I Requested ChatGPT The right way to Reply Wage Expectations in an E mail — Right here’s What I Obtained

Like most job seekers, I’ve needed to reply the dreaded wage expectation query over e-mail.

Irrespective of what number of occasions I’ve completed it, it’s nonetheless nerve-wracking to place a quantity on the market. What if I undercut myself as a result of my quantity was too low? Or worse, what if I miss out on the job alternative as a result of my wage expectation was too excessive?

Except for the nervousness I really feel interested by the result, the opposite difficult a part of the method is writing the precise wage expectation e-mail (or getting ready the script I’d use if this dialogue had been occurring head to head).

I are inclined to overthink what to say throughout powerful conversations and might discover myself writing and rewriting one thing like a wage negotiation e-mail for over an hour.

So, I requested an knowledgeable tips on how to reply wage expectations over e-mail — after which I put ChatGPT to the take a look at to see if it might write the e-mail for me.

Desk of Contents

Latest pay transparency legal guidelines in a number of states, together with California and New York, require corporations to incorporate a job’s wage vary within the job posting. If there’s a vary listed, you should utilize that as a baseline for the wage you wish to request.

2. Analysis wage information.

If there isn’t a wage vary listed on the job posting in your position, you possibly can analysis common salaries for the position utilizing web sites like PayScale or Wage.com.

If the corporate is sufficiently big, there may be information from present and former workers who’ve shared their salaries on web sites like Glassdoor.

It’s additionally necessary to think about the trade of the position you’re making use of for. Tech salaries differ from authorities or nonprofit salaries, for instance, so the trade you’re interviewing in impacts your goal wage.

3. Consider your expertise and present wage.

As soon as you realize the wage vary in your position, contemplate your individual expertise to determine what you wish to ask for.

You’ll possible goal a wage larger than your present one — or, on the very least, the identical fee, assuming this can be a position you’re very occupied with.

You might also be open to a decrease wage than your present one for a number of causes.

Perhaps you’re making a profession pivot or switching roles, and the expertise is extra necessary. Or maybe the corporate presents advantages that make up for the decrease base pay.

Utilizing your analysis on trade salaries in addition to your present wage, you need to have a good suggestion of your goal wage. Provide you with a spread that you just’d settle for, ensuring you may have a minimal that you just’d be pleased with.

4. Put together a counteroffer.

The wage expectations dialog usually comes up at the start of the interview course of, however it’s by no means too early to consider what sort of give you’d be pleased with.

Begin interested by wage negotiation and contemplate what you’d be keen to barter on, whether or not that’s the bottom wage or different advantages. Issues like inventory choices, extra trip days, or a hybrid work schedule could all be negotiable.

To search out out precisely tips on how to reply the wage expectation query, I talked to Nick Smith, a tech expertise acquisition specialist. Right here’s what he has to say.

1. Have the dialog early.

Smith emphasizes the necessity to have this dialog early within the course of. “It needs to be completed in your first name with the recruiter or preliminary level of contact,” he states.

Whereas the wage expectations query is often requested by a recruiter in the course of the screening course of, you could possibly be offered with this query on the job utility or in an preliminary e-mail.

This is the reason you’ll must have a script and reply ready.

2. Set up a minimal.

After conducting analysis, you need to know what the going fee is in your place and trade. Use that quantity as a baseline and alter primarily based in your expertise and what you realize in regards to the position you’re interviewing for.

“Having the hiring staff settle for the minimal of your compensation window is totally essential,” says Smith.

That mentioned, you should be cheap about your ask. Identical to you may have a minimal quantity in thoughts, hiring managers even have their restrict.

“Hiring groups will stroll away for those who don’t have a grounded quantity in thoughts,” Smith states.

3. Talk your worth prop.

Subsequent, you may have to have the ability to talk to the hiring staff why you’re anticipating a sure wage vary. Justify your required wage with market analysis and by demonstrating the worth you’d carry to the position and firm.

Smith suggests writing one thing alongside the strains of this in a wage expectations e-mail:

“Based mostly on the suggestions given to me by the hiring staff, my projected position and influence on the staff/org/firm, and market analysis, I’d gladly settle for X and withdraw myself from my remaining interviews elsewhere.”

