Questions about Salary during applications
Discussion
I hate this question coming up in some online applications. Many sites only allow you to enter numerical digits as an answer so you cannot even enter something generic like "competitive" or "none of your business" or "between x and y range" etc. My personal fave at the monent if the system allows it is to say "Less than XYZk"
What are people opinions on being asked this question?
Sometimes it might just ask for current salary or ask for your salary expectations. How do you answer?
I personally feel that if I earned say £50k in my last job and I am applying for a cleaning job paying NMW if I put £50k down on the application they are gonna think he is not serious or will just do the job short term then go find another £50k job, or if you put down say £30k and the employer is paying up to £28k they again will think you wont want to take a cut and bin your application.........
but really is it any of their business how much you got paud in your last job? whats that got to do with the job you are now applying for?
I wonder if there are any bosses here that can tell us how they look upon the answers given. Surely it must have some influence on being selected for interview?
What are people opinions on being asked this question?
Sometimes it might just ask for current salary or ask for your salary expectations. How do you answer?
I personally feel that if I earned say £50k in my last job and I am applying for a cleaning job paying NMW if I put £50k down on the application they are gonna think he is not serious or will just do the job short term then go find another £50k job, or if you put down say £30k and the employer is paying up to £28k they again will think you wont want to take a cut and bin your application.........
but really is it any of their business how much you got paud in your last job? whats that got to do with the job you are now applying for?
I wonder if there are any bosses here that can tell us how they look upon the answers given. Surely it must have some influence on being selected for interview?
So this question is always a difficult one.
I've typically seen it used to understand if companies can actually meet a candidates salary expectations, especially when the salary is variable and isn't stated on the job advert.
There is no point in a long interview process and wasting everyone's time if at they end you're likely to be unable to offer them an amount they'd accept.
I've heard second hand reports of it being used to keep salaries down but I've never actually experienced a practical example of this.
I've typically seen it used to understand if companies can actually meet a candidates salary expectations, especially when the salary is variable and isn't stated on the job advert.
There is no point in a long interview process and wasting everyone's time if at they end you're likely to be unable to offer them an amount they'd accept.
I've heard second hand reports of it being used to keep salaries down but I've never actually experienced a practical example of this.
ToothbrushMan said:
I wonder if there are any bosses here that can tell us how they look upon the answers given. Surely it must have some influence on being selected for interview?
Well, sometimes it can but not all jobs and bosses are the same.Knowing how much an applicant currently earns or what they would like to earn provides an indication of the parameters within which their competency exists. For example, someone earning £20k a year applying for a £80k position might be a tad ambitious. Equally, the other way around might suggest they haven't really read the Job Description......or it might be that they have enough money and want to return to a more fulfilling. less stressful role....
Good employers will not base a decision to invite someone to interview on only the salary being earned or sought. There exists many reasons and back stories that may explain disparities in both so I would look at the whole rather than the parts.
Current salary I can see why in some circumstances I may not want to disclose - mainly if I were looking for a big promotion or if I thought I was very underpaid in my current role.
Salary expectation? You should know what you are worth and be confident asking for it. They can decide if you're worth it /they can afford you.
It's important to know your value in the market, you're your own boss in this life, your time is the asset you are selling!
Salary expectation? You should know what you are worth and be confident asking for it. They can decide if you're worth it /they can afford you.
It's important to know your value in the market, you're your own boss in this life, your time is the asset you are selling!
Slurms said:
I've heard second hand reports of it being used to keep salaries down but I've never actually experienced a practical example of this.
I applied for a job with a salary advertised as 2x.I was earning x.
During an informal interview with the recruiter, I stupidly said this. Instantly I was told the maximum "uplift" the client would offer was x+10%.
Not based on my skills, or value - just an arbitrary rule.
I suppose if I was the perfect candidate, but was currently earning minimum wage - I guess they'd offer 10% more than that instead.
Complete joke and as such I'd never state a salary again.
ToothbrushMan said:
but really is it any of their business how much you got paud in your last job? whats that got to do with the job you are now applying for?
I wonder if there are any bosses here that can tell us how they look upon the answers given. Surely it must have some influence on being selected for interview?
In interviews when I am asked "What is your desired/current salary?", I now reply with " I'm happy to discuss salary/package if and when a job offer is made at later stage, however I will say that I am negotiable."I wonder if there are any bosses here that can tell us how they look upon the answers given. Surely it must have some influence on being selected for interview?
It's worked for me ever since, the line regarding 'negotiable' allows them to tick a box and move on in the interview. So far in my experience they've all been ok with it.
Edited by JaredVannett on Tuesday 6th November 12:57
it is when you get a range, say from 18k to 25.
You just know that they wont pay 25, not even for the perfect candidate.
So I usually end up not applying as you know they will take a kid or some Eastern European who will accept the lowest wage, as most manufacturing companies don't value their staff in terms of money.
And if you ever discuss it with an agency, and they offer to put you in at a higher level, believe me, you will never hear about that job again. Happened to me so, so many times.
Companies and people who run them are tight as a
holes in certain industries, they never put a monetary value on staff, only the barest minimum.
And they then wonder why bad thing sometimes happen, sometimes it has a valid point. But not very often in my experience.
You just know that they wont pay 25, not even for the perfect candidate.
So I usually end up not applying as you know they will take a kid or some Eastern European who will accept the lowest wage, as most manufacturing companies don't value their staff in terms of money.
