AIBU - Successful Interview & Salary Negotiation

[Newjob2024]

I applied for a job a few weeks ago and put on the job application what my current salary was. The recruitment consultant called me the following week and I was very honest that, since applying, I have been offered an internal promotion at work. She assured me that the salary was negotiable and that the Company were keen to meet with me.

I have subsequently had an informal chat with the MD and 2 interviews. I was offered the job this morning but the recruitment consultant said that, before they put an offer in writing, they want to know what my current salary is (basic + bonus) so they know what to offer. I went back and explained that I wouldn't be looking to move for the same as I would see this as a step up in my career. She then indicated that there wouldn't be any wriggle room in the salary range.

For context, the job offer was advertised as £40-£50k and I was seeking £54k. AIBU to have expected some salary negotiations when I raised this at the start and was told there would be room for negotiations? Does anyone have any tips on how I could professionally go back to not give my current salary away, as in my view it is irrelevant (and is very clear I am not on a lot less as I have all the skills and experience to do the role).

TIA :)

I would just be truthful. It will take a lot for me to move as I am happy where I am, I would seriously consider it for 65£ or more.

Wow, thank you all! It is very interesting to see how other people deal with these situations and also about self-worth etc. it’s a managerial role but would essentially be a side move as similar to my current management position, but I still wouldn’t move for the same money.

I will let you all know the outcome 🙌

OP, please don’t say ‘targeting’ - say based on
market comparators for roles with similar responsibilities etc. an employer does not care what you are ‘targeting’ and what you think your skills are worth or what ‘risk’ you take on in moving, all they care about is benchmarking and paying what they think the markets says you are worth.

Their request for your current salary is just an attempt to benchmark (and pay you as little as possible). You were foolish to answer that question - as a result you are now negotiating with one hand tied behind the back. The best you can do now is to tell them what your promoted salary will be and expect a few K more. You have zero negotiating power now.

This

I always add 10% plus package, so that any move is a 20% rise. 10% isn’t worth the loss of security etc IMO

Generalisation but as a hiring manager men tell you what they want, woman ask, almost apologetically… it makes me sad that there is such a disparity

I would have (and have done previously) just ignored the question.

You are absolutely right. As a Business Psychologist this is one of my pet hates (along with unpaid internships). Never give your current salary

Also agree.

Unless you advised them beforehand that you were would only consider a salary above their stated upper limit, then tes you're being very unreasonable. You've wasted their time and that of other applicants.
If you told them your expectations beforehand and they said salary was negotiable and went ahead and interviewed you then they are at fault.
Sounds like you got offered a promotion mid way so effectively withdrew unless they could offer better. They couldn't (match at best). In this case no ones at fault, it's just life.

slightly off topic, but this is one of the (many) things that irritate me about the way businesses ‘do’ HR.

They’ll happily demand your current salary details, and use that to their advantage. But will usually have a “no talking about salaries” policy in place internally. Mainly so they can shaft you coming in, and continue keeping you in the dark so they can shaft you for the rest of your career with them.

Just remember, OP, that most orgs will cap their internal annual % pay rises so don’t fall for anything along the lines of “we’ll offer X and review it in six months.”

Pick the number you’re happy moving for and stick to that. Your current employer obv thinks well of you or wouldn’t have promoted you. Maybe the grass isn’t greener - you have no idea how this lot will end up treating you.

@NaughtybutNice77 i was very clear with the recruitment consultant that my situation has changed. This was after I submitted my CV but before he has put me forward to the company. After having an initial call with him, he told me he’d still like to put me forward as he was confident, if I was successful, there would be discussions around salary etc

Nothing! I did that last time I changed job, and I said quite a lot more than I was actually paid. They offered me the figure I quoted (my pretend current salary), which is what I wanted.

There's quite a lot to unpick here.

First and foremost, if the salary advertised for the job was a range of 40-50k then I think expecting an offer above the upper limit is pretty unrealistic. Somebody would have to be truly exceptional for me to even consider stretching the upper limit of a salary bracket.

