Companies asking for current salary before offer (job offer, employment, applying)
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Are you really required to give your current salary to a company you are interviewing for?
It just doesn't seem right .... because they will give you an offer based off what you are currently making. I wish they didn't ask that and I could just tell them what I am looking to make ...
they cant verify it, so tell them whatever you want!
Yes they can. I have a friend who had a job offer rescinded because she told them her previous salary was higher than it actually was. When they checked her references and employment history, she was busted.
It's a way they try to get you. Just never bring up salary unless they do. Always ask for more than you can actually take, and stress your strengths, values and the differences in your current postion and the one you are applying for. That way you ahve somewhere to go in the negotiation process.
First of all, companies can absolutely verify compensation. Most companies will ask for salary information on an application of employment. This is a legal document that your signature represents the accuracy of. Most companies use a percent variance as reason to not move forward or rescind an offer.
I am a Corporate Recruiter with a F500 company. I ABSOLUTELY always ask candidates their current or most recent salary structure (base, bonus, stock options, car allowances, per diems, etc), as well as what their salary expectations are. I ask this to ensure I am not wasting anyones time, and to ensure I can come up with a competetive, equitable, reasonable salary offer. My intentions are not to low ball a candidate, but to ensure there are no susprises on either side. The last thing I want to do is invest hours with a candidate, incur a significant expense to fly them to interview onsite, extend an offer, and have it turned down because comp is not aligned. This is just not good business practice.
Now I will say that there are recruiters/hr professionals/companies who may ask salary info to figure out how little they can pay you. I would say if you are dealing with a professional recruiter, their intention is not to low ball you. I understand what the realities of the marketplace are relative to compensation, and what I get for the money. If I want to hire talent, I have to be willing to pay for talent. Of course I will keep in mind the pay structure for the role, internal equity, pricing someone out of their next position once promoted, etc etc.
So my advice. ALWAYS tell your salary if you are asked. ALWAYS put your salary on an application (your exact salary, NOT an approx) salary. Tell them what your expectations are (have a reason why you expect to be paid an amount, and have solidified information, not just pie in the sky).
I say lie in most cases If you currently make 38k and want to make 46K don't tell a possible employer you make 38. He will most certainly offer you 42. But if you are going for this high of a salary increase you might no have much choice and need to fluff you salary. Now if I have to fill out an application I leave the current salary blank. Always have. Never had any trouble. Why waste your/their time if they do not have the same salary expections?
Some employers will ask for a salary history. I always fluff this But 2k here and there not something like 10k actually I might have.
If you really want the job, and feel the employer knows you are a good fit then you might want to tell the truth and try to negotiate. Make sure you research salaries for that job and relate it to your experience.
Recuiters are another story. I have no trouble telling them my current salary because they are not going to waste my time or a clients time if I want too much money. Although I have had recruiters lie about the salary range to get me to interview. They were pretty upset when I didn't take the job for 5k below the lower end of the salary range they had told me.
You are taking a risk whatever you do. 1. Lie and risk not getting the job (Don't know anyone this has happened to but I am sure it does) 2. Tell the truth and hope your xp matches with what they are looking for and you can negotiate from there. 3. tell the truth and they happen to feel generous that day. 4. Tell the truth and live with what they offer which will most likely cause you to quit in a year or so. 5. Lie and get youself that 20% pay increase.
.02 from a professional job hopper Do not try this a home Oh, never lie on your resume. Thats a no-no even I wouldn't break
I say lie in most cases If you currently make 38k and want to make 46K don't tell a possible employer you make 38. He will most certainly offer you 42. But if you are going for this high of a salary increase you might no have much choice and need to fluff you salary. Now if I have to fill out an application I leave the current salary blank. Always have. Never had any trouble. Why waste your/their time if they do not have the same salary expections?
Some employers will ask for a salary history. I always fluff this But 2k here and there not something like 10k actually I might have.
If you really want the job, and feel the employer knows you are a good fit then you might want to tell the truth and try to negotiate. Make sure you research salaries for that job and relate it to your experience.
Recuiters are another story. I have no trouble telling them my current salary because they are not going to waste my time or a clients time if I want too much money. Although I have had recruiters lie about the salary range to get me to interview. They were pretty upset when I didn't take the job for 5k below the lower end of the salary range they had told me.
You are taking a risk whatever you do. 1. Lie and risk not getting the job (Don't know anyone this has happened to but I am sure it does) 2. Tell the truth and hope your xp matches with what they are looking for and you can negotiate from there. 3. tell the truth and they happen to feel generous that day. 4. Tell the truth and live with what they offer which will most likely cause you to quit in a year or so. 5. Lie and get youself that 20% pay increase.
.02 from a professional job hopper Do not try this a home Oh, never lie on your resume. Thats a no-no even I wouldn't break
I couldn't disagree with this poster more. I think anyone who encourages people to LIE, whatever the situations, has moral issues. Employers are able to verify salary information. That's the truth to the matter. If you lie and I verify otherwise, guess what, I am not hiring you. If you complete an employment application and leave your salary info off, guess what, I am calling you to let you know your app is incomplete, ask you to complete and forward back to me.
Hopefully people have an element of integrity and character that will drive your career in a positive direction, both personally and professionally (and financially), and don't have to LIE to make financial gains.
I have personally recruited and hired in excess of 1500 people in the last 8 years for F500 companies. If you lie in the recruiting process, I don't care how good you are, if I find out the process is over. This is for work experience, education, compensation, etc.
There was a post about this last week and I will repeat -
Do everything you can to not answer the "current salary" question. Don't lie, but be be vague, answer in generalities, put "open", or at the very least make it an open statement "yes I make $xxx amount plus bonuses and benifits", or answer in very round numbers. Do everything you can, diplomatically, to frustrate the interviewers questions in this area. If you can get away with it and are confident in your abilities, just simply outright refuse to answer it.
In the marketing/sales realm (and, really, what you are doing is marketing yourself) this is technically called price descrimation - giving the buyer the price you will sell an item for a non-commodity item. The question never benefits the seller, likewise the question NEVER benefits the candidate.
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If you currently make 38k and want to make 46K don't tell a possible employer you make 38. He will most certainly offer you 42. But if you are going for this high of a salary increase you might no have much choice and need to fluff you salary. Now if I have to fill out an application I leave the current salary blank. Always have. Never had any trouble. Why waste your/their time if they do not have the same salary expections?
