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Most of my salary negotiation coaching clients go to big tech companies (primarily Google, Amazon, Apple, and Meta), and while each of those companies has similarities with how they approach negotiations, they're also all quite different. One thing they all have in common is that they will frequently ask for your "salary expectations" before they extend an offer. It's sometimes an explicit request—"What are you hoping to earn if you join our team?"—or a more subtle, implicit request—"I need to go to the Comp team to see what they're thinking. Before I do that, what do you have in mind so I can make sure to take them something I know you'll be ok with?". A software engineer who is also a reader of my newsletter emailed an excellent question about negotiating Google job offers, and that reminded me I should tell you about my guide to negotiating Google offers (in case you haven't seen it): How to negotiate your salary when you get a job offer from Google. I've written about how I negotiate with all these companies, but this was a good reminder that I should make sure you know about those articles before you actually have to negotiate. So here's a reader question about how to negotiate with Google—I hope it's helpful to you! The question Where should I set my goalposts in terms of compensation? How do people usually come up with an initial number? They asked me how much I would want. In truth, that number is pretty low - but I know I'm only hurting myself if I don't aim as high as possible without scaring Google off. My answer The most concise answer I can give to your questions is: “Read my guide on negotiating offers with Google” :) A slightly longer version is that the best way I know to set those goal posts (for yourself - not for communicating with Google necessarily) is to estimate your market value. You can read about that process in the online version of my book here: https://fearlesssalarynegotiation.com/book/value/ As far as what to say to Google about your expectations - don’t say anything (at least not in terms of numbers). It’s uncomfortable, but it’s not in your best interest to guess what they might pay you. Here’s a detailed article on how to avoid sharing your salary expectations even when they ask repeatedly and put a lot of pressure on you: https://fearlesssalarynegotiation.com/salary-expectations-interview-question/ Your concerns about guessing low or high are spot-on - which is why I recommend not guessing at all. Instead, you should say something like this: That will usually get you past that question. Not always, but usually. And if that answer doesn't get you past that question, then there are other tactics you can use that are very effective (you'll find those in the article I linked above). I think that covers everything you asked in the short-term, and your time is probably best spent prepping for that technical interview. But if you have questions about negotiating with Google (or anyone else) as you move through the process, just let me know! I get different versions of that question all the time, and I hope that's helpful. If you’re curious what it’s like to negotiate with Google or if you happen to be expecting a job offer from Google, check out the guide to negotiating Google job offers! Have a great week! Josh |