Salary History

From LoveToKnow Business

Salary history is a negotiating tool that directly benefits the employer. It’s designed to box you into a corner by stating a salary range you hope will fit in with the employer’s preconceived idea of what the job pays for. Let’s get one thing straight, a position is a job, but a job is not a career position, unless it adequately meets your needs. Salary history ranges are designed to leave you zero wiggle room when it comes to salary negotiations.

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The Salary History Trap

Even on applications, salary requirements are always expected to be filled in. But in a resume, it’s deadly. Once you state your salary history, you’re history, if the employer feels you’re too expensive to hire. And if your requirements are too low, then you may be considered too cheap and therefore suspect. If the salary requirements are low and you get locked in, then the employer can chuckle at the prospect of hiring great talent at a bargain price.

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Do Your Homework First

You can use salary history requirements to your advantage by first doing your homework. Check with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or your state’s employment department or association Web pages for information on salary ranges in your field. Next sit down and accurately figure what you need. Understand that this shouldn't be a figure at the bottom of the pay scale, but a realistic number that will make you feel happy and financially secure.

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Salary History Strategy

You have several options when it comes to handling the salary history requirement. From your research, you’ll know what your position should command, so one option is to list a range starting at the midpoint of what you need and topping off above that. Don’t list what your current salary is. That figure is your business and should remain confidential. Instead, put in a figure that you’re looking for as a stated range or “Mid 50s.” Since the range is higher than what you’re being paid now, listing it won’t cap your negotiations later. Remember, you can always negotiate down to grant a concession, but you can never negotiate up.

Another option is simply to state that “Salary is confidential. Will discuss with hiring manager.”

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The Risk Of Not Playing The Game

Will using these techniques knock you out of the running for some positions? Certainly! But look at it this way, any company that wants to eliminate a candidate who didn’t state a salary history without looking at what you have to offer, may not be the company you want to work for in the first place.

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But When You Win...

If a company is truly enlightened and sharp, you’ll be called in for an interview despite the lack of a salary history. By not playing according to some HR rules, you get to screen out those undesirables and concentrate on the companies you really want to work for. By concentrating only on those companies willing to interview you without listing your salary requirements, you’re screening out those that will only waste your time during the lengthy interview process because they will never pay want you both want and deserve. Think of how much job satisfaction you’d get by working for a company that you want to work for, rather than a second rate alternative you’ve settled for that locked you in at too low a salary because you played their game.

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