AIBU Desired salary?!?!

[Crazyhouse123]

A job I have been keeping an eye on has come up and I really want to go for it.

However as part of the application it says "desired salary" and there is no option of skipping it.

I hate this question, I have seen it on other applications recently too. I want to know what the salary range is! End of! I know it will be more than I am on but I don't know how much more. I don't want to say too much in case that means they will dismiss my application...equally I don't want to sell myself short!

Does anyone have any advise about what they would do or have done with the same question?

Yeah, it's a bullshit question. I can't stand job adverts that don't explicitly state a salary as you can fucking bet the company will have a range in mind.

In this case I would just stick in a slightly-higher than market rate figure, just to show you know roughly what the rate is but without selling yourself short.

One thing about the public sector is that the salaries are always transparent (and low!). I wouldn't know where to start if I was asked that question.

Unless the job is incredibly niche/outing, is it worth posting on here so that people in similar roles can say what they are on?

Does it force numbers? I got away with "competitive" on one application (but didnt get an interview).

Basically they want to keep their costs as low as possible, so ask this in the hope that candidates will worry about pricing themselves out of the market and go low. It seems like a waste of time to me, as it’s entirely possible that a lot of potentially good candidates just won’t bother, because they’ll assume the salary is low.

I used to do a lot of hiring in one job, and it was a real annoyance for me that the company refused to advertise salaries. We had one candidate once whom neither I or the other person at my level (i.e. the kind of people the candidate would report into) wanted to hire. There was a long, long debate where we got shot down by our heads of department... only for the candidate to ask for £60k when she was offered the job. My colleague and I were both in the 35 - 40k bracket.

YANBU. Fucks me right off when they do this.

From the employer perspective it totally sucks too. I’m recruiting for a number of roles just now and I’m not allowed (per company policy) to put a pay range on the advertisements. It means we get like a million cvs 99% of which are not suitable. It also means we get a lot of people in to interview and then have to have awkward conversation post interview about salary....in particular where they are already on a salary well beyond our budget. It is just a giant waste of everybody’s time.

It would put me off applying to my company! I’ve argued with HR on this many times with no luck.

I would put a figure slightly higher than my current salary

I would put a figure slightly higher than my current salary

Slightly higher? What If it's a significant step up? You could be really selling yourself short.

My husband recently got offered a job where he wrote "competitive" in that box.

Google the role and your area + salary and you'll get an idea of market rates.

Or see if you can ask someone who works in the field.

I hate this question as well - always feel like I'm stabbing wildly in the dark especially as I'm trying to change industries at the moment! These are the tricks I've used so far. Asking someone has been successful - I didn't get through the second interview stage but they knew before then and it didn't put them off.

Put whatever you think a man would put with equal qualifications and experience.

Love the idea of just writing 'competitive' in the box!

My company used to do this. When I became senior enough to challenge this sort of policy I did. There is a lot of evidence that men ask for more money and value theirselves more than women. It is a policy that contributes to the gender pay gap and is against any company statement that says they are trying to narrow it.

Do a bit of investigation re the current market rate. Take everything into consideration and do not undersell yourself.

With my current role I had to give a number, my role is paid the same pretty much across the north (and low) so I went in at 4K over what I was already on. Ended up meeting in the middle.

Doesn’t work if you’re changing role/profession though.

You only make progress when you change jobs.
Assuming you have been in your current job for a few years, and this is a step up, I would add at least 20% to your current salary

You could check glassdoor to give you an idea of what it should pay

Do some research to find out roughly what roles at that level pay. Add 10%. Write this in the box.

Applications never get dismissed because of what you've written in that box.

I like the idea of writing competitive too. Hate when companies put competitive on the advert so it serves them right!

"999999999.99"

i wont apply for jobs without location and salary.

Salary means you know where the role sits in seniority, i'm getting on a bit in my role having done it for 20 years, I'm not interested in a job that pays £25k - but equally I'm not applying for roles that pay £150k...

It's a bullshit question. Can you put negotiable?

Use Glassdoor to see what they typically pay for that role.

Ask yourself why they ask this question. To my mind, there are two likely reasons.

1. They want to get someone as cheaply as possible. If so, don't worry about over-bidding, as it were. Chances are they won't be a great company to work for so there's no harm in trying your luck with a high value.

1. They know that this is a difficult question and are intentionally posing it to see how the candidates react. Weak or nervous candidates will be put off entirely and may withdraw their application. Employers like someone who is confident but not cocky (unless it's an estate agent). Someone who has a good estimate of their financial worth and who is capable of defending their value in an interview.

Either way, there's no harm in giving the value you think you are worth plus five or ten per cent. You don't want to do the job for less than you feel you are worth and you are presumably able to justify why you feel you are worth that amount. The five or ten per cent leaves a little wriggle room, great if you get it, but you can bargain with them and still get what you originally wanted.

Bullshit question - not an employer worth considering.

It’s so annoying. All the jobs in my industry had that when I applied recently. For one they approached me after application to say their max salary ( I had put more. Around 20% more than my previous role). I accepted to continue knowing their max and I accepted the job at 10% more.

Other jobs were definitely pitching lower though and it’s such a waste of mine and their time!!