Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Q: I've been with my company for about 10 years; it's my second job out of college. I've been interviewing for other positions and am often asked about my current salary. I have done my homework and know that I am underpaid by about $15,000 for the position I am in. In fact, people hired in a level below me often get hired at the same salary I make. I know that companies I interview with will make offers based on the salary I make now, but even at a 15% higher salary, I'd not be making up the difference. How can I be honest about my current salary but also command the salary I deserve at a new company?
我已经为目前的公司卖命工作了10年，这是我大学毕业后的第2份工作。我一直在面试其它的职位，常常被问及现在的收入。经过一番调查，我发现目前工作的职位，公司大约少付给我15000USD。事实上，级别比我低的职员常常和我拿一样的薪水。我了解我去面试的公司会依据我目前薪资来给我定薪，但即便薪水比目前高出15%，也弥补不了差价。我该如何在如实承认现有薪资的同时，让新老板支付给我更多薪水呢？
A: You've definitely got the right idea to be honest about your current salary. Potential employers can always find out what you earn and it would be the end of an opportunity if a company found out at a later date that you lied about your salary. It reflects your ethics, says Sheryl Spanier, an executive career management consultant1 in New York.
显然你诚实地透露目前的薪水是正确的。新老板必然会了解你目前赚多少。假如将来他发现你对收入撒了谎，那样你就得不到这个工作机会了。纽约职业管理实行顾问谢乐尔斯巴涅尔说：这反映了你的道德水平。
To get what you think you deserve, you'll definitely want to know why you have been underpaid. Is it because you have had marginal performance, is the company or industry struggling or is the company bad at managing salaries? Perhaps you stayed on because of challenging assignments even though raises were paltry2 and you see now that the best way to make more money is to jump to another firm. once you get a handle on why you've be underpaid, you'll be better able to explain it honestly in an interview.
要获得你觉得应得的收入，你一定会想知道为何目前的收入那样少。是由于你的表现不佳吗？还是由于公司或行业不景气？或公司薪资方面管理不善？或许你呆在目前的职位是由于虽然涨薪渺茫，但工作内容非常富有挑战性；而目前你了解了要赚更多的钱，最好的方法是跳槽。一旦你知道了为何收入偏低，你就能更好地在面试中做出诚实的讲解。
Recruiters and human resources personnel ask this question because they want to know where you fit into their compensation structure -- not necessarily to figure out how little they can pay you. But, there are ways to get around giving a specific number at the beginning of the interview or even shifting the focus of the question when asked about your current salary. The first thing to keep in mind is that companies are most interested in your experience. They want to know that the person they're offering a position to can handle the everyday challenges on the job. Be very clear about how your experience and talent fits directly with the new position, says Andrea Eisenberg, a senior human resources consultant in New York.
招聘职员和人力资源部职员问这个问题是由于他们期望了解你在他们企业的薪金结构中处于什么位置，未必就是想知道能少付你多少钱。但，在面试初期，当被问及现在薪资时，你可以先回避明确数字甚至转移问题焦点。要记住，公司最有兴趣的是你的经验。他们期望了解，他们要雇的这个人在日后工作中可以游刃有余。纽约资深人力资源顾问安德里亚艾森伯格说：要非常明确地说明，你的工作经验和才能正好与职位的需要相吻合。
Then, when the conversation gets around to a hiring manager's question about what you're making, Paul Gavejin, managing director of Total Compensation Solutions, a compensation consulting firm in Armonk, N.Y. suggests asking a few questions in return. You might say: Id be happy to tell you, but first, I'd really like to know what you think this job is worth? or What is the salary range for this job? You could also reply with by shifting the subject and saying, I'm looking at jobs in this salary range. It might also help to adjust your thinking when you respond. Think in terms of total compensation, and not just salary alone. To that end, you might respond, My salary is X, my annual bonus is Y and the employer contribution to my 401 is Z. All totaled, my current compensation package is worth $.
