BEC商務英語閱讀材料：薪水風波

You have your dream interview lined up. But how do you ensure that you get the best possible salary?

While the pay for junior-level positions is typically fixed, mid- to senior-level employees and managers have more flexibility to negotiate their salaries. Here are some tips from recruiters and human-resource managers that can help improve your chances of snagging a high salary.

1. Research, research, research

To get a better salary, begin by figuring out what's the highest you can get. 'Do good homework on what are the prevailing salaries for a similar role in the industry,' says Sanjay Pandit, managing director of recruiting firm Manpower Services India.

This is easier said than done, because companies don't exactly publish their pay scales in the newspaper.

Ask your friends or trustworthy colleagues about potential salaries for someone with your relevant experience and skills. If you are working through a recruiting company, they might be able to give you a range.

Finally, you can try using networking web sites like LinkedIn to connect with people in the field or company you are applying to, who in turn could provide you with some guidance.

It might help to dig through the annual reports of the company you are applying to and read recent news reports, in order to figure out how the company is doing financially. A larger and more successful company can afford to pay higher salaries than a smaller or struggling one.

2. Curb your eagerness

As with any negotiation, if you convey your eagerness for something, you lose your bargaining power. 'Whoever shows more interest always gets less,' says Sanjay Muthal, managing director of executive search firm NuGrid Consulting Pvt. Ltd., in Mumbai.

Candidates need to strike a balance between appearing interested in the particular job, and not appearing too eager.

Mr. Muthal advises talking about macro issues such as the role you're applying for and potential responsibilities, rather than discussing the nitty-gritty of expected pay. 'If you generate a terrific impression, then salary follows,' he says.

3. Wait to be asked

Candidates should not begin the salary discussion because that makes them 'come across as being too money-minded,' says Zak Parker, regional HR director of North Africa, Middle East & Southern Asia for security services firm G4S PLC.

Wait for the company to start the salary negotiation. It might help to delay the discussion till all interview rounds are over. The further along you are in the interview process, the more interested the hiring managers would be in you. That puts you in a better position to ask for a higher salary, because the manager might go back to the human resources team or the budgeting team to ask for more money for you.

Language Points:

Exam Focus:

(1)

A Ask friends for help.

B Digging through daily newspaper.

C Try to get connected with your recruiting company.

D Surf the Internet for more details.

(2)

A If you are interested in your job, you will be better paid.

B Eagerness is essential in that it gives your employer more pressure on salary issue.

C Make sure to get a job that you are interested in.

D Try to hide your feelings so as not to lose the bargaining power.

Oral Topic:

In what way can you persuade your boss to raise your salary?

Keys(反白可見):

(1) B

(2) D

以下為商務英語中級秋季班外教Alison Exam focus題目的錄音文稿：

Please listen carefully and choose the best answers.

Question 1: Which method is NOT useful in the research of the prevailing salaries in a certain industry?

Question 2: What does Sanjay Muthal mean by saying 'Whoever shows more interest always gets less'?

參考譯文

你終于得到夢寐以求的那家公司的面試機會，但如何才能為自己爭取到最好的薪酬水平?

企業(yè)普通崗位的工資水平通常是固定的，但中高層雇員和經理有更大的靈活性來談判自己的薪酬�，F在，招聘老師和人力資源經理告訴你八個小竅門，讓你更有可能談妥一個高工資。

1. 研究，研究，再研究

要爭取到更高的薪水，得先弄清楚自己能拿到的最高薪酬是多少。印度職介公司Manpower Services India總經理潘迪特(Sanjay Pandit)說，要好好研究一下該行業(yè)類似職位的主流薪酬狀況。

說起來容易，做起來難，因為企業(yè)不會把自己的薪酬情況堂而皇之刊登在報紙上面。

你可以問朋友或值得信賴的同事，擁有像你這樣資歷和技能的人大致能拿到多少工資。如果有招聘公司為你提供服務，他們也許能夠給你一個大致的薪酬區(qū)間。

最后，你可以嘗試使用LinkedIn這樣的社交網絡，與你想申請的領域或企業(yè)的人建立聯系，他們能給你一些建議。

研究意向企業(yè)的年報或查看近期的相關報導也可能管用，這樣可以了解那家企業(yè)的經濟實力。與規(guī)模較小或經營困難的企業(yè)相比，一家更大更成功的企業(yè)開出來的工資會更高。

2. 不要表現得迫不及待

在任何談判中，如果你表現出自己渴望得到某樣東西，就會失去談判的籌碼。印度孟買獵頭公司NuGrid Consulting Pvt. Ltd.的總經理穆沙爾(Sanjay Muthal)說，你表現得越有興趣，得到的反而越少。

應聘者應該保持不溫不火的態(tài)度，既展現出對特定職位的興趣，又不至于讓人感覺你已迫不及待。

穆沙爾建議應聘者多談論一些宏觀層面上的東西，如你申請的職位及其職責等，而不要在預期薪酬這種細枝末節(jié)上糾纏不清。他說，如果你給面試官留下很好的印象，薪酬自然會水漲船高。

3. 不要主動問薪水問題

安全服務提供商杰富仕公司(G4S PLC)負責北非、中東、南亞區(qū)域的人力資源主管帕克爾(Zak Parker)說，應聘者不應該主動提出薪水問題，因為這會讓人覺得你滿腦子只想著錢。

等待招聘方起頭開始薪酬方面的討論。等整個面試過程結束后再來討論相關問題也是個不錯的選擇。你的面試時間越長，招聘經理就會對你越感興趣，就更有利于你提出更高薪酬的要求，因為招聘經理可能回頭會去找人力資源部門或預算部門，提出為你增加薪酬。