How to Answer “What Are Your Salary Expectations?”

如何回答“你的薪酬期望是多少？”

by Amy Gallo

Job interviews can feel awkward. You’re trying to prove you’re the right person for the role, but you never quite know what to expect or what your interviewer is really thinking about you. One of the most common interview questions — and one of the more awkward ones — is about salary. You know the one: What are your salary expectations?

面试可能会让人感到尴尬。你试图证明自己是这个职位的合适人选，但你永远不太确定会发生什么，或者面试官真正对你有什么看法。最常见的面试问题之一——也是比较尴尬的一个——是关于薪资的。你知道的：你的薪资期望是多少？

Even if you have a strong sense of your desired compensation, you — like many people — may struggle to answer this question. It can be particularly difficult if you’re interviewing for your first job, or if you’re in the early stages of your career, and aren’t sure what an appropriate entry-level salary might be. Tori Dunlap, a finance expert and founder of the organization Her First $100K, says that it’s in fact one of the hardest questions to answer. As she explains in this video, “You’re going to get asked about either your current salary or your salary expectations, and this always trips people up.”

即使你对自己的期望报酬有一个明确的认识，你——像许多人一样——可能在回答这个问题时会遇到困难。如果你正在面试你的第一份工作，或者你处于职业生涯的早期阶段，不确定合适的入门级薪资应该是多少，这可能会特别困难。财务专家、“她的第一个10万美元”组织的创始人托里·邓拉普表示，这实际上是最难回答的问题之一。正如她在这段视频中解释的那样，“你会被问及你的当前薪资或你的薪资期望，这总是让人们感到困惑。”

Many interviewees feel the need to respond with a specific number. But if you go too low, you might end up making less than they’re willing to pay. And if you go too high, you could price yourself out of the job. It pays to get this right, since your starting salary is often the basis for future compensation decisions, such as raises and bonuses. In other words, that initial figure will determine what you’re paid during your entire tenure at that company (no pressure!) so you want to get it as high as you can.

许多面试者觉得需要给出一个具体的数字。但如果你的数字过低，你最终可能会得到低于他们愿意支付的薪资。而如果你的数字过高，你可能会因此失去这份工作。正确回答这个问题是值得的，因为你的起始薪资通常是未来薪酬决策的基础，比如加薪和奖金。换句话说，那个初始数字将决定你在该公司任职期间的薪酬（没有压力！），所以你想尽可能地把它定得高一些。

Here’s some of HBR’s best advice on how to answer this complicated question so that you can go into your next interview feeling more prepared and confident.

以下是哈佛商业评论（HBR）关于如何回答这个复杂问题的一些最佳建议，这样你就可以在下一次面试中感到更加准备充分和自信。

Strategy #1: Redirect the conversation.

策略 #1：转移话题。

There are lots of reasons why you may not want to answer questions about salary directly. Perhaps you suspect that you’ve been underpaid in the past and anchoring with your previous or current salary would work against you. You don’t have to give a number. You have the right to protect your own interests. As career strategist John Lees says, “You’re not in a position to negotiate well because you’re still in unknown territory. The time to discuss salary is after they’ve fallen in love with you.” In that position, you’ll have more leverage and can feel more confident that you won’t lose out on money. There are also legal questions to consider.

你可能有多种原因不想直接回答关于薪资的问题。也许你怀疑自己过去被低估了，而以你之前的或当前的薪资作为基准会对你不利。你不必给出一个数字。你有权利保护自己的利益。正如职业战略家约翰·利斯所说：“因为你还在未知领域，所以你不在一个好的谈判位置上。讨论薪资的时机是在他们已经爱上你之后。”在那个位置上，你将拥有更多的筹码，并且可以更有信心地相信你不会在金钱上吃亏。同时，还有一些法律问题需要考虑。

Unfortunately, many job candidates go into interviews not knowing what is and isn’t legally allowed. In fact, there’s a close cousin to the salary expectations question that is illegal to ask in many U.S. states: What is your current salary (or your previous salary)? or What were you making in your last role?