保罗盖文金是来自纽约州阿蒙克市的一家薪金咨询公司全薪建议的常务董事。他建议，当招聘经理问你赚多少时，你可以反问他一些问题。你可以说：我非常乐意对你说，但第一我想了解你觉得这个职位值多少?或者这个职位的薪资大概处于什么范围？你还可以如此转移话题：我想要找的工作，薪水大概处于这个范围。这也可以帮你在回答过程中调整思路。在考虑收入时要计算全部所得，而不止是薪资。最后，你可以说：我的收入是X，我的年终分红是Y，雇主会替我交纳的退休金补贴是Z。 所以，我的目前收入是(前3者合计数）。
Another tactic3 might be to tell the interviewer that you appreciate that they have asked you about your compensation but that you won't be making your decision about the job based solely4 on that criteria5 alone, says Ms. Spanier. Tell them you're looking for an opportunity for growth, career development, and the ability to make a contribution, she says. You could also say that the job you did for ten years is a very different position than the one for which you are applying, even though the skills are similar.
斯巴涅尔女性称，另一个方案就是告诉面试职员你尊重他们对你的收入的提问，但你不会只依据这个标准来做出决定。她说：告诉他们你正在探寻上升空间、谋求职业进步、与探寻提升自己能力并为公司做出贡献的机会。 你还可以说，虽然工作技能类似，你已经做了10年的那份工作和目前面试的非常不同。
Clearly, you only want to deflect6 the question up to a point, otherwise you'll start to annoy the hiring manager. The idea is to try to get as much information as you need about the position and salary range before you disclose your previous salary. The goal is not to get screened out before you can fully7 explore your candidacy, says Ms. Spanier.
显然，你只想部分回避这个问题。假如绝口不提，你就会惹招聘经理生气了。 要尽量地在透露现在薪酬水平之前，获得关于面试职位与薪资范围的更多信息。 斯巴涅尔女性说：宗旨是在确定自己会成为职位候选人之前，不要出局。
If the interviewer insists on knowing what you're currently earning at the start of the interview, it's best to have a few already-thought out answers in your mind that can explain your low pay. You'll want to do a little explaining about how you've been at the organization a long time and while you're not looking to leave based solely on salary, you would expect to be paid fair market value when you make a move, says Ray Skiba, director of human resources for Streck Inc. a medical-device company in Omaha, Neb.
假如面试官最开始就执意问你的目前收入，那样最好筹备一些现成的回答来讲解收入为何偏低。坐落于内布拉斯加州奥马哈的斯特克医疗器械公司人力资源部门主管瑞斯科巴说：你可以讲解自己在原来企业的呆了这么久，没只由于收入而离职。在当你找新工作时，期望获得公平的薪资。
Perhaps your company traditionally gives out very low annual increases or froze raises altogether for the last few years -- mention that or say that while the company provided many on the job challenges, it didn't offer much in the way of compensation. It is pretty common that people who have been with companies a while don't often keep up with the typical salary ranges adds Mr. Skiba. You might want to share a recent performance appraisal8 to make clear that your salary issues aren't a matter of performance.
或许你原来的公司一直以来年度涨薪都非常低，或是这几年根本没涨薪。你可以说出这一点，并且表示虽然工作非常有挑战性，可是公司待遇方面却没什么竞争优势。斯科巴先生还说：不少人在公司工作肯定时间后，都不可以获得应得的薪金，这是非常容易见到的。 你或许可以通过一份近期的营业额评估报告来表明你的薪资水平与你的工作表现无关。
Mr. Skiba says whatever you do, don't be too pushy9. Show your value on the job and you'll be taken care of, he says. If you get the feeling that's not the case before you take a new job, you won't want to work there anyway, Mr. Skiba adds.
斯科巴先生还觉得，不论你怎么样应付，态度不要太强硬。他说：表现出你在工作中的价值，雇主就会考虑你。 同意工作之前，假如你发现状况和你预计的差别太大，那你也不会想去那里工作。
