Leaving current salary box on job application blank

[hotcrossbonnet]

I'm applying for a job, for which I meet all the essential and all but one of the desirable criteria, and I'm sure I could do it well (and I'm trying to squash down the imposter thoughts that keep cropping up!)

However, the salary is double what I earn now, and they are asking my current salary.

I'm inclined to leave the box blank, as I don't want to prejudice their thoughts as to my ability from my current salary. But if I do that, will the assumptions be even worse?!

Any advice gratefully received!

I have left that box blank before now, so no judgements are made. Then it becomes something to discuss further down the recruitment process (as it should be). If it’s certain type of form though it might not let you leave it blank?

Thank you, that's reassuring to know! No it's a paper form, so I could miss it off.

I think you’re right to leave it blank. I always find it a very rude and intrusive question of them to ask - why should it have any bearing on your suitability for the role?!

I think you’re right to leave it blank. That question is a contributing factor to the gender pay gap - if salaries are based on previous salaries then women never get a chance to catch up even when they move employers. I’d tackle it head on when asked at interview and say ‘my salary expectation for the role is X, I would prefer any offer to be based on my skills and experience rather than my current salary which is based on a different role’

@TheMotherlode

I think you’re right to leave it blank. That question is a contributing factor to the gender pay gap - if salaries are based on previous salaries then women never get a chance to catch up even when they move employers. I’d tackle it head on when asked at interview and say ‘my salary expectation for the role is X, I would prefer any offer to be based on my skills and experience rather than my current salary which is based on a different role’

I agree. There's no winning on this question. I know someone who had a high (overseas) salary, tried to return to the UK knowing it would be a 75% pay cut and the feedback was always "we can't afford you". He was frustrated because he was applying knowing salary was X.

Do leave blank but be prepared to be asked outright in an interview. You can still be vague, and say its market rate or even a white lie (everyone does it) that it's close to the advertised rate. You don't have to be specific. In the interview do ask about Performance Reviews, just because its a good salary now you shouldn't feel you have to knock on the door for a pay rise in the future.

I recently provided a reference and it cheekily asked the salary they had been on with us. I left it blank.

It’s rude and actually why should you give away a negotiating position?

The salary should be based on the job you are looking to do, not on them trying to get away with paying as little as possible.

Thank you all. Good advice, I'll not put it in the form, but I'll have to think of an appropriate response if they ask me should I get an interview- I wouldn't want to outright lie...

Do you think you are currently underpaid for your role or the company you are applying to are excessively generous?

I think it's a bit that I'm underpaid, and a bit that this job is the next level up. I've had a "promotion" with responsibility for two extra teams, but had no pay rise for taking it on (that's a whole other story) so I do think I'm underpaid for what I do. But there's hardly any jobs come up in my industry, and certainly not with my skill set, so it's hard to know for sure.

Although having said that, there was one advertised that did some aspects but not all of my job, for 50% more than I'm on so I reckon I am underpaid. Thank you for helping me figure that out!

They’ll likely know anyway from your tax info, the HMRC data that tells them what tax code to use etc contains what you’ve been paid so far in this tax year, so it’d be easy to work out... but I’ve never been fussed to do it.

I’ve always thought it’s a weird question! It rings of - let’s see if we can get you for cheaper than we intended.

On the perfect pay rise amount for a candidate from an employer's pov - a recruiter came up with a 25% rise. So if you thought a role should be paid £40k - you look for a person currently on £30k. Enough to make them excited and want to move and bust their butt in their new job. He was concerned about candidates earning less as they wouldn't have the talent - but this supposes that they were paid their worth at their previous employment.
Last job we advertised on a salary starting at £40K - we ask before we interview what salary expectations were - someone said £28k - I'm sure they meant that was their current salary. We would have paid him £40k anyway - if he was shit hot, he'd be easily taken from us if all we offered him was £28k - and once someone has decided to go looking elsewhere, we don't compete with their new employment offer - we shake their hand and wish them all the best - their loyalty has moved on.
But to be clear - all employers are not looking to pay as little as possible - we are looking to get the best talent possible and we aim to keep them with us as long as possible. Staff turnover is expensive training is expensive, poor performers are expensive and time consuming - recruitment is risky and expensive - it's cheaper in the long run to pay more (within reason) and get someone who is shit hot who will stay with you in the long run!

@GeronimoHate that’s a really interesting post. Thanks for that. I’m currently being interviewed myself and the salary thing is so difficult. It’s always asked by recruiters (sort of understandably there) and then in interviews and I wish I had the balls to say I’d rather not disclose it. It’s almost like they’re asking what’s the minimum increase you’d move for.