不幸的是，许多求职者在面试时并不知道什么合法，什么不合法。实际上，与薪资期望问题密切相关的一个问题在许多美国州是非法的：你的当前薪资是多少（或者你之前的薪资）？或者你上一份工作的收入是多少？

Asking about salary history has been outlawed in certain places because research has shown that it contributes to pay disparities and furthers gender and racial inequities. Here is a list of states in the U.S. where this question is currently banned. (Though be sure to search to find the most recent information that applies to where you live since these laws often change and work in different ways.)

询问薪资历史在某些地方已被禁止，因为研究表明这会导致薪资差距，并加剧性别和种族不平等。以下是目前禁止这个问题的美国各州的列表。（不过一定要搜索以找到适用于你所在地的最新信息，因为这些法律经常变化，并且以不同的方式运作。）

Here are two ways to redirect the conversation:

以下是两种转移关于薪资期望问题对话的方法：

1. Turn the question around and ask about their budget.

将问题反转，询问他们的预算。

Dunlap’s advice is to respond with something along the lines of: I actually don’t understand the full scope of the role at this point in the process to accurately price myself, but I would love to know the budgeted salary range.

If the interviewer is forthcoming about their budget, they’ll likely want to know whether that meets your expectations. It’s OK to be vague at this point and say:

That’s helpful to know. If you were to offer me the job, is there room to negotiate?

Dunlap的建议是回答类似这样：

"实际上，在目前这个阶段，我还不了解这个职位的全部范围，因此无法准确给自己定价，但我非常想知道预算的薪资范围。"

如果面试官愿意透露他们的预算，他们很可能想知道这是否符合你的期望。此时你可以模糊地回答：

"这很有帮助。如果你们提供给我这份工作，是否有谈判的空间？"

2. Move past the question and go back to your qualifications.

绕过问题，回到你的资质上。

You could say something like: I’m still trying to fully understand the role and what’s involved. I’d love to continue talking about my qualifications and why I think I’m a fit for the position.

Or:

That’s not something I’m comfortable answering, but I’m happy to talk about my qualifications for this role.

你可以说类似这样的话：

"我还在努力完全理解这个职位和它所涉及的内容。我很想继续讨论我的资质，以及为什么我认为自己适合这个职位。"

或者：

"这不是我愿意回答的问题，但我很高兴谈论我对这个职位的资质。"

There’s no doubt that these responses can feel like you’re dodging the question or refusing to answer it and that may be uncomfortable for you and the interviewers. Given the stakes here, this small moment of discomfort is likely worth it.

毫无疑问，这些回答可能会让你觉得你在回避问题或拒绝回答，这可能会让你和面试官感到不舒服。考虑到这里的利害关系，这种短暂的不适很可能是值得的。

Strategy #2: Offer a salary range.

策略 #2：提供一个薪资范围。

You may feel like you have enough information to answer the question or perhaps your attempts to deflect haven’t worked and the interviewer is pressing you for a response. In that case, you might consider giving a range.

你可能觉得自己已经掌握了足够的信息来回答问题，或者也许你尝试转移话题没有成功，面试官正在逼迫你给出回应。在这种情况下，你可能会考虑给出一个薪资范围。

To go this route, you’ll want to do your salary research before your interview so you have a realistic idea of the typical salary range for the role and can provide an informed response. In some places, employers are required to include a salary range on the job posting. That will give you the best sense of what they’re willing to pay, and will allow you place yourself within that range. You’ll want to compare your experience and qualifications with the job description to determine where in the range you might fit.

要采取这种方法，你需要在面试之前进行薪资调查，这样你才能对这个职位的典型薪资范围有一个现实的认识，并能提供知情的回答。在某些地方，雇主被要求在职位发布中包含薪资范围。这将给你最好的了解他们愿意支付的薪资，并将允许你将自己置于那个范围内。你将想要将你的经验和资质与职位描述进行比较，以确定你可能适合的范围位置。

You can also do your own research, using sites like Glassdoor and Salary.com. This will help you understand what a fair salary might be for the position so that you can choose a minimum salary that you’re not willing to go below (note: that number isn’t something you need to share while interviewing but it’s good to have it in the back of your mind for when it is time to negotiate.)

