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Comment by curiously | Hacker News Reader

A tech employer in Vancouver once told me that if an engineer tries to negotiate for a higher salary that is a signal that they care only about money and that they wouldn't be good hire, regardless of their experience and skillset. This is one of the "big" tech companies in Vancouver, BC. Never mind the hundreds of small sweatshops here.

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I once had a interviewer ask me "How much would it take for you to work for us"?

I told him that I didn't understand the question and so he said "How much do you need to live on?"

I asked him how much does it take for him to live on? He walked out and so did I.

The last person to leave an interview isn't really "walking out".

I don't understand your objection to his original phrasing - he asked you what your salary requirement is?

Its almost never in your (an employee/interviewee) best interest to disclose that. You are essentially saying "here is the minimum I will work for" (and that's usually what you'll get) - let them try to figure that out!

What if you say your {last salary + 50%} is your minimum?

Ah I see. I still don't see the point of playing it stupid instead of answer with something like "what were you thinking of?"

"First, can you tell me what you have in mind? After all, you have a better idea exactly what you need done, and your company regularly hires people and possesses an HR department dedicated to that sort of research and negotiation. I, on the other hand, am an individual who--because I'm very good at what I do--am seldom on the market."

I haven't tried that one yet, but I find it's still handy to think about as a way to reassure myself that refusing to be the first to name a dollar-amount (baaaad idea) is reasonable.

And yet that's exactly what company is trying to do.

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