

Ask HN: Which Employers Request Current Salary Prior/During/Post Interview, Why? - onaclov2000


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ApolloRising
You can state the number you are currently seeking. It really does not matter
what you made before but rather what you are willing to accept now.

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JSeymourATL
Nothing dishonest in the compensation question, it's a long-held standard
practice in the US. But asking correctly requires a certain sensitivity,
transparency, and professional finesse.

Part of the hiring criteria is finding qualified candidates within a given
budget range. It's not about trying to get someone on the cheap. Often
employers will pay significantly more to recruit a top candidate.

Basically, they want to know if they can afford you. It's also a quick way for
an employer to gauge the current broader talent market. Is their comp plan
competitive/attractive? Should they go up market or down market to find the
right people?

It's entirely fair to ask the recruiter to share the anticipated compensation
band/benefits/perks,etc...

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onaclov2000
I've spoken to a few recruiters in the past and it seems like requesting
current salary is a trend I'm seeing more frequently. I find it frustrating,
and a little unethical (to me). I was wondering how common it was, and/or what
companies are known to do it?

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switch007
I'm finding questions on current salary, age, marital status, kids and details
on your commute all pretty common now in the UK.

EDIT: What's worse is if you even imply it's not a relevant question, they get
offended and then all friendly and pretending they're just making conversation
and not making a hiring decision based on your answer...

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loumf
The best case is that they are doing it to get an idea of whether they should
be pursuing you or not (if prior). You should politely decline.

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american_hawk
Precisely. Recruiters ask to ensure that there is at least a "ballpark" match
up before proceeding -- it would be a waste of your and the hiring team's time
to interview you if your salary requirements are outside of their budget.

I can understand how some may be hesitant to offer this info up since it is
considered sensitive in many cultures, but I have no problem doing so. I
understand that there is no malicious or malevolent intent in their request
for this info (at least, there rarely is...).

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onaclov2000
In some cases I can understand its a way of verifying employment, however as
far as salary negotiations, i'm told it's basically poker, and if you show
first, they are in charge.

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gregcohn
not if your current number is way above market. it's also not at all like
poker in that lying is not an advisable way to try to win. (never lie about
salary, or anything else, to a prospective employer.)

~~~
onaclov2000
One of the cases I've seen they actually wanted a copy of the pay stub. Which
I found a bit frustrating.

