Exec Recruiter wants to know what it will take me to leave

Tell the recruiter what your range is. You should know the range for this position, as you've been doing research (right?).

Don't sweat it. This is not unusual. They want to know. This is not a negotiation, and you can rarely "win" by gaming it.

John

[quote="Darcy"]... They asked what is the bare minimum BASE salary that I would leave my current position for. ...

I get suspicious about showing my hand. My gut reaction is to not state figures as it is indicating my push point.[/quote]

I think the first thing you should do is figure out the answer to the question.

I've thought about it, and I know pretty precisely what it would take to get me to leave my current position. It's not all dollars, but there is certainly a number where I'd take a job just for the money. (There are also a few jobs for which I'd take a pay cut because the work would be so interesting.)

Once you have that number in mind, I don't see a reason to not disclose it. If you want to couch it in "well, salary is not the main consideration here - as I said at the end of the interview, I want an offer because x and y and z." and then give them the number, that's fine.

You're not negotiating, because you don't have an offer. (All together now -- "Until you have an offer, you've got nothing!") In the Interview Series Mark says pretty specifically that if asked, you give them a number. It can be a range, but it should be a small range. You'd have to check that 'cast for the details - I recall they had suggestions for research to help set the number.

It could be they don't have a number in mind, it could be that the recruiter and the hiring manager have different ideas about what the compensation should be. It could be a test: Have you thought enough about compensation issues to be qualified to manage for that company/industry. You don't have enough information to guess which.

So I urge you to pick a number. Don't try to guess how much money they have available, just tell them how much money it would take to get you to think seriously about that offer you hope you're going to get. And remember: Right now you got nothing.

tc>

I agree with the others - these are not bad answers to know! (What's the minimum you'd leave for, and what would you like to get).

I think the "fairer" of the two questions is actually the one about the minimum (because what you'd "like" is almost beside the point, and it might set an unfair expectation on your part).

As long as you get an offer of at least the minimum that you'd accept to move, you're good. You then have an offer to consider.

-Hugh

[quote="HMac"]I agree with the others - these are not bad answers to know! (What's the minimum you'd leave for, and what would you like to get).
[/quote]
There are other things more important than salary that are going to determine the answer to this question.

Am I the only one thinking that the question is way too general? Is it my non-nativeness in the English language? I once refused an offer that was double my current salary. I can imagine other jobs/employers for which I would happily accept an offer doubing my income.

Rob,

I think that's what Tom C was saying above. And I couldn't agree with both of you more. It's the combination of opportunity and compensation (and location, and...).

For a specific opportunity, though, you should have a number / range in mind.

John

Thanks Rob -

I realize I was ASSUMING that all the other factors in the decision are acceptable, since Darcy made no mention otherwise. So I figured this question was really focused on that PART of the decision regarding compensation.

Also - just in the name of clarification, I don't see anything about any compensation other than salary - Darcy: is whatever your base is likely going to be pretty much total annual compensation, or are there other factors?

[quote="rwwh"]
There are other things more important than salary that are going to determine the answer to this question.

Am I the only one thinking that the question is way too general? [/quote]

Hmm. I can't tell if we agree or disagree! :D

I agree that the question is specific to each individual job. There is a number for which I'd do just about any job for a year, but it's a very large number. On the other hand, I'd pay (literally) to be an astronaut if there was a reasonable chance of getting one of the 70 remaining seats on the Shuttle.

Darcy is trying to find a particular number for a particular job, so all of the other questions are either already answered, or will have to wait until there is an offer. Any time you're looking at a job, part of your "homework" should be figuring out the total compensation you want for taking on that work. M&M argue you should disclose that number, and I agree.

So it's a specific, not a general, question in this case.

tc>

Darcy - thanks for the clarifying comments.

An executive recruiter who desn't want to hear about total compensation?

Doesn't sound like a very good recruiter...

I like how you've netted it out in your last post.

If the new company is serious about attracting you (or anyone, for that matter..), then it's in their interest to make their offer in terms of total compensation. If what they're saying here is that there's nothing to be had other than base salary, then obviously they need to gear a base salary offer in terms of your current total...

And if this isn't attractive enough a job or company to have you consider a 21% cut in pay, then you won't have to take long when considering their offer :) !

Good luck.

-Hugh