Step 3 — International adjustment

Estimates the realistic hiring discount an overseas candidate may face when negotiating with local employers, compared to a local candidate at the same level. Before running, Claude asks whether to use the deep-reasoner subagent (Opus, high effort) for higher reasoning accuracy. If you decline, the step runs with your current model.

Flow 

flowchart TD
  Start([Step 3 begins]) --> OpusQ{Use Opus for\nhigher accuracy?}
  OpusQ -->|yes| DeepReasoner[Route to deep-reasoner\nOpus / high effort]
  OpusQ -->|no| CurrentModel[Run with your\ncurrent model]
  DeepReasoner --> SitCheck
  CurrentModel --> SitCheck{situational-profile.md\nexists?}
  SitCheck -->|yes| ReuseSit[Reuse existing profile\nSkip Phase 1 questions]
  SitCheck -->|no| Phase1[Phase 1: Ask situational questions\nlocation · citizenship · friction\nlanguages · work language\nSave to situational-profile.md]
  ReuseSit --> Phase2
  Phase1 --> Phase2

  Phase2[Phase 2: For each country — ask:\n1. Local work experience?\n2. Can attend in-person interviews?\n3. Applying from outside that country?] --> WaitAnswer[Wait for answers\nbefore moving to next country]
  WaitAnswer --> More{More\ncountries?}
  More -->|yes| Phase2
  More -->|no| Estimate

  Estimate[Estimate adjustment per country\nbased on hiring practices and\nmarket conditions] --> Output[For each country output:\nAdjustment range %\nTypical midpoint %\nLevel: Small / Moderate / Significant\nConfidence: High / Medium / Low\nBrief explanation]
  Output --> Done([Proceed to Step 4])

What it reads

  • All salary data stored in Step 2
  • situational-profile.md — if present, Phase 1 questions are skipped
  • Your per-country answers from Phase 2

Phase 1 — Situational questions (once, if not already saved)

If situational-profile.md does not exist, Claude asks:

  1. Current location
  2. Citizenship
  3. Any known immigration friction or employer risk perception tied to your citizenship
  4. Languages spoken
  5. Required work environment language

Answers are saved to situational-profile.md and reused across sessions.

Phase 2 — Per-country questions

For each country in the salary dataset, Claude asks three questions and waits for your answers before moving to the next country:

  1. Do you have local work experience in this country?
  2. Can you attend in-person interviews or onsite meetings for roles there?
  3. Are you applying from outside that country?

What the adjustment estimates

The adjustment reflects practical recruiter and employer behaviour for overseas candidates, not a legal pay rule. Factors considered:

  • Openness to international hiring in that market
  • Employer willingness to sponsor overseas candidates
  • Visa complexity and processing friction
  • Local talent availability and competition
  • Language tolerance in the workplace
  • Relocation friction and remote interview logistics
  • Perceived hiring risk for overseas applicants
  • Current hiring market conditions (last 12 months)

This is not about tax, cost of living, purchasing power, or permanent residence pathways.

Output per country

  • Adjustment range (%)
  • Typical midpoint adjustment (%)
  • Adjustment level: Small, Moderate, or Significant
  • Confidence: High, Medium, or Low
  • Brief explanation

Claude Compass — MIT License