How do employers feel about a new employee negotiating salary once an offer has been made? If you call someone and say yes we’d love to offer you the role at £30k are you sort of expecting them to say give me £32k and it’s a done deal or words to that effect?

It sounds like where you work though they are keen to pay people well so maybe what would happen where you are isn’t the norm

I think whether you negotiate or not like everything - depends. Do you have a good negotiation style, if someone says no will you get the hump? If you ask and they get the hump and can't deal with you asking, how will you feel? I'd see that as a red flag - you should be judging an employer as much as they are judging you - unless you are really desperate and in this case you need to play it safe. If you want £32k ask for £35, you'll to have reasons - most people move jobs for something better whether a big uplift in salary and/or a promotion or a change in career direction - they have to convince you to move jobs - increasing your salary by £2k isn't worth the bother to most people, once you've accounted for tax - moving jobs is risky and it's a pain in the butt. Recruiting is risky and it's a pain in the butt too. Be prepared to lose the job and know the market - know how hard it is to find skills like yours - if it isn't hard, if you work in an unskilled role with plenty of good applicants coming in - your negotiation will most likely be fruitless and the outcomes will be neutral to negative.

My sister just got offered a job by one of the big 4 - they offered her a low base and a job title she wasn't happy with - she listened to their offer and made no comment on it - she said she'd get back to them in a few days after she had a chance to reflect (shows she isn't desperate - first move, and they might lose her - people hate losing).

She reached out to me and her mentor for advice on how she should proceed - we advised her to start with the job title, not to mention money until that was in the bag, she took her time, explained her reasons and her feelings, her expectations based on the promises that were made - she didn't threaten to walk away, keep thinking it's not personal - although it feels that way. She was prepared to lose the job - even though she really wanted it. She got a higher level and a whopping 40% increase on the initial offer and a few more extras that she'd asked for.

Do not think all employers are shits - of course people don't like to pay over the odds for a role but they also hate recruiting, fall in love with candidates and will try hard to pull them in - value you yourself - if you are a talented, hard worker with the right attitude you are in demand and if you have these qualities you have your pick of the best employers. Talent doesn't have to hang around when they are treated badly.

@hotelhelp - always best to have the salary negotiations with the hiring manager not the recruiter - who can have very skewed objectives, that neither align with you or the hiring manager. Negotiating with the hiring manager gives you more insight into what kind of person they are - remember you are interviewing them too!

That is just absolutely fantastic advice thank you very much.

Hopefully tomorrow at some point I’ll be in a position to negotiate with a couple offers in the bag!

I think it’s so easy just to be so pleased to have been offered the job and accept it straight away but why not negotiate the best possible terms for yourself!

GeronimoHate it’s great to hear not all employers are mean and just trying to pay people (especially women) as little as possible but that definitely hasn’t been my experience in the real world as an employee unfortunately and yes I’ve been asked this question and know for sure that I’ve experienced being paid less because I’m female (a male colleague less experienced than me doing exactly the same job on significantly more money). I agree with you that it is short sighted and leaves miserable employees who feel exploited and looking to move elsewhere. I just want to be treated fairly. It’s particularly shit as I’m a single parent with no financial support from my child’s father and need the money a lot more than my male colleague who is a DINKY household.

OP I don’t know how you get around this question, it’s another of those unfair questions that enpluers ask like “are you pregnant/planning more children”. And yes I know they’re not supposed to ask that but they do. And it’s a trap because what can you say unless there you aren’t pregnant/planning more children which will make them want to hire you?

@Mygardenisnotperfect I agree a lot of employers are shit - but a lot of employees aren't great either and the cost of carrying someone with a poor work ethic, unmotivated and plays the system is hard to bear. All I can say is - if you work for a shit employer vote with your feet, I've worked for an employer (Blue Chip) in the past who behaved appallingly - my colleagues literally spent years moaning about how crap it was (and the staff were definitely part of the problem) - I got another job - toxic work environments don't change - they don't get better when you complain, you just get ground down by them. And yes women get discriminated against - what are you going to do about that? Feel empowered and change your lot or just complain that life isn't fair.

GeronimoHate I do agree with everything you say. Although I wish we lived in a world where women aren’t discriminated against but I appreciate that’s where we are. And have voted with my feet several times as you say, unfortunately in the NHS toxic workplaces are par for the course and so it’s sometimes out of the frying pan and into the fire. And not always easy to find employment alternatives to a specific highly trained role. I left the job where I was paid less for somewhere I am more valued, yes in an ideal world I’d have taken my employer to an employment tribunal for gender discrimination etc but I was dealing with domestic abuse and child custody battles at the time and could not add that pressure to myself.