry you’re in, the fact that someone has managed a team has likely impacted their level of compensation. Additionally, the answer to this question will also tell you the scope of their management responsibilities, and other talents that might not have shown up on their resume. If you’re familiar with the company that they’re currently at, based on the size of the team they’ve managed, and the area they’re working in, you can likely assume a fairly accurate salary range.
- Are you feeling like your current compensation is below market average? Would you say that undercompensation is a reason you’re looking for a new opportunity?
The candidate’s answer will indicate how salary sensitive they currently are, and how much research they’ve done on your company and your competitors. The candidate may tell you what they think the market average is, and explain how their current compensation fares in comparison to their research. Even more importantly, if it’s not an underwhelming salary that is causing them to want to seek new opportunities, this might be where they give you more insight into what they’re unhappy with at their current employer. This can give you insight into what they’re looking for in terms of culture, leadership, career progression, and work style.
- What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career so far?
The answer to this question will give you insight into what this candidate values, and could focus on if they were to join your team. It will likely also tell you if this candidate went after the opportunity that led this this accomplishment, of if leadership hand picked them to lead the initiative/project/implementation. This might tell you if this candidate is a “shining star” in their organization, or is likely to take initiative, or both. It may also give you a greater understanding of how closely this person works with the leadership within their organization, and whether or not they would appreciate an even higher profile role, or if that isn’t a factor in them looking outside of their current organization for new opportunities.
- What will make you feel like you’re being set up for success in your next role?
This gives the candidate the option to re-emphasize the answers they gave to questions one and three, or even add to their list of “must have’s.” The candidate may also explain what isn’t important to them that they currently have at their company. Again, this will give you some insight into their values, and some context around how they may or may not fit with your current team.
Discussing salary is always a little uncomfortable, but with the new guidelines that New York City is proposing, the way you get to the heart of the matter may need to change to comply with new potential legislation. While we can still ask direct questions about salary history and expectations in Minnesota, you may want to get accustomed to talking about money in a way that will comply with what New York City is proposing, and Massachusetts and Philadelphia have already put in place.