Spilling the Bean Counters

In my previous post, I said that I felt apprehensive about explaining the mistakes that led to the cancellation of any negotiation process at Rosetta Stone. However, after further consideration, enough people have asked me why I was unhappy about having been asked to answer questions about my salary history that I would like to explain exactly what happened in order to attempt to justify my opinions about companies that ask for one's salary history.

First, I should say that the salary history question was the only reason (of which I am aware) that the negotiating process was cancelled. After reluctantly answering their inquiry for my salary history, I approached them to interview. At the interview, as I have said, two of the existing audio engineers (whose positions were the same as what I was applying for) were permitted to ask me some questions without the audio director present. In order to generate some meaningful questions, they had both been given copies of my answers to the questions that I had been asked, which included the question of my salary history.

I hadn't realized that they had been given copies of that particular answer until after the interview. So upon my return home, I emailed the audio director to tell him that I was rather concerned that any average lackey would be privy to my salary information. He told me that he would mention it to the Human Resources department and assured me that I shouldn't have been concerned.

Obviously, in light of what happened, I was right to be concerned and honestly, the more I consider the unscrupulous or negligent behavior (depending whether the act was intentional or an accident, respectively) of freely distributing my salary history, the more irritated I become. I think these events accurately describe why it is generally considered bad form to ask for a candidate's salary history. It is also representative of why many job seekers are dissuaded from ever answering the question in the first place. After all, regardless of what one's salary history might be, the company should have a good idea of what that position is worth based on industry data and, even more so, a solid idea of what they are willing to pay.

In the future, I will be much more cautious when presented with this question. I will also think twice about continuing the application process. After this experience, it's obvious to me that the question of salary history is a sensitive one that is best left untouched by both the applying and hiring parties. Unless, of course, the employer is intentionally trying to reject a candidate without actually issuing a rejection statement.

I've provided more reading material here.