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It's very common. The purpose is really twofold: they want to make sure they aren't going to waste their time hiring you for a $15/hr job when you've made doubl

by fr0man 16y ago

It's very common. The purpose is really twofold: they want to make sure they aren't going to waste their time hiring you for a $15/hr job when you've made double that for the last 5 years and are likely to leave when something better comes along, and also to give them a leg up in the salary negotiation/offer phase. I've read advice articles saying not to answer the question, but when we were hiring people, refusing to answer would have been a HUGE negative.

akkartik 16y ago
And it's a required field so there's really no way for me to not answer.
- steverb 16y ago
  I always answer with the salary I want to be paid for the job. Let them know up front where I expect the salary to be.
  - hga 16y ago
    That is a mistake when they later ask you to bring in a recent pay stub.
    - fliph 16y ago
      No legitimate employer would ask for paystubs from previous jobs.
      - hga 16y ago
        Indeed, and you can avoid the ones that do this by never divulging your salary history. You definitely don't want to lie about something that can be so easily checked.
noodle 16y ago
> but when we were hiring people, refusing to answer would have been a HUGE negative. that is really rough, though. it makes it difficult for people to jump out of their salary bracket if they basically got the shaft with their previous employment. especially in a tough economy. one of the (many possible) reasons why people leave their former employment is because they feel underpaid, and to use that underpayment as a measurement on what to offer them next seems at least somewhat unfair.
- fr0man 16y ago
  Very very true. But they put it there to benefit themselves, not the applicant. It sucks, but if they try to use your salary history to lowball you, that's when you negotiate. I'd just explain I felt I was previously underpaid and that the offer is too low. Of course, then you run the risk of not getting the job at all.
  - noodle 16y ago
    i understand the purpose, of course. but if i were job hunting, unless there were something special about a particular job, i wouldn't even bother to negotiate with them if they low-balled me. i'd just move on. and thus, the employer loses out on talent unless they're providing something special on their own. its more lose-lose. of course, unless you're not looking for talent, and you're looking for someone who would be okay with taking a job under market.
- ido 16y ago
  > it makes it difficult for people to jump out of their salary bracket if they basically got the shaft with their previous employment. Nobody is forcing you to tell the truth - after all, they have no way of finding out anyway.
  - arghnoname 16y ago
    I've had jobs ask for pay stubs.

by fr0man 16y ago

akkartik 16y ago

And it's a required field so there's really no way for me to not answer.

steverb 16y ago
I always answer with the salary I want to be paid for the job. Let them know up front where I expect the salary to be.
- hga 16y ago
  That is a mistake when they later ask you to bring in a recent pay stub.
  - fliph 16y ago
    No legitimate employer would ask for paystubs from previous jobs.
    - hga 16y ago
      Indeed, and you can avoid the ones that do this by never divulging your salary history. You definitely don't want to lie about something that can be so easily checked.

noodle 16y ago

> but when we were hiring people, refusing to answer would have been a HUGE negative. that is really rough, though. it makes it difficult for people to jump out of their salary bracket if they basically got the shaft with their previous employment. especially in a tough economy. one of the (many possible) reasons why people leave their former employment is because they feel underpaid, and to use that underpayment as a measurement on what to offer them next seems at least somewhat unfair.

fr0man 16y ago
Very very true. But they put it there to benefit themselves, not the applicant. It sucks, but if they try to use your salary history to lowball you, that's when you negotiate. I'd just explain I felt I was previously underpaid and that the offer is too low. Of course, then you run the risk of not getting the job at all.
- noodle 16y ago
  i understand the purpose, of course. but if i were job hunting, unless there were something special about a particular job, i wouldn't even bother to negotiate with them if they low-balled me. i'd just move on. and thus, the employer loses out on talent unless they're providing something special on their own. its more lose-lose. of course, unless you're not looking for talent, and you're looking for someone who would be okay with taking a job under market.
ido 16y ago
> it makes it difficult for people to jump out of their salary bracket if they basically got the shaft with their previous employment. Nobody is forcing you to tell the truth - after all, they have no way of finding out anyway.
- arghnoname 16y ago
  I've had jobs ask for pay stubs.