4. Categorical gratitude.

For those who’re longing for this place, Smith additionally suggests displaying appreciation and a need to maneuver ahead. You may be assured and agency with out shedding gratitude for the method.

“The way you body issues is as necessary as what you’re saying,” he says.

To specific gratitude in a wage expectations e-mail, you possibly can say one thing so simple as, “I’m excited in regards to the alternative and sit up for subsequent steps.”

Picture Supply

1. Wage Expectations E mail: Wage Vary

Right here is the primary immediate I gave ChatGPT.

And right here’s the chatbot’s response (warning: it’s an extended one!):

There are a few issues I’d do to enhance this e-mail.

For starters, it’s actually lengthy. Whereas it’s necessary to speak your pleasure for the position and underscore your {qualifications}, this e-mail buries the lead, in my view.

If I had been scripting this, I’d minimize out a number of the fluff and get to the purpose sooner.

Second, because the wage vary listed on this job posting is so vast, I’d personally slender it down much more.

ChatGPT kind of did this by writing that it’s concentrating on the “higher vary of the said bracket,” however that leaves some ambiguity on the desk.

2. Wage Expectations E mail: Setting a Minimal

For my subsequent immediate, I wish to slender down the wage vary and create a minimal compensation window, as Smith suggests.

Right here’s what I requested ChatGPT to jot down:

Right here’s what ChatGPT wrote. The response was fairly just like the earlier one, so I outlined the part that the chatbot wrote otherwise:

Except for the size of this e-mail (I’ll handle that subsequent), I believe the adjustment to the wage expectation portion is best.

You might not wish to throw out a particular quantity this early on within the interview course of. However, doing so lets the hiring staff know whether or not or to not transfer ahead.

It additionally helps you determine if this place is value pursuing. When you have an absolute minimal wage vary that you just’ll settle for, it’s value sharing that early on so that you don’t waste your time.

3. Wage Expectations E mail: Brief E mail

Now, it’s time to deal with the size. I requested ChatGPT to jot down a shorter e-mail and acquired particular in regards to the size:

Right here’s what it generated:

The size and construction of this e-mail are significantly better. It’s succinct whereas checking off all of the bins of an efficient wage expectations e-mail.

When speaking about wage, I’d personally like to emphasise the worth and expertise I’d carry to a job. Speaking your worth proposition can be one thing Smith suggests doing when sharing your wage expectations.

4. Wage Expectations E mail: Speaking Worth

Maintaining the above in thoughts, I gave ChatGPT one other immediate:

And right here’s what it wrote:

Basically, I believe this e-mail works effectively. That is way more aligned with how I’d write a wage expectations e-mail.

It emphasizes my pleasure in regards to the alternative, leads into why I’m certified for this place, and clearly states my minimal desired wage. I additionally like that it reiterates my worth prop and showcases confidence in my experience.

Lastly, in all of those emails, ChatGPT included a line about being open to discussing different features of the compensation bundle, which communicates flexibility.

For those who’re open to negotiation for the precise place, this can be a good aspect to incorporate in your e-mail.

5. Wage Expectations E mail: Deflecting the Wage Expectations

For my closing immediate, I wished to see how ChatGPT would write an e-mail within the state of affairs the place I wish to deflect the wage expectation query.

As Smith recommended earlier, this dialog is best to have in individual as e-mail is “impersonal and lacks nuance.” You might also wish to be taught extra in regards to the position earlier than you share a particular quantity.

Right here’s what ChatGPT wrote:

Whereas this e-mail is slightly verbose nonetheless (to be truthful, I by no means specified a sure tone I need it to emulate), it does a superb job of deflecting the query.

The e-mail states that whereas I’m longing for the position, I wish to have this dialog later within the course of once I’m extra knowledgeable about the whole lot this position will entail.

If you wish to delay the wage dialogue, you could possibly additionally use this time to ask questions in regards to the wage and finances. That’s one thing that this AI-generated e-mail didn’t embrace, however that is what I’d add if I had been scripting this.