Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I always dodged this question on applications and in interviews by merely answering with the salary I felt was acceptable to me and what I merited. For example, several years ago, I was making around 45K, but was applying for positions I felt were worth about 52K. When asked what I made in my former position, I stated "$52,000 a year". None of their business anyway. And, yes, I was offered the position at $52K. My current company was upfront in their ad and in the interview about the bottom line salary. It was so very refreshing and endeared me to them right away because I felt as if honesty were a part of their company culture.
Sure it is. And it comes down to simple economics. Skillsets are a commodity that are based on supply/demand. Suppose I was making 30K at Firm A, worked there for 3 years, acquired new skills, added value for the employer etc. and now Firm B wants to hire me. My skills are certainly worth more now. As a starting point, I'd simply say that my salary requirements are between $40-50K. Telling them I made 30K at my last job serves no purpose.
Further, HR people have compensation teams who perform market analysis yearly. This data, along with other metrics is used to establish annual budgets. A hiring manager knows what your skills are worth to his/her firm just by looking at your resume. So, there's no need for an HR rep to try and low ball an "unsuspecting" potential employee when they have the data and the budgets at their disposal.
Exactly. Under the previous poster's philosophy, no one would ever be hired for more than they are currently making.
I do, but the employer will use the salary to gage how much your worth. They will see that in the past x years that your salaried hasnt increase, due to the job limits or the ability to move up. I left for better paying jobs and they all ask for my history, i just put some random numbers down that not too far fetch to keep from getting that min wage they want to pay. If they see im making 45k and i am asking for 50, it wont hurt so much and room for negotiations. ( they post salaries between 40-65k DOE) so i know i wasnt asking too much.
Of course they gauge how much you're worth - and they certainly should. You shouldn't be making more than is reasonable and affordable, and if you haven't had a salary increase then this throws up a red flag about your performance. Your remarks about why a salary may not increase may be your own excuses for not progressing in your career.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lovely40
Sure it is. And it comes down to simple economics. Skillsets are a commodity that are based on supply/demand. Suppose I was making 30K at Firm A, worked there for 3 years, acquired new skills, added value for the employer etc. and now Firm B wants to hire me. My skills are certainly worth more now. As a starting point, I'd simply say that my salary requirements are between $40-50K. Telling them I made 30K at my last job serves no purpose.
Further, HR people have compensation teams who perform market analysis yearly. This data, along with other metrics is used to establish annual budgets. A hiring manager knows what your skills are worth to his/her firm just by looking at your resume. So, there's no need for an HR rep to try and low ball an "unsuspecting" potential employee when they have the data and the budgets at their disposal.
You don't "acquire" new skills - you use company resources to enhance your knowledge of what you should have known before you took the job. Tell me something - since you learned skills from company A thanks to them letting you work for them are you going to kick back a percentage of your salary at company B to properly compensate them for using their resources for your own needs? Again - your assumptions suit your own beliefs and ideas - they are not accepted practice. Learning how to maintain the roller grill at a convenience store does not make your skills "certainly worth more now" and that is not your place to decide.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Siegel
My last job change was from a $72,000 a year job to a $175,000 a year job. If I had to reveal my salary history I would have gotten the job but I would not have taken it. If they weren't allowed to ask my salary history they would only promote from within, where they know the salary history without asking. Have you heard of unintended consequences?
This statement makes no sense. And there's nothing wrong with promoting from within as it helps protect the firm by keeping stability in its workforce.
If a company is so poorly managed that they can't even determine how much to pay employees, you don't want to work there.
When I go buy turkey at the store, they don't ask me how much I paid for it at the other store. They have their price, and I can pay it or not.
Same with jobs. If a company has no idea how much to pay its own employees other then by asking how much they made at their last jobs, it's a poorly run company. They should have set job descriptions, education/training requirements and set a pay range as appropriate to the types of candidates they want/need to attract.
I love the DOE job ads. Really? So you are prepared to pay someone with a PhD and 25 years' experience? Or would you rather have a fresh grad at entry level? Don't you know? DOE ad always = low salary.
If a company is so poorly managed that they can't even determine how much to pay employees, you don't want to work there.
When I go buy turkey at the store, they don't ask me how much I paid for it at the other store. They have their price, and I can pay it or not.
Same with jobs. If a company has no idea how much to pay its own employees other then by asking how much they made at their last jobs, it's a poorly run company. They should have set job descriptions, education/training requirements and set a pay range as appropriate to the types of candidates they want/need to attract.
I love the DOE job ads. Really? So you are prepared to pay someone with a PhD and 25 years' experience? Or would you rather have a fresh grad at entry level? Don't you know? DOE ad always = low salary.
If your PhD is in "women's studies", why should and employer pay more for that? It adds no value to the job.
If your PhD is in "women's studies", why should and employer pay more for that? It adds no value to the job.
You've missed my point entirely.
"Depends on experience" is a stupid way to decide salary for the job. And DOE means, hey we'll price the job depending on who applies. Really? They have a range so broad they are throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks?
Employers should KNOW WHAT EXPERIENCE THEY WANT. Employers should have a salary range in budget for the position. So they don't get a mash up of resumes from people who want $25K and people who want $75K. Because do you really think they are going to pay out DOE? No.
I'm in favor of such a ban, of asking past salary history. If an employer can't selfishly use your past salary history to selfishly make your starting salary ridiculously low, good riddance to this info increasingly not being permissible to ask on job applications.
It is now illegal for prospective employers to ask for your salary history in MA, CA, PA, Puerto Rico.
Well, at least one major employer in Philly doesn't know that. Because the online application had a MANDATORY field asking for my last salary. AND they asked when I got my last three pay increases before that (dates not amounts). Again a mandatory field. So if you don't fill it out you can't apply.
Do I call them and say, "uh, you know your job application is asking illegal questions?" Will that get me the job?
I hate when an employer ask for your last salary. And it's usually a mandatory field on online applications. And if you don't tell the truth, the little statement at the end of the application in which you declare that you were truthful in filling the application could be your downfall.
It has never happened to me, but I have heard about companies requiring prospective employees to show their W2 to verify salary.
It is ridiculous. The company should have their own salary they are willing to pay. What the employee made in a previous position is irrelevant.
Do I call them and say, "uh, you know your job application is asking illegal questions?"
You can but that will make you look a bit foolish. Both 9-1103((1)(i) and 9-1131 that were to take effect today, have been stayed due to legal challenges. You'll have to wait until the Court decides if it's even legal.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My current company was upfront in their ad and in the interview about the bottom line salary. It was so very refreshing and endeared me to them right away because I felt as if honesty were a part of their company culture.