I assume when you first applied, you'd have been happy with a salary in the advertised range, but now you've had an increase it's taken your expectations over the bracket?

Given that your circumstances have changed I think it's fine to say you'd now need a higher salary to make the move, but I would do so in the full expectation that the offer might be withdrawn or they'll stand firm at the top end of their advertised limit.

On the more general point of disclosing salary, I always add a few k (normally 10% or so) when recruiters or potential future employers ask what I'm on, and then I say I'm looking for another 5-10% beyond that. As long as you don't price yourself out of the market in terms of your skill set and level, there's no benefit to being completely truthful when it comes to that question.

Did you actually tell the recruiter that you'd now be expecting a salary above the advertised upper limit?

If this was prior to you even being interviewed then I think you should have made that clear - salary being negotiable would normally be assumed to be within the advertised range unless there was an explicit conversation to suggest there was more flexibility there.

@elessar I totally agree, and yes I would have been happy with the upper end of the salary range (£50k). I feel I have been very transparent from the start, but was still put forward. I said the the consultant several times about my circumstances changes and he felt they would still consider me.

we will just have to wait and see. I don’t mind if I walk away, I just feel like I’ve wasted my time and theirs if that is the case, as I don’t think the recruitment consultant has been entirely honest when speaking to them.

@elessar sorry our messages crossed - yes I did 🙂

I wouldn’t set store on what recruitment agents say unless you’ve had longstanding dealings with them and trust what they say.

You are asking more than the top of their advertised range. This is likely to irritate the recruiting manager unless the ad explicitly stated willingness to pay more.

Whether they agree will likely depend also on factors beyond your skills and experience, such as their other options to fill the role (eg did they find 3 other suitable candidates likely to accept the salary), labour market considerations, their pay policies and fairness to internal team members in similar roles.

Then it's on the recruiter and/or the company - you've done nothing wrong!

If 54k is what you'd need to move then I'd just tell the recruiter that's your new current salary and they'll have to match it if they want you. Good luck!

I guess I will just have to learn from it if I do walk away and see what else is out there

For some of those suggesting giving a current higher salary can I say as a Senior HR professional never ever lie to get a job. You risk an offer of employment being withdrawn or employment being terminated.

If you have concerns about giving your current salary then say so to the recruiter. If they insist then say I’m on x but expecting x increase this year

If you've been honest with the recruiter and with the company then you know you have your integrity (even if the recruiter has been benign the truth to the company). Recruiters have their own interests at heart, not yours. DH has been job hunting recently and one particular recruiter was getting quite pushy with him to accept a role if an offer was made, but DH wasn't prepared to accept the initial salary offer as he'd been clear he wanted more.

Sometimes it's to get a real sense of what your role actually is.

People can big up their responsibilities and interview really well. If someone comes across as running the whole operation in their current role but are paid £30k then it rings bells.

I've been in the exact same position as you.

Applied for a job advertised as 'circa £70k'. Before I submitted my application I told the recruiter I was looking for at least £72k. (Was on £65k). Was told that wouldn't be a problem.

3 interviews later I was offered the job on £69k and a promise to consider a pay rise after 6 months

I reiterated my minimum of £72k. They said no so I walked away.

A few weeks later I accept an offer else where for £95k.

Best thing I did was sticking to my guns.

Wow @DinnaeFashYersel what an inspiration. That is awesome!

@DinnaeFashYersel just out of interest, were both roles similar in terms of position/seniority/responsibilities etc?

As a senior HR professional, have you ever seen this play out in reality?

And if so, what were the circumstances? Somebody lied about their seniority and abilities, and inflated their salary to make it seem like they were capable of doing a job that they weren't? In that case the lie would just be an excuse to remove an underperformer who would have been sacked anyway.

I've never known a company to investigate the previous salary of a new employee, but perhaps it does happen - though it would seem a waste of Human Resources to me. But if that employee is performing successfully and the salary they're earning in the new company is at a level that is deemed to be fair for that role, then what benefit would there be in firing them over it?

Seems like a lose lose situation all around if that were to happen.

I'm not disputing that it's possible of course, but I'd be surprised if this happens often.