Spanish interviews, salary expectations and trial tasks

Terms used

• Convenio — The convenio is the collective agreement for a sector or company. It sets minimum pay, extra-payment dates and trial period limits.
• Pagas extra — The pagas extra are two extra payments a year, usually in June/July and December, that are part of your annual salary.
• Nómina — The nómina is your monthly payslip. It shows how your pay and extra payments are paid.
• Período de prueba — The período de prueba is a trial period at the start of a job, when either side can end the contract without notice.

Key rules

• Salary: Quote gross annual salary (bruto anual) and say whether it is for 12 or 14 payments.
• Trial period: A trial period only counts if it is written into your contract.
• Interview questions: You can decline questions about pregnancy, family plans, religion, politics or union membership.
• Process length: Expect staged interviews over 2 to 6 weeks.

What the process looks like

Expect several stages. The whole process usually takes 2 to 6 weeks. Large companies can take longer, small firms are often faster, and August is usually slow.

1. You send your CV or an online application.
2. You have a call or video screen with HR, usually 15 to 30 minutes. It covers motivation, salary expectations and availability.
3. You meet the hiring manager or team, in one or two interviews.
4. Technical roles often add a test or case study. Larger firms may add personality or language tests.
5. You get an offer, then references, then the contract.

Public-sector jobs (oposiciones) work differently. This page covers private-sector hiring.

Video interviews

Video interviews are common, especially for the first round and for remote roles. Test your connection, choose a quiet space, dress as you would in person and be on time. The final interview is often in person, especially at a small or medium company. Some large employers use recorded one-way video interviews, but they are less common.

Talking about pay

Quote your pay as gross annual salary (bruto anual) and say whether it is for 12 or 14 payments. The annual total is the same either way, so the number of payments only changes how it is split.

• With 14 payments, you get 12 monthly payments plus two extra payments (pagas extra), usually in June/July and December. Ordinary months are lower and the extra-pay months are higher.
• With 12 payments, the extras are spread across the monthly pay (prorrateadas).
• Divide the gross annual figure by 14 or by 12 to see each payment.

Spanish law requires at least two extra payments a year. The contract or collective agreement (convenio) sets when they are paid. Ask for this to be written in the contract. Your payslip (nómina) shows which system applies.

Answering "what are your salary expectations?"

• Give a range, not one number. Set the bottom of the range at a figure you would accept.
• Base it on pay data for the role, city and seniority. Recruiter salary guides, job sites and the national statistics office's pay survey all help. Guides vary in method, so compare several.
• For the legal minimums in your sector, look up the convenio for your sector and province in the official registry or the BOE, and open its pay tables (tablas salariales). Those are minimums per professional group.
• On an early online form, give a range or write "negociable según el paquete".
• In an interview, learn the role and the fixed/variable split first. Give your range when the recruiter asks directly.
• Mention variable pay, benefits and remote work separately from the fixed gross figure.

Trial period

A trial period (período de prueba) only counts if it is written into your contract. The convenio sets its maximum length. If the convenio says nothing, the limits are:

• 6 months for qualified technicians (titulados) and 2 months for other workers.
• 3 months for non-technicians at companies with fewer than 25 workers.
• 1 month on a fixed-term contract of up to 6 months.

During the trial you have normal employee rights: pay, Social Security registration, and the time counts towards seniority. Either side can end the contract without notice or compensation, unless the convenio says otherwise. Check the maximum in your own convenio before you sign.

Questions an employer cannot ask

Employers may not ask questions that could lead to discrimination. You can decline to answer questions about:

• pregnancy or plans for children, and family situation
• religion or belief, and political opinions
• union membership
• sexual orientation and ethnic origin
• disability or health, unless directly tied to what the job requires
• age or marital status, unless essential to the job

Medical checks need your consent except in defined cases. Exact limits can depend on the occupation. If you think you were discriminated against, you can report it to the Labour Inspectorate. For misuse of your personal data, the data protection agency (AEPD) handles complaints.

The timeline, documents, checklist and quick answers below cover the rest.

Timeline and deadlines

• Send your CV or online application: first step of the process

• Meet the hiring manager or team, then do any test or case study for technical roles: one or two interviews after the HR screen

• Receive the offer, then references and the contract: after the final interview; the whole process usually takes 2 to 6 weeks, longer at large companies

• Trial period if no convenio sets a length: 2 months for most workers, 6 months for qualified technicians (titulados): from your start date

• Trial period at companies with fewer than 25 workers, for non-technicians: up to 3 months from your start date

• Trial period on a fixed-term contract of up to 6 months: up to 1 month from your start date

Documents you need

• Written contract that includes the trial period (período de prueba). A trial period only counts if it is agreed in writing in the contract.

• Contract or collective agreement (convenio) showing whether your pay comes in 12 or 14 payments and when the two extra payments (pagas extra) are paid.

• Payslip (nómina) once you start work. It shows whether your extra payments are paid separately or spread over the monthly pay.

Checklist

• Divide the gross annual figure by 14 or by 12 to see what each payment will be, depending on whether the extra payments are spread over the year.

• Ask the employer to confirm in the contract when the two extra payments (pagas extra) are paid.

• Expect a short call or video screen with HR, then one or two interviews with the hiring manager or team.

• Prepare for a test or case study if you apply for a technical role.

• Test your connection, pick a quiet space and dress as you would in person before a video interview on Teams, Zoom or Google Meet.

• Decline to answer questions about pregnancy, plans for children, family situation, religion, political views, union membership, sexual orientation, ethnic origin or health, or steer back to the job.

• Report discriminatory questions to the Labour Inspectorate (Inspección de Trabajo).

• Check that the contract states the trial period in writing and that its length fits the legal limits before you sign.

Quick answers on Spanish applications and interviews

Should my Spanish CV include a photo?

No, a photo is not required, and many recruiters now suggest leaving it out. Photos are still common in Spain, so a neutral, professional one is fine if you want to add it. Large companies and multinationals often prefer none, and an employer may not require one.

Can a Spanish employer ask about my age or marital status?

Employers should not ask about age or marital status unless it is strictly necessary for the job. Discrimination on age, civil status or family situation in hiring is prohibited. You can decline politely, and a discriminatory job advert can be reported to the Labour Inspectorate.

How do I answer a salary expectations question?

Give a range, not a single number, quoted as gross annual salary (bruto anual) and say whether it is for 12 or 14 payments.

Is an unpaid trial day legal in Spain?

No, an unpaid trial day is not legal if it involves real work for the company. Short exercises that only assess your skills are tolerated. If you did real work, you can report it to the Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social and claim pay and contributions for those days.