Q:  I have made it to the second round of interviews for a position that interests me, and I need to address salary.  I am a female executive with 20 years’ of solid, leadership experience. How should I go about approaching this sensitive issue?

A: Earlier in my career, the universal advice to candidates was to delay salary discussions as long as possible.  Today, I am of a different mindset. First, there is no logical reason for an employer to question your loyalty to mission based on your salary considerations. This applies whether you are male or female. Additionally, though, the review of statistics about not-for-profit leaders and the gender gap in salaries clearly shows that not addressing the salary topic has some less-than-positive effects.  In fact, it can be downright counterproductive. A talented female leader who is sold on the mission but delays the salary discussion tends to accept a lower-than-market salary. Doing so not only breeds resentment but also sends out a questionable message about her ultimate sense of worth.

Male or female, you owe it to yourself to directly yet tactfully broach the salary topic.  Simply, even at the end of an interview, ask the interviewer to give you a ballpark idea about the compensation the organization leaders contemplate.  If the interviewer balks at the question, he or she may be “Old School” with regard to the salary discussion.  Or, he or she may react negatively because, deep down, an “undersell” is in the works.

But, do not let hidden agendas, ambivalence, vagueness or outright disapproval deter you from getting to the bottom of the matter.  On your side of the fence, avoid allowing pride, good manners of lack of personal courage to keep you from ascertaining the truth.  Your prospective employer’s attitude toward salary will tell you much about the operating culture of the organization and its deeply held values.  You need to be firm about getting answers sooner rather than later.  You can also do your own preliminary research through GuideStar and other sources that will provide accurate, comparative data about the salary you should expect.

Always enter salary discussion armed with the most current data. Know your worth. Find professional ways to insist on being paid for the full measure of your aptitude and experience. Settle for nothing less.

Contact Karen Alphonse at Karena@execSearches.com or visit ExecSearches.com for more information about our career coaching services.

ExecSearches.com is a job board for nonprofit job seekers interested in fundraising, management and executive nonprofit jobs.

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Last updated on September 19th, 2012 at 12:18 pm