你也可以自己做研究，使用像Glassdoor和Salary.com这样的网站。这将帮助你了解对于这个职位来说什么是公平的薪资，这样你就可以选择一个你不愿意低于的最低薪资（注意：那个数字不是你需要在面试时分享的东西，但它是好的，要在你的脑海中为谈判时做好准备。）

Even with reputable sources though, it can be hard to translate average salaries across geographies or to the specific role. Is it reasonable to think that there’s a big difference between what a “data scientist” and a “data mining engineer” make, for example?

即使有可靠的来源，将平均薪资跨地域或特定职位转换也可能很困难。例如，我们是否可以合理地认为“数据科学家”和“数据挖掘工程师”的薪资存在很大差异？

Another option is to ask people in your network — people who hold similar roles in your industry or maybe even work at the company you’re interviewing with. Of course, talking about money can be awkward but tackling a cringey conversation is worth it if it helps you know how to value yourself. If you’re working with a recruiter — external or internal — you can request the salary range from them directly. Whatever you find in your research, be careful not to get fixated on a specific figure, which can result in you being unhappy with the final number or accepting a lower salary than you might have gotten otherwise.

另一种选择是询问你的人际网络中的人——那些在你所在行业担任类似职位的人，或者甚至在你面试的公司工作的人。当然，谈论金钱可能会令人尴尬，但如果这有助于你了解自己的价值，那么进行这种令人尴尬的对话是值得的。如果你正在与招聘人员合作——无论是外部还是内部——你可以直接向他们询问薪资范围。无论你在研究中发现了什么，都要小心不要执着于一个具体的数字，这可能会导致你对最终数字不满意，或者接受比你本可以得到的更低的薪资。

Once you’ve landed on a range you’re comfortable with, here’s how to share it in your interview:

一旦你确定了一个自己感到舒适的薪资范围，在面试中可以这样分享它：

1. State your range and provide a rationale for why you’ve landed on that range, sharing some of the research you’ve done and noting the skills and experience that make you a strong fit for the position.

1. 陈述你的薪资范围，并解释为什么选择这个范围，分享你所做的一些研究，并指出让你成为这个职位强有力候选人的技能和经验。

2. Acknowledge that salary is just one of the factors that will play into your decision to accept the job or not. Make clear that you’re interested in knowing more about other benefits as well.

2. 承认薪资只是影响你决定是否接受这份工作的因素之一。明确表示你也对了解更多其他福利感兴趣。

3. Signal flexibility so that your answer doesn’t come off as a demand but as the beginning of a conversation. Express your enthusiasm about potentially joining the company.

3. 表现出灵活性，这样你的回答不会显得是在要求，而是对话的开始。表达你对可能加入公司的热情。

Here are three examples of how this might sound like:

以下是三种可能的表达方式：

Sample Answer #1:

I’m looking for a competitive salary that reflects my qualifications and experience. Based on my research and the requirements of the role as I understand them, I would expect a salary in the range of $X to $Y. Of course, I’m open to discussing the details of the entire compensation package since salary is just one factor. I’m particularly excited to learn more about the opportunities for growth and advancement here.

示例回答 #1：

我正在寻找一个能够反映我的资质和经验的竞争性薪资。根据我的研究以及我对职位要求的理解，我期望的薪资范围在X到Y美元之间。当然，我对讨论整个薪酬包的细节持开放态度，因为薪资只是一个因素。我特别期待了解更多关于这里的成长和晋升机会。

Sample Answer #2:

Given my experience and expertise in [name specifics relevant to the job description], I’m looking to make between $X and $Y in my next role. I’ve done some research on similar roles and talked to people in comparable organizations — all of which helped me confirm that range. I know I’d be a valuable asset to your team and am open to learning more about your budget for the role and the other benefits that you offer employees.

