. . . WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.”
I
received an email from a loyal reader of this blog who brought up this hiring
issue after reading my thoughts about Anonymous Job Postings:
“I hate when employers ask the salary
question. There are so many
factors. And just because I might have made more in the past should
not keep one from being considered. Maybe there will be fewer
responsibilities, or more days of or other perks that one would be
fine with getting less money. Not to mention that agencies pay scales
are all over the board.
At a place like Acme, each title level has at least a 20k range
that people could fall into. So you could be looking at 2 people who
do the same job and are equally talented, but have a big pay
difference, because one negotiated better or had a more generous boss.
It seems the problem lies, in the employer wants to get the right
person as cheap as they can, and the employee wants as much as they
can get. but in early talks when salary is talked about without
details of everything else, one can either be out of the running or
screw themselves over and not get what the place might have been
willing to pay.”
I
have to admit this is another “pet peeve” of mine. I think it’s completely inappropriate for an
employer to ask this question at this stage of the process. How can a candidate give a salary requirement
when they don’t know anything specific about the job. Some posted job description does not suffice
for that purpose.
My
reader is right when they point out the employer is concerned about
salary. Salary is obviously a concern,
and an integral part of the hiring process, but not at this stage. Appropriate salary is based on market value,
the company’s particular culture and pay scale and most importantly, the responsibilities
of the position. In some cases, prior
salary history is part of the formula. My
reader is also correct when he mentions other elements of the compensation
package like, vacation, benefits, other perks and bonus based on performance
can all affect the “salary”.
My
experience is that very few candidates are interested in a new job just because
of salary. As they say, “Salary isn’t
everything” . . . and it rarely is.
People are interested in the contribution they can make to a new
employer, the working environment, perhaps the clients or co-workers, opportunity
for training and career advancement . . . a myriad of things that don’t include
a starting salary.
Employers
cheat themselves when they ask this question, because inevitably highly skilled
and motivated employees will not be considered.
If employers would consider candidates based on their potential for
contribution and growth, rather than a starting salary, they would certainly
have a bigger and better pool of candidates to choose from. Too many employers don’t care to expend the
time necessary to really determine who the best candidate is through
conversations and the interview process.
The hiring process is a complex and difficult task . . . it takes time
to do it right.
In
my opinion, candidates can tell employers what their salary history has been,
in an interview. They should also
explain to the hiring authority those specific reasons why they are interested
in the new position, and how they think they will contribute to the new
employer. The result should be an open
and honest communication and negotiation resulting in the mutual satisfaction
of both parties.
If
you have any other questions related to the hiring process, please feel free
and encouraged to email me . . . I’ll be happy to answer them in upcoming
posts. I’m also interested in hearing
about any personal experiences regarding today’s topic.