When searching for jobs as a newcomer to Canada, it’s natural to want clarity on salary early on in the interview process. However, bringing up pay too soon—or setting expectations too early—can sometimes work against you. In the Canadian hiring process, timing matters!
In this article, we speak to experts in Canada’s labour market to help you better understand the hiring process, as well as when and how to approach salary discussions.
Early interviews are about demonstrating value and role/company fit
Once you’re selected for an interview, employers will typically review your resume closely and may ask about your salary expectations, says Clark Glassford, a job strategy and interview coach. If asked, you can share a salary range and mention that you saw this amount mentioned on the job posting.
“You may turn that around into a question to them to say, well, what is the ideal range for this position? Typically, you might hear that during the early stages of the interview, or at the end of the interview.”
However, Glassford advises against initiating the salary conversation yourself. When you first chat with or meet with the employer/hiring manager/recruiter, “they’re assessing you whether you have the skills for that role, and you’re assessing whether it’s the right fit for you. This is not the time to get into salary negotiation. You want to leave that to after you’ve done interviews, perhaps even after reference checks have been completed,” he says.
“You want to be in a position where they’re ready to present you with an offer, or have presented you with an offer, which will list what that salary is. At that point, you can come back with the counteroffer and use that to your advantage.”
Glassford shares an insight: Typically, when employers make an offer to you, they don’t have a Plan B— a second or third person to whom they will extend that offer in case you decline. They liked you the most, and that’s why you were selected, so in most cases, they’d be willing to negotiate to some extent.
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For salary expectations, stay within market benchmarks
In some cases, salary expectations are requested during the application process itself. While it may feel like a straightforward question, your answer can influence whether you move forward.
If you ask for too high a number, employers could remove you from the selection process even before you have had an interview.
“This is where I would probably go around and ask inside the organization or find out the information on sites such as Salary.com or Glassdoor,” says Sweta Regmi, a certified career strategist and personal branding consultant. With the right research, you should already have a clear sense of where you fall within the salary range for the role you’re applying for.
“Understand the labour trends in the market,” says Regmi. “Research it, identify your skills inventory: the hard skills and soft skills needed in Canada as a newcomer, and your transferable skills from back home. Research the company policy around compensation and find out the range to confidently quote and back up your salary expectations.”
For newcomers interviewing for their first job in Canada, Regmi advises prioritizing the value of the role or growth potential over immediate salary in order to open more lucrative opportunities in the future. While it’s important to advocate for fair pay, your first job in Canada is often a stepping stone. “Think, ‘I will get the [local] experience, I can move on to another job where I can gain the salary that I feel is worthy of the experience I have’,” she adds.
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Negotiate salary down the line; there are chances to revisit conversations
If your employer is unable to meet your expectations initially, there may still be opportunities to revisit the conversation later and ask for additional compensation. For instance, once you’ve finished your probationary period, or after six months or a year of service. “Annual performance reviews are another opportunity to further negotiate salary,” says Glassford.
A best practice for this is to ask about performance reviews, salary bands, and raise cycles before accepting an offer, so you know when future negotiations are possible.
In some cases, you may not have room to negotiate at all. “You may be locked into an employer’s compensation system, which means there are specific periods of time during which your salary increases. For example, if you’re in a unionized role, your salary will typically increase annually or on your anniversary date, or through collective bargaining,” he adds.
Also read: Your questions answered: Living and working in Canada as an immigrant
We hope this information helped you understand when and how to have salary conversations in the hiring process, and that too, confidently as a newcomer to Canada. Share the article with another newcomer!