示例回答 #2：

鉴于我在[具体到工作描述相关的经验]方面的经验与专长，我希望在我下一个职位中获得X到Y美元的薪资。我对类似职位进行了一些研究，并与类似组织的人员进行了交谈——所有这些都帮助我确认了这个范围。我知道我将成为你们团队的宝贵资产，并且愿意了解更多关于你们职位的预算以及你们为员工提供的其他福利。

Sample Answer #3:

I’ve been doing some research on similar roles and my understanding is that for someone at my level with my background and experience, I can expect to make a salary in the range of $X to $Y. Of course, compensation isn’t the only thing that’s important to me. So I’m eager to hear more about your benefits package, including paid time off and other perks. What’s most important to me is finding a place where I can thrive. I can be flexible around the exact numbers for a job that’s a great fit.

示例回答 #3：

我对类似职位进行了一些研究，我的理解是，对于具有我的背景和经验的人来说，在我的水平上，我可以期望获得X到Y美元的薪资范围。当然，薪酬对我来说并不是唯一重要的事情。所以我渴望了解更多关于你们的福利包，包括带薪休假和其他福利。对我来说最重要的是找到一个我可以蓬勃发展的地方。对于一个非常适合的工作，我可以对确切的数字保持灵活。

Choose whichever option feels most comfortable to you, and tweak the language so that it sounds like you. You’ll also want to add some detail about your qualifications so that you can highlight how your experience aligns with what they’re looking for.

选择对你来说感觉最舒适的选项，并调整语言，使其听起来像是你自己的话。你还需要添加一些关于你资质的细节，以便突出你的经验与他们所寻找的如何相符。

Why do hiring managers and recruiters even ask this question?

为什么招聘经理和招聘人员会问这个问题？

It’s helpful to understand why interviewers bring up this line of inquiry at this stage of the interview process. The short answer: They want to be sure they can afford you. It’s in their best interest not to waste their time (or yours!) going through multiple rounds of interviews and putting together an offer, if they can’t meet a candidate’s compensation expectations. As author and career development expert Vicky Oliver explains, “Employers will always ask this question because every position is budgeted, and they want to ensure your expectations are consistent with that budget before moving forward.” The interviewer typically wants to determine if the candidate’s expectations around compensation and benefits align with the budgeted salary range for the position.”

了解面试官在面试过程中提出这个问题的原因是很有帮助的。简短的回答是：他们想确定他们是否能负担得起你。如果他们无法满足候选人的薪酬期望，他们就不会浪费时间（或你的！）进行多轮面试并准备提供职位。正如作家和职业发展专家Vicky Oliver所解释的，“雇主总是会问这个问题，因为每个职位都有预算，他们想确保你的期望与该预算一致后再继续前进。”面试官通常想确定候选人对薪酬和福利的期望是否与该职位的预算薪资范围一致。

From the candidate’s perspective, answering the question can help to ensure that the opportunity is a good fit for you and that there is mutual understanding about the compensation and benefits being offered. It can also help to establish a baseline for your salary negotiation later on in the process.

从候选人的角度来看，回答这个问题可以帮助确保这个机会对你来说是一个好的选择，并且双方对于提供的薪酬和福利有一个相互的理解。它还可以帮助在过程中稍后阶段为你的薪资谈判建立一个基线。

Whether and how you answer the question is up to you, of course. By following the guidelines above, you’ll be able to assess which approach feels most comfortable to you and which is most likely to keep you in the running for the job. Importantly, you’ll also have some tools to help make this potentially awkward part of the interview less awkward.

当然，是否以及如何回答这个问题取决于你。通过遵循上述指导方针，你将能够评估哪种方法对你来说感觉最舒适，哪种最有可能让你继续竞争这份工作。重要的是，你还将拥有一些工具，帮助使面试中这个可能令人尴尬的部分变得不那么尴尬。

原文链接：https://hbr.org/2023/02/how-to-answer-what-are-your-salary-expectations