How do I discuss salary with a candidate without setting the anchor?

Whoever names a salary first sets the anchor. So never name a number. Ask questions that surface the current package and the desired range, and let both come from the candidate.

The technique

Ask two things in one sentence: "What is your current base and bonus, and what range would a new role need to hit to be interesting?" The candidate gives their current figure as a reference and the desired range. The anchor comes from them.

Then probe the top end: "€85K is the top. What is the point above that where you would really say yes?" Many candidates give a safe range. Their real aspiration sits above it.

With clients, use the same logic. Not "what is the budget?" but "what range do comparable roles sit in at your company?" A range feels low-pressure. A budget question rarely gets an honest answer. And if you name €70K while the client was thinking €80K, they save €10K on your anchor.

Worked example

A DevOps engineer in Amersfoort tells you he is "open to a step". You ask the double question. He answers: €68,000 base, no bonus, and "somewhere around €75K to €80K would be interesting". You probe the top: "And above €80K, where do you not have to think anymore?" He laughs: "€84K and I sign tomorrow." You now hold three numbers he named himself: reference, safe range, and real yes-point. The client's range for the role runs to €85,000. You present the candidate at his desired level, not at his current one, and close at €82,000. At no point did you name a figure.

What not to do

• Naming a salary yourself "to get the conversation going". Any number you name becomes the anchor.
• Asking only for gross monthly salary. The full package counts: holiday pay, 13th month, pension, bonus, car, options.
• Assuming the stated salary is accurate. Ask if the candidate will share a pay slip. Not as an interrogation, as a service: "To help negotiate a better offer for you."