SINGAPORE: In the midst of her job application process, a Singaporean job seeker turned to Reddit’s Ask Singapore forum to ask if she should disclose her previous salary to recruiters.
In her post, she explained that she was asking this question because some recruiters had been pushing her to reveal the number, saying there was “no point hiding it” since the client would probably ask anyway.
To strengthen their case, they even threw in the classic line about how sharing it early could “help manage her expectations.”
She, however, remained skeptical because she knew from experience that sharing that info only gave employers an excuse to lowball her. “I have accepted a lowball offer in the past; I am trying to climb out of it,” she said.
“Should I reveal my salary to the recruiter or never?” she asked for confirmation.
“Don’t judge by previous pay. Judge by how much the work is valued…”
In response to her query, one Redditor shared that he always discloses his previous salary when asked, as he prefers to be upfront and ‘has nothing to hide.’
However, he acknowledged that this approach has risks, citing an instance where a recruiter dismissed his asking salary as too high because it was 20% more than his previous pay.
“I told the recruiter bye. If [they] want to hire, don’t judge by previous pay. Judge by how much the work is valued,” he explained.
“Any company that hires based on previous pay instead of job valuation is just trying to lowball you. Would you want to work for a company that lowballs you and doesn’t value your worth?”
Another Redditor suggested that instead of sharing her salary, the job seeker could ask the recruiter what the budget for the role is and see if it meets her expectations.
If the recruiter says the company’s budget is S$100k a year, she can decide if that works for her or if she wants to move on.
A third Redditor offered a different take, saying she doesn’t have to reveal her salary at all, adding, “The recruiter already knows exactly the budget they have for hiring.
If you reveal a high [number], the recruiter will say they can’t match it due to their budget. If you reveal a low [number], you risk missing out on being paid more.”
Is it legal for recruiters to ask for your last drawn salary?
According to Nodeflair, a career development platform designed to support tech professionals in Asia, recruiters and employers in Singapore can legally ask about your previous salary, including requesting payslips or salary history.
Nonetheless, you are under no legal obligation to provide that information. If they continue to press for your last drawn salary for ‘budgeting purposes,’ you can politely redirect the conversation.
Explain that your previous salary isn’t the most accurate reflection of the value you can bring to the new role.
You can also ask them for the salary range for the position and discuss whether your expectations align with their budget. This way, you can steer the conversation towards the value of the role and your skills rather than getting caught up in your past pay.
Read also: S’porean who’s been job hunting for 18 months says, “I am losing hope and feeling drained/helpless”
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
