"What are your salary expectations?"How do I handle the Interview Question?

Who does not like more money? All of us do.But remember that this is one of the most critical questions and needs to be handled with kid gloves because the response to this Q can, at times, be a ‘deal breaker’. Please bear in mind that the situation is similar to you, liking a product in a shop but it’s ‘price’ does remain a ‘deciding factor’ in your purchase.

The following are some ‘factors’ which need to be taken into account while devising your response to this Question. If anyone or multiple of these factors hold true, your salary expectations will have to be worked around accordingly.

• Is the offer your ‘dream job’?
• Is the ‘job profile’ very exciting and does it meet your career goals?
• Does it offer ‘career prospects’ which your current job does not?
• Do you bring some ‘unique’ capability, skill and/or experience to the job which other candidates would not possess?
• Are you getting back to a corporate job after a ‘career break’?
• Are you currently ‘jobless’?
• Have you made ‘too frequent job changes’ and is this an opportunity for a ‘course correction’?
• Are you ‘shifting to a different domain’, say from Sales to marketing or from HR to BD and so on?
• Are you ‘relocating’ to another city due to personal reasons?

Once you have accounted for the above, then there are certain DO’s and DON’Ts which can be used as ‘guidelines’ to negotiate better.

DO NOT :

1] ‘Make the first move’ by mentioning your expectations at the ‘first instance’ when the Q is asked (you will set a benchmark in the mind of the interviewer which might become a barrier for further negotiation).
2] ‘Undersell’ yourself by saying that whatever the employer finds appropriate, it will be OK with you (they might offer you compensation lower than your current).
3] ‘Share anything without documents’ about your current compensation. You need to produce proper paper work as a ‘back up’ (it can become an integrity issue and by perception may close the door).
4] ‘Assume’ that because there is a budget available with the company, you can ask for the lowest side of the budget taking it to a 50 to 60 % hike (you will be pricing yourself out of the job ).
5] ‘Penalize’ the prospective employer by asking for an ‘unrealistic’ increase just because you did not get a raise in your current company for the past 2 years. (one needs to be realistic).

DO:

1] ‘First focus’ on ‘selling your candidature’ as the most suitable candidate before entering into a discussion on salary expectation ( once the full value of the product is appreciated by the buyer, only the pricing needs to be discussed).
2] ‘Homework’ through the respective Recruitment Agency to find out what is the ‘pay scale or budget’ to get an idea so that you do not over quote when required.
3] ‘Throw the ball in employer’s court’ .......Tactfully let the prospective employer make the ‘first move’ of sharing an indicative range of offer (you can then use it as a base for negotiation ).
4] ‘Play hard’......In case the interviewer is very insistent on knowing your expectation, then you may mention something like “You have evaluated me in terms of fitment and am sure the company has a budget. Besides the excitement which role offers, I would need motivation in terms of compensation too. You know my current compensation and it would be mutually beneficial if you can share with me at what scale do you think I fit in? “
5] ‘Keep discussion open ended’ .......In case the interviewer is not ready to reveal anything, you may mention a ‘broad range’ (on the basis of your homework done on market standard and the kind of value you get to the job). You may say something like “On the basis of market standards and my expertise which will help the company gain revenues, I think anywhere between 20 to 30 percent can be discussed. But importantly I will need to understand the various components in terms of fixed plus variable for a full appreciation of the package (mentioning a range is advisable. And also by qualifying it with your need to understand the components, you keep the discussion open ended and have scope to negotiate once the employer indicates a figure).
6] ‘One in a million’.....In case you bring ‘unique’ expertise to the job either in terms of experience or skill sets and are able to assess/ establish the aspect during the interview process, you may ask for a compensation which can be higher than market standards.

10 Most Commonly Asked Questions in A BPO Interview

It’s that time of the year again when many of you take the plunge in the job market and look for new jobs. With more and more interviews to appear for, the stress that candidates feel is obvious and nerve wrecking.

Although usually assumed otherwise, appearing for an interview in the BPO sector is one of the most tedious tasks considering the number of rounds you may have to appear for before finally getting the job. So if you are one of those who is planning to join BPO sector or appearing for the interview, this article is for sure going to help you. Here is a list of 10 most commonly asked questions in a BPO interview and some answers to go with it.

1. Tell me something about yourself

This is interviewer’s favorite question, read the best way to answer this question here.

2. What is a BPO and how does it work?

BPO means Business Process Outsourcing. Any outsourcing company works on the concept of outsourcing some of its non-core processes to another company. You can also check the work flow of a particular organization before the interview.

3. Are you comfortable with the night shifts?

You should be well prepared to work even graveyard shifts if required when appearing for a BPO interview. The best answer to this question is yes! In any scenario – ‘No’ is definitely a big No for this question.

4. What is off-shore outsourcing?

When the work outsourced from a company in a different country, which is not nearby, it is known as off-shore outsourcing. If the country is nearby, it is known as shore outsourcing.

5. What is the difference between in-bound and out-bound call centers?

When a call center only receives calls, it’s inbound. If they are allowed to place calls as well, they are called outbound call centers. Inbound call centers usually handle the customer care function of any department.

6. Why do you think BPO is the right career choice for you?

I have always believed that I should work in an industry that puts my speaking skills to good use. The BPO industry is the perfect career choice since it helps me to develop my personality and enhance my communication skills. Also, I do have the zeal to work in this sector for so long.

7. What is the difference between a BPO and a KPO?

KPO stands for Knowledge Process Outsourcing that deals with services like documentation, billing or insurance while BPO is Business Process Outsourcing, which primarily deals with customer services.

8. Why do companies need to outsource?

Not only does it save cost, it is also imperative to get quality work done by resources who know their job. Therefore, it is essential for companies to outsource certain processes.

9. Will you be comfortable handling customers on the phone?

Well, this could be a tricky one considering they could have a mock call with you following this question. You better be prepared!

10. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

Another one of the employers’ favorite, it’s important that you include the company you are interviewing for in your five-year plan. An answer like, ‘I see myself growing with this company and reaching a position where I become a valuable asset for the organization.’ is ideal.

I hope this article will help you to prepare for a BPO interview. To check out other articles on Career Guidance you can check it out on Shine Career info page.