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> Many of the companies I have talked to have fairly large lists of requirements for positions and are serious about requiring them. In any sales-type situatio

> Many of the companies I have talked to have fairly large lists of requirements for positions and are serious about requiring them. In any sales-type situation, expectations must be managed on both sides, it's the job of the salesman to see a deal through. Here that's recruiters. Some buyers are more rational than others. > There are companies out there who refuse to give you more than X% above your current salary, regardless of how underpaid you are. Simply refuse to disclose your current salary. I did that and managed a close to 50% bump. They'll ask, just say you aren't comfortable disclosing that. They'll make a half-hearted attempt to get you to, don't budge. Just name a figure that's 40% higher than the one you'll accept and let them talk you down to 30%. > It's funny that you should mention AT&T, what with them being headquartered here and all. I see them as one of the companies I was referring to in my second paragraph. I'd never work for AT&T or any large employer. Consulting is where the money is these days. You should start returning all those scammy-looking emails you get from recruiters. Could change your life.

vonmoltke 10y ago
> Some buyers are more rational than others. I guess that is the crux of my disagreement with your original post. So many buyers are being irrational despite claims that they can't (or shouldn't) be able to get away with it. To adapt an old idiom, they are trying to be beggars and choosers. Since they aren't failing to get things done despite being irrational, I have to conclude that most of the shortage is self-imposed by that irrationality and that, were these companies to fix their talent acquisition practices, the shortage would go away.
- vinceguidry 10y ago
  Yeah, I was trying to make the point that in these kinds of situations, where cooperation needs to happen and neither side can trust each other, the answer is to bring in a middle man. Enter the recruiter. You can't just tell everybody to fix their processes, that requires coordination across the entire industry, and that's just not happening anytime soon.

vonmoltke 10y ago

> Some buyers are more rational than others. I guess that is the crux of my disagreement with your original post. So many buyers are being irrational despite claims that they can't (or shouldn't) be able to get away with it. To adapt an old idiom, they are trying to be beggars and choosers. Since they aren't failing to get things done despite being irrational, I have to conclude that most of the shortage is self-imposed by that irrationality and that, were these companies to fix their talent acquisition practices, the shortage would go away.

vinceguidry 10y ago
Yeah, I was trying to make the point that in these kinds of situations, where cooperation needs to happen and neither side can trust each other, the answer is to bring in a middle man. Enter the recruiter. You can't just tell everybody to fix their processes, that requires coordination across the entire industry, and that's just not happening anytime soon.