What does DOE salary or DOE pay mean and how to negotiate it? 

In the evolving landscape of employment, the concept of DOE salaries has emerged as a progressive approach to compensation. In this article, we delve into the world of DOE pays, exploring their advantages and disadvantages, and we provide a method to approach doe salary negotiation that will increase your success!

What does DOE salary mean?

The meaning of the term “DOE salary” or “DOE pay” refers to “salary depends on experience” which signifies that the compensation is dependent on the candidate’s qualifications and previous job background. In essence, it implies that the salary is open to negotiation and will be determined based on the amount of relevant experience possessed by the successful candidate. DOE salary is commonly found in job descriptions targeting experienced hires, where employers exhibit flexibility regarding the specific level of experience they seek. DOE pay is often used as a form of recognition and reward for candidates who surpass the minimum job requirements with their extensive experience. If you happen to encounter the term “salary DOE” in job postings, it is beneficial to carefully read the accompanying details for a comprehensive understanding of the remuneration structure.

There are several additional terms with the same meaning that are worth keeping in mind so as not to get lost in the world of offers. The job offer may also contain the information “salary commensurate with experience” or DOQ (Depending on Qualifications).

Is DOQ better than DOE? In the case of DOE and DOQ, it’s about experience and qualifications, but as we know from life, these can be equal. Your many years of experience in something, even without a degree, can prove that you are ideally qualified for the position.

How to use DOE pay in a job posting?

The optimal location to include ‘DOE salary’ within the salary or compensation section of your job post. Additionally, you can incorporate this phrase in the title of the post and the job advertisement. Although this acronym comes up often, how often do you look for a new job, hm? Make sure your post includes the explanation of this abbreviation. Many people don’t know what the DOE salary means.

Why do companies use DOE salary? Where does this tendency to not mention salary in the job offer come from?

There are several reasons why this happens and some of them are more positive, others unfortunately less so. You must try to estimate the company’s interest in providing the DOE salary in the job offer when doing company research. Of course, gowork.uk can help with this, all you have to do is find a thread of a given company and ask a question about similar experiences of other candidates. But let’s get back to the topic.

A reason that we would say is positive for using DOE pay is when a company doesn’t have a predetermined budget for the position and is prepared to offer higher compensation to secure the ideal candidate. DOE salaries should signal to job seekers that the prospective employer appreciates expertise and past accomplishments, and is prepared to provide compensation commensurate with those qualifications. It’s an opportunity to negotiate your salary and prove your worth. After all, not always 5 years of experience, but in a position with monotonous tasks equals 2 years, but in one of the best companies under the supervision of experienced leaders

If you have no experience, DOE salary shouldn’t discourage you. It just means that you are the most desirable candidate, just having less experience count on lower earnings, but it does not mean that everyone with a little more experience will definitely get the job. Other features are also important to recruiters, such as personality and organizational fit.

As we mentioned, however, there is also the other side of the coin where the reason to use DOE salary is rather negative. There are companies that, having small requirements that are probably met by a large group of people, want to choose the candidate who demands the least. They suggest that despite the low threshold of requirements, they care about experience and can pay more for it, but in fact they want to choose the “cheapest” person when negotiating with candidates.

If you are a recruiter or just an employer, you are probably wondering whether it is worth posting information about the DOE salary or maybe it is better to set a specific budget. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of this solution.

Advantages of using DOE salary in your job offer

• Maintaining Salary Confidentiality: Companies use DOE salary when they want to protect themselves from competitors using higher rates. But there is another important reason: salaries in your company. If someone else is already working for you in a similar position, finding out that you are recruiting for a much higher salary could lead to a drop in motivation, disappointment and conflict.
• Lower candidate cost than the market average: This will not be an advantage from the employee’s perspective, but it will be from the employer’s point of view. We can say unfortunately, and perhaps fortunately, the market is governed by its own laws. Adding DOE pay allows you to find a candidate with sufficiently high qualifications who doesn’t value itself appropriately because he/she may not have the appropriate knowledge about it.
• Attracting Experienced Applicants: Candidates with significant experience and diverse skill sets are more likely to be drawn to roles that demonstrate a willingness to compensate based on their expertise.  If a company is really willing to pay for the best expert in its field, a DOE salary is rather desirable. Otherwise, the person may be put off by the low amount. Especially if the company is big, candidates do not like this discrepancy. “A large, growing company means revenue, so why would they save on me as an employee?”

Disadvantages of using DOE pay in your job posting

• May attract candidates exceeding the salary limit: you can offer a doe salary but the truth is that in most cases the company has an upper limit. This is influenced by many factors, including the size or salary of employees in other similar positions. You know this, but the candidate doesn’t, and this can cause many candidates who rate their opportunities highly (even if you think it’s unreasonable) to respond to your job offer, and it will be a waste of time for both parties.
• May dissuade applicants who prefer salary transparency: job seekers appreciate clarity and may be unwilling to risk their time and effort on an interview, only to discover that the salary range is not satisfactory. Sometimes it’s good to give a minimum or maximum so that the candidate has a point of reference.
• Challenging to compete with job postings including information on salary: if a candidate already sees a generous offer from another job opportunity, the absence of a salary range for a DOE position may dissuade them from pursuing the application further, as it involves uncertainty and risk.

How to Negotiate a DOE Salary?

Most of the articles on this topic will tell you the steps to take when negotiating any salary – start high so after you can be flexible. However, there is an approach to the interview that will help you negotiate the DOE salary more easily. What to do?

1. Find out what the pay looks like for this position on the labor market and in this company. This is not an easy task, because, as we mentioned, companies tend to hide information about salaries. Nevertheless, try to do your research, you can use gowork.uk or other available sources, also older job offers. You need to get the big picture.
2. Analyze the offer – what experience or qualifications are required. It seems obvious, but take an offer and write down, point by point, which of the requirements you meet, which skills you have (fully or partially), which experience you gained in a non-obvious way, e.g. I have never worked in television production as an editor, but I have my channel on Youtube and I can edit. Try to estimate what percentage of the offer you meet.
3. Ask how the company values the ideal candidate. This is an important question because seeing the DOE you don’t really have any reference when it comes to budget. It is possible that it does not meet your expectations at all. It is very likely that you will not receive an answer, but it is worth asking. Then you know how much they value an expert and you can say: “Ok, then I meet 80% of your expectations. The only thing I miss is xyz but i can easily get it through … I think I am a highly qualified candidate for this position who can develop in your company”.

How do companies set the range for a DOE pay?

Companies primarily determine a DOE salary by conducting research, often relying on data collected by HR departments and recruitment firms. So this is exactly what you, as a candidate, should also be doing – market analysis. These sources offer valuable information about the pay for comparable positions within various industries and locations. Additionally, government surveys, with their findings accessible online, provide useful statistics that aid in establishing appropriate salary ranges.

What will give you extra points when negotiating a DOE salary that is not included in the budget? Working for reputable companies or working for a competitor. Large, recognised companies are a symbol of some kind of success, while working for a competitor means the internal knowledge you bring with you to the company. Of course, they won’t ask you directly, knowing that you’re probably bound by professional secrecy, but they’ll secretly hope that by working for them you’ll be able to implement what worked well in that company.

Now you know what the meaning of doe salary is. But you’re probably more interested in real sample wages! To find out, find your company’s thread on gowork.uk