Career Q & A
By Michael Mayne
October 18, 2004
I currently live in England and I'm looking for employment in the not-for-profit sector in Canada. It is so frustrating to NEVER see any salaries stated on Canadian job specs. I am cautious about applying for a job with no salary stated because it gives no indication of:
- The seniority of the job.
- The size of the organization and what they are willing to pay to get the right person.
- The worth of the job itself.
Not to make comparisons with the UK, but jobs advertised in all media ALWAYS carry
a salary band, for the above reasons. Any suggestions?
Canadians, by nature, tend to be a conservative bunch - particularly when it comes to salary. We seem to have much less discomfort in relating some of our most personal and embarrassing health issues, but clam right up when it comes to how much money we make. This can be frustrating for job seekers, for many of the reasons you mentioned. However, there are a few things you can do to help shed some light onto the dark world of salary.
In defense of employers in general, they are operating in a competitive labour market, and have some valid reasons for trying to keep salary information confidential - after all, their goal is to hire the best candidate at the lowest possible salary. However, like any other product or service, there is a natural price point for labour, and if wages are set too low, employees will move on to greener pastures. In the not-for-profit world, where every dollar counts and salaries tend to be lower than industry as a result, the stakes are even higher. This does not necessarily mean that you need to settle for perpetual poverty in order to reap the rewards of working for a cause you strongly support. Like anything, the more you know, the better off you will be.
START YOUR OWN DATABASE OF SALARIES
Developing an understanding of the market realities is the first step. Define
what your service is, for example: "I am a Senior Fundraising Professional",
then start gathering information about compensation for this type of position.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
There are some jobs that will have salary ranges attached to them - many government
agencies are required by law to state salary ranges. Talk to people in the
know about salary ranges - friends and colleagues who are in hiring positions,
volunteer board members, and executive recruiters can be a great resource
for general salary information for specific positions.
The Internet has some helpful resources also: US-based www.salary.com
or www.SalaryExpert.com can be helpful
guidelines. One tip: look up your current position for a similar-sized city
in the U.S. and see how close it is. You can get some base information for
free, but will have to pay for more detailed reports. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada has recently started reporting Canadian salary information at www.labourmarketinformation.ca.
Not all jobs categories or geographical regions are covered, although new
information is being added. Finally, CharityVillage has some information about
salaries in the sector - just do a site search with "salary" as the keyword.
SIZE MATTERS
Remember that size matters. Larger organizations typically have deeper pockets,
and can usually afford to pay more for a better quality of candidate. These
organizations also tend to be more complicated and demanding of their employees.
WORK WITH RANGES
When a job advertisement asks for your salary expectations, try to use a range.
When ads request this information, they are basically asking, "Can we afford
this person?" They may also gain critical information about labour market
conditions for the position, and can often revise their ranges in light of
this additional data. NEVER volunteer your salary requirements - since your
best negotiating position is to delay the salary question as long as possible.
The more they see what you can contribute to the organization, the more flexible
they may become about salary.
SHOW ME THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE!
In today's society money is important, but it certainly isn't everything. Salary
is the key to any compensation package, but not the only factor. Consider
asking for other important compensation items, such as more time off, flexible
hours, or telecommuting, rather than money.
Good Luck.
Michael Mayne, M.B.A., CMA, is Managing Partner and a Certified Professional Career Counsellor at Catalyst Careers, a Career Transition, Counselling, and Outplacement firm. Michael has been involved in the not-for-profit sector for many years, and is currently President of ALS Canada. To contact Michael, visit: www.catalystcareers.com.
To submit a question for a future column, please e-mail it to careercoach@charityvillage.com. No identifying information will appear in this column.
