Scots more likely to ask about salary during job interview

Almost 30 per cent of Scots professionals say they would ask about salary. Picture: Contributed

Scottish job seekers are more likely to quiz prospective bosses over what they will be paid in a new role than workers elsewhere in the UK, a report has revealed.

Almost 30 per cent of people in Scotland said they would ask about salary when in a job interview, compared to just 17.5 per cent in the rest of Britain. In Aberdeen, where a lot of people are employed in the oil and gas industry, the figure is even higher, with almost half of job seekers saying they would have no qualms about establishing a prospective salary in an interview, according to the survey by CV-Library.

Meanwhile, Scots are also more likely to ensure that a new job would have a long-term future before taking it, the report found. A total of 81.5 per cent of people in Scotland said they would ask if there was “room for development” in a new position, while almost 40 per cent said they would pose questions about the general culture of the company and the workplace.

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library said: “It’s always good to turn up to an interview armed with appropriate questions to ask and you should note them down beforehand just in case you have a mind blank half way through. Not only will this show you’re well prepared, it also demonstrates that you have a genuine interest in the company and the opportunity to work there.

“Rather than going straight in with questions around salaries and working hours, you can find out more about a company by posing questions about their culture, teams and how they measure success.

“Doing so will help you paint a picture of what it’s like to work there, and will also show to the interviewer that you are passionate about working in a company where the fit is right on both sides.”

The majority of professionals in Scotland think it is appropriate to ask three to five questions, while 43.2 per cent would ask just one or two.

Only one in ten people said they a believe it is appropriate to pose up to 10 questions – although over half of people believe that candidates who do not ask questions in an interview will be frowned upon.