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How to Respond when asked for Current / Previous Rate

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    How to Respond when asked for Current / Previous Rate

    I've generally read that it's best to avoid giving prior or current rate to an agency when they ask about it, especially when aiming to get an increase, as it will simply increase their leverage. However, I'm quite new to contracting and would be interested in how people actually deal with the question (presumably more nuanced than just "No I won't tell you"!).

    Is there a different approach for agencies vs end clients in an interview? Should the client industry be taken into consideration? For example in public sector the rough salary of most people is generally quite transparent, so could they take the wrong way to just be told 'no'?

    I'd also would be interested in seeing if there are any people who do routinely reveal their current rate, or situations in which you would advise it.

    #2
    Plenty of threads around this which should help you with your question.

    https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pr...hrome&ie=UTF-8
    'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

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      #3
      Tell them the rate you want...This is a business to business relationship with commercial sensitivity involved, would they respond if the question was reversed?

      Tell them what you want and then negotiate from there...

      or...WNLUKS ^^^
      Join IPSE

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        #4
        Originally posted by Zylon View Post
        I've generally read that it's best to avoid giving prior or current rate to an agency when they ask about it, especially when aiming to get an increase, as it will simply increase their leverage. However, I'm quite new to contracting and would be interested in how people actually deal with the question (presumably more nuanced than just "No I won't tell you"!).

        Is there a different approach for agencies vs end clients in an interview? Should the client industry be taken into consideration? For example in public sector the rough salary of most people is generally quite transparent, so could they take the wrong way to just be told 'no'?

        I'd also would be interested in seeing if there are any people who do routinely reveal their current rate, or situations in which you would advise it.
        I always say ... "my normal rate is £xxx. For this role, given what you have told me about the role and location, I could go as low as £yyy"

        Set £xxx higher than you want, and give the agent the £yyy that you are hoping for. Anything above £yyy is a bonus for you.

        Saying that, not many agents ask me what rate I'm on today. They tell me the rate of the role and if I'm interested I'll let them put me forward. I find only Bob agents are hung up on the rate I'm on today, and I don't want to work through them anyway.
        I am what I drink, and I'm a bitter man

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          #5
          When I'm asked I tell them the rate I want to get. This may or may not be equal to my last achieved rate (but that's for me to know). Like the previous poster says, I may adjust the number based on sector (highest for fin/ins/law firms), location etc, but mostly based on how quickly I want to get into my next contract.

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            #6
            I have an NDA with the client that prevents me from sharing the rate. The rate I am quoting for this contract is £x,xxx pd.

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              #7
              Thanks for the tips


              Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
              Plenty of threads around this which should help you with your question.

              https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pr...hrome&ie=UTF-8
              I had tried forum search without much luck, but the Google Search results indeed seem much more relevant - I'll have to remember that for the future!

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                #8
                Originally posted by northernladyuk View Post
                I have an NDA with the client that prevents me from sharing the rate. The rate I am quoting for this contract is £x,xxx pd.

                Surely you have a protected and unprotected rate
                The Chunt of Chunts.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Zylon View Post
                  I had tried forum search without much luck, but the Google Search results indeed seem much more relevant - I'll have to remember that for the future!
                  Yep the standard search method is rubbish.

                  Full instructions how to use the google search is a sticky in the Welcome/FAQ section..

                  https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pr...hrome&ie=UTF-8
                  'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Zylon View Post
                    I've generally read that it's best to avoid giving prior or current rate to an agency when they ask about it, especially when aiming to get an increase, as it will simply increase their leverage. However, I'm quite new to contracting and would be interested in how people actually deal with the question (presumably more nuanced than just "No I won't tell you"!).

                    Is there a different approach for agencies vs end clients in an interview? Should the client industry be taken into consideration? For example in public sector the rough salary of most people is generally quite transparent, so could they take the wrong way to just be told 'no'?

                    I'd also would be interested in seeing if there are any people who do routinely reveal their current rate, or situations in which you would advise it.
                    What I charge one client is irrelevant to what I might charge another one - I've charged more for one client because I didn't like the project, and I've charged less for others because they were interesting and I thought I'd enjoy them.

                    "What's your current rate?" has easy answers - "I'm under an NDA", "it's none of your business", "market rate", "competitive", or laugh and say "you know better than to ask something like that". Agents will tend to go slightly more nuanced than that though - "what kind of rate are you looking for?", for example. So you counter this by being vague with the response, whilst putting them in a position to give you information - "as high as I can get. What's the client budget likely to be?" might work depending on the agent.

                    My preferred would be always to get the agent to suggest a range and then I'll decide what I'm happy with. I also like to leave it slightly open until I've spoken with the client - what the agent pitches as £400 a day may in reality turn out to be a £600 a day project once you understand what the client is expecting.
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