This story is from Kirstin Ferguson, a career adviser at The Age. I have added my comment at the end.
I am searching for a new role and many advertised jobs don’t disclose salary. Instead, they ask me to share my salary expectation. Can I ask the recruiter or employer to state what’s on offer first? I worry asking directly may shut down the discussion before it can evolve, likewise, if I state my current package, and it cannot be matched, I worry I won’t be considered.
If you are speaking to a real person (as opposed to an online application) and you are asked about your salary expectation I would say something like, “Thanks for asking, since I am excited to learn more about the role and I am keen to make sure we are aligned on salary too. Can you please let me know the salary range budgeted for the role?”
That will hopefully put the question back to them. Eventually, you will need to be clear on the minimum salary you have in mind, but when you give them that idea you can also explain salary is not the most important factor for you. Reassure them you don’t want to be excluded from the process on that front and would prefer the opportunity to negotiate what will work best for everyone.
If you are applying online, it is definitely going to be much more difficult to have this conversation and, unfortunately, you may not be able to avoid giving them an indication of expectations. If there is an option to say “flexible”, I would try that so you can at least defer the discussion.
Malcolm King: Good advice to ask for the salary range but consider why an employer is making you guess your wage. They KNOW how much they are going to pay you. They are bargaining and hoping fear will drive down your salary. Not a good start to a prospective new job and it shows a lot about the organisational culture.