It is so hard to give an expected salary when you are interviewing for position at another country!

What I usually say is that money won't be an issue, as long as they are paying aligned to the market for that role (and with the people already working there), and the whole value proposition (which is more than money) makes sense. That the right company & role is more important at this point, but of course in the long run it is important that the salary is competitive.

And that I may not be ready to give a final number on that as I need to do a bit more research on my own on that (as well as cost of living). 

And that I understand that they want to make sure that my expectations are not completely off with their planned salary band, so I can give them my current salary, which they an use as an initial reference.

Of course you can say “current salary + x%” (or an “increase”, or a “competitive increase”). 

There's no magic bullet here, you have to make your research (beforehand) and use your own judgement on what seems reasonable to you.

One thing you can do, though, is to take the opportunity to turn the table and ask them their salary range. You say your current salary and ask how does the package range they have in mind compare with that value, to make sure you are on the same page. I was able to get a view on their range a couple of times by using this strategy.

If you are not sure of the local country salary levels, the safest answer to give is something like this:

“ My expectation is to get paid & rewarded in line with my experience & skills according to the local market rate. For my level, what's the current range in firm X”

Sounds like you didn't have much success with Glassdoor and other sites. Its not clear which country you are interviewing, but if its US/UK/EU, I can send some reports to you. Feel free to send me a direct message.

Hi!

First, I'd look at the average compensation for your seniority within the company. If Glassdoor is not sufficient, network with current employees to have a more precise idea.

Then, match this expected salary with the compensation you want to get and establish a range you want to negotiate.

Negotiation is a matter of proving your worth for a higher income so be prepared to have a strong backup to support your request.

Good luck,

Anto

Hi there,

Ideally you'll have done your research beforehand!

Glassdoor is not accurate at all. Try googling other sites to get a better idea - better yet network a bit beforehand to get a gauge of things! You're really at a disadvantage if you don't know their wage ranges (either the company or the market).

Intel in war is more valuable than anything - same applies here :)

• The best approach is to first find out the market-rates. Current employees can give a clearer picture than Glassdoor. Once you are confident about exact pay, then you can negotiate better.
• If your current pay is higher than the market rates in target country, then you will find it tough to get a match/raise
• If your current pay is at par with the market rates in target country, then negotiation tactics can be employed to argue for a raise.
• If your current pay is lower than the market rates in target country, then you might as well not reveal your current pay and simply tell the recruiter that you would be expecting the market rates.