As a candidate, I wish my executive recruiter knew more information about salary!

This is an exploit of my professional experience as an executive recruiter in the insurance Software and services vertical.  “I wish executive recruiter knew about salary info!” Aims to start the discussion about candidates from the executive tier down to entry level.

A candidate says:

…that we are not always comfortable giving you our salary info.

A recruiter responds:

“From my perspective, it’s hard to see why a job candidate would not want to discuss their salary. But to gain better insight, I talked with some candidates I’ve worked with. The main reasons we came up with are:”

As an executive recruiter they should  truely know about salary info

1) Candidates are worried that we [recruiters] will limit the scope of potential job opportunities.

2) Candidates are worried/embarrassed that they make too much/too little, etc., and they don’t want that information to get out.

3) Candidates are worried about identity/security breaches.

So let’s break each one of these down:

Worry #1: Candidates are worried that we [recruiters] will limit the scope of potential job opportunities.

The major function and benefit to our candidates is to be their career coaches. We evaluate their needs, wants, pains, and help them find a better situation. In order to do this, salary comes into play.

It is of no benefit to a candidate to expose them to opportunities where the salary is grossly under or over their desired or current income. It is the intent of recruiters to really zero in on the opportunities that match a job seeker’s skillset and experience…Of course the more money they make, the better for all!  

Worry #2:  Candidates are worried/embarrassed that they make too much/too little, etc., and they don’t want that information to get out.

This is one of the exact reasons you should tell a recruiter your salary! You may think you are making above or below the industry standard, but how do you know for sure? Recruiters are the best free market research tools you will find… We know the salary ranges for the jobs and industries we specialize in, since we talk to the people working and hiring in these fields all day long.

Being below the market salary value then you should be talking with a recruiter , who is the one who will tell you position where you can make a more competitive salary. On the flip side, if you are making over the industry standard, we’ll give you a heads up on that too! (For example: “Dude, you’ve got a SWEET deal, stay put!”)

NOTE: Decreasing discriminative practices by employers is why President Obama and his administration are legally opening the discussion on salary (read more).

Worry #3: Candidates are worried about identity/security breaches.

The third concern is probably the most valid, in my mind. Living in an age of growing phishing attacks, identity breaches and more, security is a real concern. However, these risks can often be easily mitigated, and are often over-exaggerated.

Furthermore, protecting yourself is to know your recruiter and where he/she is sending your information. You can learn a lot about the recruiter/firm by looking at their website, LinkedIn profile, etc…Also keep in mind that a good recruiter will only send your info to a company upon YOUR approval.

In the end, recruiters get paid based on the money they get you. So work WITH us, not against us when it comes to disclosing personal details, such as salary.

Questions or comments feel free to comment on myLinkedin page

Read it on the recruiting agency Hobson Associates

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