Mentioning rate in interview

[dotnetter]

I know this is a no no and I know everyone is against (I am too)

BUT

One interview I went for, they asked me my rate, I said I would discuss that with the agent blah blah but they persisted and basically said, 'well its us paying you'. So I told them, I didnt get the job as they said they was looking for someone with a 'little more experience' in a certain area that they really needed. To be fair I did feel a bit out of my league anyway and felt a bit stitched up by the agent, so I probably dropped him in it with the client by disclosing my rate.

[andy]

I always discuss my rates with client to get an idea if the pimp is not stitching me up .

[wendigo100]

I was asked a couple of years ago at an interview, and the interviewer told me that the agent was stitching me up. Not by a lot, but enough to p1ss off the interviewer. I still got the job though (TonyE, you know where).

[Joe Black]

I know this is a no no and I know everyone is against (I am too)

BUT...

No spanking necessary. Something of a grey area, depends on the motives of those involved and that's what you have to figure out, just like when an agent asks the same question.

[mcquiggd]

Had an interesting experience during the latest (admittedly a permie interview)... the agent was left completely out of the loop, and I discussed salaries, bonus payments etc directly with the HR person...

And, I only supplied references to the company, none at all to the agent...

Most unusual...

[hattra]

I know some of the big banks, in particular, dictate the agencies' markups, so they're just checking that the agency is sticking to the contract

[oraclesmith]

Had an interesting experience during the latest (admittedly a permie interview)... the agent was left completely out of the loop, and I discussed salaries, bonus payments etc directly with the HR person...

And, I only supplied references to the company, none at all to the agent...

Most unusual...

Not that unusual for a permie role. In these cases the agency normally takes a fee based on a percentage of your salary, for the first X months. They only need to work with the client to confirm what you've been brought in on.

[ratewhore]

All down to personal choice isn't it? I personally never discuss rate with the end client. I've been asked a couple of times but always pointed them in the direction of the pimp. Never been an issue.

However, if a client said to me 'it's us who are paying you' then that would ring the alarm bells as they obviously don't understand the relationship...

[darmstadt]

In Germany, quite often someone from the agency will accompany you to the interview and sit in as well. I did one some years back and they started talking about money after I had done the techie bit and so I knew exactly the markup! She was well fit though but I didn't get the gig luckily....

[Joe Black]

Have had that here as well on a few interviews, via a Belgian recruitment company, someone from the agency came along, chauffeured me to the client etc.

Sometimes felt more like an office meeting than an interview.