If asked for your current salary do you tell the truth?

[Iamthejobseeker]

I'm applying for a new job outside my current company and they're asking for my current salary. I want to ask for a salary that's quite a bit higher (about 25% more) than my current one. So would you tell the truth when asked for your current salary? There's no way to skip that on the application form.

I guess I'm thinking if they know what my current salary is they'll base a salary offer on that and not what I'm actually worth (my current company does offer lower salaries than most of the rest of the industry).

Sorry just realised how many times i said" current" in that!

Yes for integrity reasons.

I told them what my salary expectations were. Not my current salary.

Agree give them salary expectations - if they aren’t going to meet those, your current salary won’t change their constraints.

I got my last job through a recruiter. I told him a slightly higher figure than what I was earning. He then added 2k to that when he spoke to the company in question. They ended up offering me 9k over my current salary.

I have no concerns about fudging my current salary if asked, there's a risk that being asked to disclose current salary can compound existing inequalities in pay particularly for women and people from minority groups.

www.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/18/campaigners-urge-bosses-to-stop-asking-job-applicants-for-salary-history

I tell them my current salary and then say I am looking for £x amount and won't move for less.

Don't tell them your current salary unless it's to your advantage otherwise they'll use that as a base and offer a bit more. Not sure you should lie though as I think it might come back to bite on the reference? I'd put NA or 111 if field was mandatory.

Yes. It definitely compounds inequalities.

They need to decide what they are willing to pay you. Not simply offer more than you currently earn.

I'll be happy to share my salary expectations once I know a bit more about the role and responsibilities. Can you let me know your/their budget ?

I'd probably say it was higher so that it didn't look like such a big jump to your new salary expectation.
Shouldn't have to but sadly it's the case. That's the problem with internal promotions as you can't hide your salary so they can get really good talent (without recruitment fees) for lower than market rate.

That's not really how negotiations work. You have to play the game.

No, I wouldn’t tell them. They should pay you what you’re worth, not what they think they can get away with

i wouldnt completely inflate it but i would give them my total package so inc bonus, private healthcare etc

Sometimes you can put text in that box, in which case I put ‘salary commensurate with responsibility and experience’

They will find out your current salary from your p45. So if you inflate it then they will eventually find out.

If you lie about your current salary, the lie is likely to be discovered when you start the job and have to provide your P45. Being caught in a lie at the start of employment is not a good look and could even result in being dismissed for dishonesty.

The better approach would be to say you're looking for £X, which you consider a fair market salary for the role. And take it from there.

Tbh, the recruiter (who you tell your salary to) is unlikely to see your P45. That’ll go to payroll to process you tax.

Put ‘to follow’ in the box on the form. Or similar. And if they ask tell them your salary expectation is X.

Yes, if you're going to give a number I wouldn't just make it up completely. But I also see a lot of these forms for work when I'm reviewing potential candidates and it's very normal for someone to write 'prefer not to say' or similar. Be prepared that they might ask you in the interview though, should you reach that stage.

It’s not just as simple as writing the number sometimes though - is the working week the same length? what are your pension arrangements? Do you get shares? Car allowance? What is the leave entitlement? Etc etc

I've always worked with recruiters and told them current salary and expectations. It wastes everyone's time if you are on eg 60 and want 80 but their budget is 70.

Likewise if you were on 20 and wanted 80 I wouldn't dismiss it because you wouldn't have the experience to be operating at that level.

Agree with a PP that your P45 will go to payroll who are unlikely to have been involved in any negotiations and will just process it.

And when asked at interview you can say “I’m looking for x.”

if you’re pushed on current salary you can say total package is around xxx including “ xxx” and mention any benefits, holiday etc but I am looking for £xxx

or if you’re applying via an agent I’ve previously been asked to say “my recruiter has asked that you cover that off with them”

The current salary is a difficult question, and it is true, they will use this to base their offer to you.

I wouldn't even say what you're looking for. You could be looking for £50k for example, and get it, and then find out everyone else in the team is getting £60k.
I'd put 000 or 111 on the salary questionnaire.

During interviews, you do have to play "hard ball". I've always said along the lines of "I don't want to focus on my current salary, as it's a different type of job with different targets and a different way of working, plus I'm looking to leave (ha. ha.) I'd like to focus on this role and as you know more about this role, what the job entails and my experience from my CV, perhaps you can suggest to me a range which would be fair for this position?" And leave it as that.

I'd continue to stay on the fact that your current salary is irrelevant, because in which case, you might as well ask what the person who currently does this role, is on...If they don't budge, then they aren't the company to work for. Every company has a budget.

Some companies say they don't like to share a budget because applicants automatically put themselves at the higher end of the scale. Which to me doesn't hold much water, because the company should be able to justify why, when they put someone on the scale.

Salary is the one thing you have the upper hand about as someone who is applying for a role. A company can base their salary not only on the job, but also on the success on the company, potential investment and expansion in that department, how desperate they are to fill the role, how long the role has been open for, how much out of hours work you're expected to put in...which you may not necessarily know about. But they do. Let them say a number first.

One of my jobs, I was never asked my current salary, or my expectations. We just discussed the job. They then offered me the job on a salary of X, which I knew was standard for that level of qualification at that firm. It was 100% more than my then-current salary doing a similar job at another firm. As a other PP has said, all companies have salary bands for specific jobs. Your current salary is irrelevant to that. Definitely keep the focus on the fair salary for the job you're going for, not the level you're coming from. But don't lie.

there's a risk that being asked to disclose current salary can compound existing inequalities in pay particularly for women and people from minority groups.

This. My new employer knew my current wage (just a coincidence) and I asked for massively more. I'm worth it to them and they gave it to me.

Always ask. Women don't and it's one of the many reasons we're underpaid.

Agree with those who don't share it for negotiating later and there are some great tips.

Another thing I have done is spoken about another offer I'm considering which is closer to what you are asking for, depends if you have more than one thing you are looking in to. In my circumstance, my company offered relocation to a different country where the salaries were higher. This was a genuine option but ideally I would not want to relocate. I discussed the higher salary as something I was considering and it helped as I think it showed I was valued & the salary was closer to my expectations