One of the traditional practices during the hiring process is asking the candidate what their current salary is. It is simply accepted as part of the routine. In fact, many companies will refuse to consider anyone who does not disclose what their current salary is.
But, more and more, recruiting specialists are saying this is a practice that has outlived its usefulness. It serves no constructive purpose, they argue. Consider, why would anyone ask such a question?
It could be that the company doesn’t want to pay the person any more than they have to. The company is trying to pay the person as little as possible. If that is the case, it is not a good way to recruit talent. If a company is trying to pay its employees as little as it possibly can, that company is not going to attract any top performers. In fact, the opposite is true.
It could be that the company is paying well below the going rate for a job and wants to weed out anyone earning too much. This again is not a good way to find good people.
Perhaps a company wants to know because the firm really isn’t sure what it should pay the person. Again, if a company has no idea what the particular skills and knowledge required for a certain job are worth, it should do a little research and find out.
In the final analysis, it is the skills, knowledge and experience required for a job that should determine what the salary should be. Salary history really has little to do with how a person is going to perform in the job, what kind of value the person will add to the company.
A more effective approach would be to ask a candidate what salary range he or she has in mind for a particular position. At that point, the person might very well volunteer his or her current salary and let the hiring manager know what kind of an increase he would expect. It would certainly help the company to get some idea of what the current salary rate is for a particular job. It would also let the company know whether it is being reasonable with the salary being offered.
The only thing that should matter, according to these recruiters, is whether the person is willing to work for the salary being offered. When a company refuses to consider someone who won’t reveal salary history, it is the company that has potentially more to lose – the services of a talented employee.
Opti Staffing. It’s the name you need to know if you are looking for work in the Anchorage area. Opti is one of the leading staffing agencies in Anchorage and has the connections and know how to help you find the right job. Give Opti Staffing a call today.