When Is Money Worth Mentioning?

It may not be the most comfortable subject to broach, but compensation is on everyone’s mind during job interviews.

When is the right time to bring up salary? According to an Accountemps survey of 150 senior executives from the nation’s 1,000 largest companies, job candidates should get the compensation questions out of the way early enough to prevent surprises in the final stages of hiring but late enough so that money doesn’t seem like the biggest factor in the decision. Here’s how the executives surveyed came down on the issue:

When is it appropriate for a job candidate to ask about compensation and benefits?

• Phone interview—17%
• First interview—30%
• Second interview—26%
• Third interview or after—10%
• Once you make the job offer—12%
• Other/don’t know—5%

Source: Accountemps, www.accountemps.com.