Role-specific Negotiate Pay Raise Interview Questions & Answers:

1. Can I renegotiate salary later?

You can take the job offer and try to make some improvement after joining the company. There might be an option to increase your salary down the road. The company does not know your real value yet. Prove your worth and leave some room for a salary increase later. Therefore, as your last move, ask that the salary be renegotiated a couple of months after starting. Verify that they include this term in your job contract.

2. What are the salary limits?

Every company has its limits and it is possible that some other candidates are still in the picture. When it comes to limits, you just want to touch their upper limit.
Hence, insist on a salary increase when you feel that the power key is in your hands. Again, it may be cheaper for them to increase your salary than keep looking for candidates.

3. Can I mention that I have other choices?

Competition is great if you actually have another job offer or you want to play a risky game. Depending on the case, and without telling exact numbers, you can hint (carefully) that you have other choices. They have 3 alternatives: an improved job offer, staying cool or if you annoyed them - the game is over.

4. Do you know how much salary you're worth?

First thing to do is to look up salary surveys online in your local area. You may also ask friends and colleges. Find the right time to tell them during an offer interview about the market average salaries for your position. They probably know these numbers. Now, the deal becomes transparent and more importantly -with every hand revealed!

5. Would you consider taking less pay than you made in your last job?

I would really need to know more about the opportunity and your whole package before I can give you and answer to that question. You may offer extra perks that my last job may not have had - or vice versa. Basically, I need more information before I decide.

6. What salary are you/were you making at your last job?

It would be very difficult for me to compare my last salary with this position for various reasons - primarily because I don't have enough information about your whole package. I'm sure we can discuss this subject and your entire package before an offer is made.

7. What salary range would you require to take this job?

Based on my previous experience and education and the 'going rate' for this type of position, I would like to be in the mid to high 70s. Is that a range that fit with your compensation structure.(Give an acceptable range)

8. Tell me what do you expect in the way of salary?

I'm sure when the time comes and I know more about the facts of the position and how it fits into the bigger picture, we can come to a mutually agreeable figure.

9. Tell me will there be a sign-on bonus?

If they say no, your response is, "OK, I'm just asking." Just because the pay isn't negotiable doesn't mean other aspects of the job aren't. Ask for flextime, telecommuting or anything else that's important to you.

10. Is salary negotiable?

Once the salary offer is revealed, it never hurts to ask if they'll put more money on the table. If they say no, you can move on to negotiate other items.