Q. I got cured of the habit of sharing my salary details with recruiters this way: a recruiter contacted me about a job. I told them what I was earning at my current job. They said “Oh that salary is too low – you couldn’t possibly be qualified for the job we’re discussing.” 😖
A. Yikes, that was a harsh lesson from Mother Nature. Here are more reasons not to share your salary information with recruiters or employers:
1. They may have a higher range in mind. When you share your [lower] current salary, they’ll offer you slightly more than you are earning now - possibly thousands less than they budgeted.
2. Your current salary might scare them off. If you are interested in the job and want to hear more before deciding whether the job warrants a pay cut from your current level, don’t share your salary.
3. They would not have gotten the role approved without a salary range. Understanding the salary range tells you a lot more about the kind of person they are looking for than just hearing a list of responsibilities. Ask for the salary range.
4. Employers’ demands for salary information perpetuate pay inequality.
5. It is none of their business. It is already unlawful in almost 20 states to ask candidates what they are earning now. No one should ask that question, ever.
6. Setting a boundary around your privacy early on in the process lets them know you have requirements just like they do. Even if you really want the job, it does not serve you to roll over and play the submissive dog. Either take the job on the right footing, or keep looking
