Job Interview? Here’s What You Actually Have to Share About Your Previous Salary

While appearing for job interviews, how often have you been asked to furnish the details about your previous salary by recruiting authorities?

I am pretty sure that most of us have not only been asked these questions but also divulged the information without any hesitation.

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I know I have, assuming that such questions were part of the hiring protocol.

This is a widespread practice by companies across India, and many have even made this section mandatory, making it impossible for people to assume otherwise.

It is entirely possible that what deters most of us from refusing to share these details, is how this ‘negative’ attitude might hamper our chances of getting the job.

This is particularly true in the case of freshers, who are often made to believe that their chances of being hired are higher if they comply with everything that is asked of them.

Generally speaking, a hike in the range of 30-33 per cent is the globally accepted percentage that one can safely quote while switching jobs, without appearing outlandish or greedy.

But this is of little advantage if your past payslips are at the disposal of recruiters.

To think about it, sharing payslips only works in favour of recruiters, while you end up losing all your negotiating advantages.

With our salary details in place, recruiters acquire a leeway to negotiate a pay package that is closer to the previous salary, and nowhere near to your quoted amount.

So, how can you safely navigate such scenarios? Is it possible for you to not share salary slips, and still have a chance at getting the job?

Truth be told, the details of your previous salary are as confidential as any other personal detail, and you have the right to decline from sharing this information politely. You could even maintain that you are not comfortable in doing so, just the way companies refrain from disclosing the salary details of existing employees.

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While it is not illegal to ask for these details, no company or recruiting agency can coerce you to disclose them. If they persist, even after you have made your views clear, it is perhaps the best indication for you to not go any further.

However, if they still consider you for the job, you can be happy that your assertive attitude worked!

One way to not let your request for confidentiality being mistaken for arrogance is to be straightforward about your salary expectations right from the start before an offer is made. This can save both parties from confusion.

The next time you find yourself in the middle of a salary negotiation, remember that a job which needs to verify your monetary value through your previous experience, is probably not worth it. Also, your privacy is important, and it is time for employers to take this aspect seriously.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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