And if you ever discuss it with an agency, and they offer to put you in at a higher level, believe me, you will never hear about that job again. Happened to me so, so many times.
Companies and people who run them are tight as a
holes in certain industries, they never put a monetary value on staff, only the barest minimum.And they then wonder why bad thing sometimes happen, sometimes it has a valid point. But not very often in my experience.
chunder27 said:
it is when you get a range, say from 18k to 25.
You just know that they wont pay 25, not even for the perfect candidate.
Depends who you work for and what you do. When I got offered a previous role there was a banding but also asked for a figure I wanted, which I stated, which was current+20% which was at the bottom 1/3 of the band. They countered with the top of the band figure and advised I was shorting myself (which was roughy current+60%). Very honest and decent of them too.You just know that they wont pay 25, not even for the perfect candidate.
I suppose it's in part to identify the level you are currently working at. I know of businesses which describe people as 'Managers' when in reality they are 40p an hour above minimum wage working on the shop floor of a fast food restaurant as chief monkey out of 3 or 4. My son started (with an Amercican company) straight out of Uni as a 'Vice President', and don't get me started on people described as 'Executives'.
Most people applying for another job will be realistically looking for a single stage promotion and an uplift of 10 to 30%. This just gives the employer an idea of where they currently are.
Yes, you'll get exceptions . There will be other chances in the process to clarify something like this.
Most people applying for another job will be realistically looking for a single stage promotion and an uplift of 10 to 30%. This just gives the employer an idea of where they currently are.
Yes, you'll get exceptions . There will be other chances in the process to clarify something like this.
Jakg said:
applied for a job with a salary advertised as 2x.
I was earning x.
During an informal interview with the recruiter, I stupidly said this. Instantly I was told the maximum "uplift" the client would offer was x+10%.
Not based on my skills, or value - just an arbitrary rule.
I suppose if I was the perfect candidate, but was currently earning minimum wage - I guess they'd offer 10% more than that instead.
Complete joke and as such I'd never state a salary again.
This.I was earning x.
During an informal interview with the recruiter, I stupidly said this. Instantly I was told the maximum "uplift" the client would offer was x+10%.
Not based on my skills, or value - just an arbitrary rule.
I suppose if I was the perfect candidate, but was currently earning minimum wage - I guess they'd offer 10% more than that instead.
Complete joke and as such I'd never state a salary again.
I turned down a job once. It was offered to my then subordinate. He spoke to me after accepting it thinking he'd played hardball with them. He's said "I'll only take the job if you pay me X". At the time they hadn't mentioned salary, they were offering nearly double what he asked for and needless to say bit his arm off. I didn't have the heart to tell him.
If asked in interview I used to say happy to accept industry or market rates given my experience.
Try and get them to them make the first offer but I wouldn't go into an interview without at least a published salary range on the advert. What have they got to hide? either a low salary or they've shafted their other employees. In either case they're not a good company to work for,
Never tell them what you earned in previous jobs. It's none of their business & only only helps them lowball you. A previous employer should not divulge that info if they are asked.
I see both sides as its personal and private info but if you are out of their ballpark price range for this job then you are both wasting your time. As your effort will be greater than their if you are serious about the job maybe its as well to be honest +20%?
In the past when I was actually employable by other people (what a horrible thing it is
) I would sometimes not bother if they didn't disclose a ballpark for the role. They used to do that last century but now very rarely do so as many junior HR types think they are bad men hardballers who would walk The Apprentice
In the past when I was actually employable by other people (what a horrible thing it is
) I would sometimes not bother if they didn't disclose a ballpark for the role. They used to do that last century but now very rarely do so as many junior HR types think they are bad men hardballers who would walk The Apprentice hornmeister said:
Try and get them to them make the first offer but I wouldn't go into an interview without at least a published salary range on the advert. What have they got to hide? either a low salary or they've shafted their other employees. In either case they're not a good company to work for,
Never tell them what you earned in previous jobs. It's none of their business & only only helps them lowball you.
All this ^. Any advert that says "competitive rates of pay" (or some variant thereof) or doesn't list a figure at all (which is an increasing number of them), I just skip straight past it to ads that do lists figures. It's always always ALWAYS companies that pay peanuts and then seem to get all offended in the interview when you politely bring it to a swift close and start getting up off your chair.Never tell them what you earned in previous jobs. It's none of their business & only only helps them lowball you.
The only reason they do it is because they want cheap EE immigrants to walk through the door where they can tell them it's NMW as they know the EEs will happily take it with no complaints. It's the same (and only) reason they ask for your current salary or expectations.
Opposite problem for me. There's quite a range (10s of Ks) for what I do, depending on size of organisation, location, etc.
So if I don't tell them what I'm paid (not even what I want) we could be down the line and discover we're a significant number out and wasting each other's time.
In many ways I'd rather have that discussion early on as everyone has a budget and can't just work magic (though I'm looking at something where, if we get along the way and find there's a material difference, my approach may be to take the money for 4 days a week - getting some time back would be fun..!).
So if I don't tell them what I'm paid (not even what I want) we could be down the line and discover we're a significant number out and wasting each other's time.
In many ways I'd rather have that discussion early on as everyone has a budget and can't just work magic (though I'm looking at something where, if we get along the way and find there's a material difference, my approach may be to take the money for 4 days a week - getting some time back would be fun..!).
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