The International Schools Review Forum

Something I have found interesting, even before your interview at a school HR asking your expected salary, slight conundrum? is this a potential sign here, should they be open and transparent, are you potentially under valuing yourself or are they also doing the same to potentially cut costs and save $$$

Would be a major red flag (danger, danger), though again while its less likely youd want to work for/with an IS that insists on this beforehand and dismiss them outright there are ISs, a lot of them, that simply cant afford what too many ITs (most of them entering IE for the first time) expect ITs make in a given region and by definition half of those IS will pay less than average. If an ITs salary expectations arent aligned with the ISs salary for the position there isnt much reason to progress with the candidate. Even ISs that post for the specific position what the salary range is will get candidates at interview who think that their resume is worth X amount more, and more often than not that more isnt realistic or even doable. On the other side of the spectrum you dont know if this is an IS with a closed salary scale and they are hoping the can get an IT for less then they have budgeted for a position. Leaders are rarely disciplined for saving ownership coin.

Its not really a conundrum, if they ask do some research on the national/regional average in edu is.
You can just give them youre highest salary or you can low ball yourself with the explanation when made an offer that now that you understand the role and expectations your compensation expectations would be X.
It could be an indication that they are looking to offer less than they have budgeted or designated for the position, but if its a screening process question an application of a response is not a contractual obligation.
Should they be open and transparent? If you understand that open and transparent goes both ways and depending how good you are at bargaining and how accurate your understanding of your value in that market is, a closed salary system may benefit you.

If you respond back with some obscene number they are probably going to ignore you and bin your application and you may have already done the same for them, but if its a red card for you then why bother and just hit the delete button.

I agree with PsyGuy (apart from "by definition half of those IS will pay less than average" since that's simply not true).
I would also try to find out what they pay their other teachers with similar experience, and if that's acceptable for you give them a slightly higher number. Also do your best to find out if this red flag is one of many, or if the school is in fact well-run and a good place to work. One red flag doesn't mean you should run immediately even though this is, as PsyGuy says, a major one. It might just be an HR person trying something new in which case they will have scared off part of your competition by doing doing so, giving you a better shot at a decent job. My money would be on it not being a great place to work but you never know until you do research.
And make sure you know the benefits package before coming at them with a number.

@Illiane_Blues

Yes, it is true, thats what average means its the point under the curve that divides the bottom and top 50% of the area.

You’re looking for the difference between mean and median. PG’s statement is true for median, but not for mean.

@sid

No, its true, the mode, median, and mean are all the same in a normal distribution/curve.

In a normal distribution curve, yes. In the range of international school salaries, no.

@Sid

Yes they do. IT salaries in a given region follow a normal distribution curve.

You're so funny.

Truth is often stranger than fiction.

You seem to have adapted well to a post-truth world.

@Sid

Yes, I like data and truth, better than your pre-truth world.

PsyGuy wrote:
> @Sid
>
> Yes, I like data and truth, better than your pre-truth world.

Says the person who always refuses to list his sources, and has often advised others to lie if it suits them.

@Heliotrope

Says the person who has to constantly remind you to do your own research.

PsyGuy wrote:
> @Heliotrope
>
> Says the person who has to constantly remind you to do your own research.

I do remind people to do their own research when I make a claim I'm not certain about, or if I just recount my own or someone else's singular experience or opinion, or in response to someone saying they want to apply to a certain school just because they read one good review about it. I don't present something as truth if I'm not sure it is.

If I had a source though supporting my statement and someone would ask for it, I would definitely disclose it, if I hadn't already in the post where I referred to it.
Why would I make a statement based on a study or an article, and then telling people to go hunt down that study themselves if I can just link to it? Only people that mention non-existing (but supposedly 'trusted and reliable') sources would refuse to reveal those sources.