I posted this question to the ha-Safran list on January 18th: "Is it the feeling of this list that it is not particularly important to have an idea of a salary before applying for a position?" Some people posted responses to the list and others replied to me privately.
My response is "It's important!" I'm semi-retired. I'm not looking for a job nor will I be. When I was a library director, I composed job announcements and always included as specific a salary range as possible as well as the exact benefits (medical coverage and when it would begin, pension plan and when it would begin, number of annual vacation days, number of annual sick days) for all library positions, whether professional or clerical. I didn't want to waste my time or the candidates' time by interviewing people for whom the salary and benefits wouldn't be acceptable. I've never been fond of job announcements that present a lengthy list of what's required of a potential employee but no description of what an employer is offering in exchange. I loved the profession I worked in,but a fair and equitable salary and benefits were essential. Here are the responses to the question. "Often public postings for higher level positions do not include the salary for various reasons. Those who may be interested usually call and get the information directly, as you did. I don't see it as an issue for potential candidates." "I definitely think it is worth posting. But perhaps more important it would be nice to know which "NY college" he is talking about!!! Why wouldn't he post that information??? I felt that particular job advertisement was especially secretive, since he didn't clearly identify the institution or the salary expected. Very suspicious if you ask me." "The salary will not be below the average salary of a library director in New York and it is good that the two sides can negotiate it." "I'm still trying to imagine applying for a position without knowing where, exactly, you're applying to! Why all the secrecy? Another list I'm on has a rule that no position announcements can be posted without a salary range. I think this is only fair." "It seems to me that salary and benefits are data critical to making an informed decision about a position. However, when and how such data are revealed varies. At some institutions, the salary is mentioned in the advertisement; at others, it is revealed as part of an interview process. It seems to me that an applicant can always ask; the type of answer might reveal something about the likely work environment." "I think wanting to know the salary range before applying is eminently sensible. I do not understand why a potential employer would be secretive about it." "As the director of a library system, I don't include salary, but I answer the question immediately when asked. In planning budget, I have used the ARL yearly salary report." "In academia, this is how job advertisements are done. I read the job list for my field often, and I do not see any salary figures mentioned. Sometimes they say "salaries are competitive," but that's about it. Salary questions come up during the interviewing and selection process. I noticed this particular job is at a college, so maybe the people posting the ad are following the procedures for academic jobs? Maybe with professor jobs, salaries are consistent enough across the country that there's no reason to mention them up front. In my field, most first interviews occur at a conference or on the phone before it, so the candidate is not putting out money or traveling a long distance specifically for that job. By the time they are flying for a specific job, they are finalists, and I do think by then salary possibilities have usually been discussed between the chair and the candidate. But the protocol may be quite different for librarian jobs, especially if first interviews are not done at one time in one place. You were well within your rights to ask about the salary for that librarian job." "I would be interested in knowing the salary of a position." "This individual feels it would be helpful for those potential candidates to know the salary range." Joy Joy Rich, MLS Brooklyn, NY Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
