Salary research that goes beyond the first Google result
Published salary surveys are a floor for your research, not the answer. Triangulate properly before you anchor.
Michael Page, Glassdoor, AmbitionBox: fine starting points, systematically wrong for senior roles because samples are thin and titles mean different things across institutions. A VP at a foreign bank and a VP at an NBFC are different species with the same label.
The triangulation method
- Three live data points: current postings with disclosed ranges in your market - Singapore's MCF lists salary bands for most roles
- Two human data points: recruiters who work your niche will tell you the band in exchange for a real conversation
- One insider: someone at the target institution, if your network reaches that far
Adjust for the institution type
Foreign banks pay a premium for the same title versus Indian private banks, which pay a premium over PSU banks, which offer stability instead. Fintechs pay less cash and more equity. Compare within the class, or your anchor is fiction.
Know your three numbers
Before any negotiation: your walk-away (below which the move is irrational), your market (the triangulated band), and your stretch (the credible top). Candidates who know all three negotiate calmly. Candidates who know none negotiate anxiously - and it shows.