ASK HR: If your profile is right, you’ll get paid what you deserve
The fetches four times their previous salary. How does one go about it in a smart way to ensure they get the stipulated salary? PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The basis for determining a salary is therefore the role, not a candidate’s current pay. The latter practice would breed pay asymmetry and perceptions of unfairness, which may undermine employee engagement.
- If the organisation should find your profile suitable, there would be opportunities for face-to-face engagements during which the matter of pay can be broached and dealt with.
- Let the disrepute belong to the organisations that set your future pay solely on account of your current pay, not on account of dishonesty.
Q. How do you tackle in a job application form, the question, ‘please indicate your previous salary’. In this case, the applicant previously worked for a smaller organisation, and the job he/she is applying for is a multi-national, and the position fetches four times their previous salary. How does one go about it in a smart way to ensure they get the stipulated salary?
Organisations require candidates to provide details of their pay in a job application form for numerous reasons, among them the need to establish whether the company can afford them. It is common practice to associate a range of pay to a position based on the evaluation of how crucial the position is thought to be. The basis for determining a salary is therefore the role, not a candidate’s current pay. The latter practice would breed pay asymmetry and perceptions of unfairness, which may undermine employee engagement.
The requirement to disclose pay in a job application form may cause apprehension for candidates who are concerned that their current pay may place them at a disadvantage. The same case applies to candidates who may be earning relatively higher pay than what a job opportunity in which they are interested in is paying. Unless a suitable candidate’s pay is clearly above the salary range for the position in question, an organisation would prioritise capability above affordability.
It is advisable to complete the application form with the correct details. If the organisation should find your profile suitable, there would be opportunities for face-to-face engagements during which the matter of pay can be broached and dealt with. If, however, an organisation discovers that a candidate has provided false information, it is almost certain that they would not further engage with the individual.
Do not be overly concerned about pay details. If your profile is right, an organisation will take interest in you. There are numerous examples of individuals who have left voluntary or unpaid positions and received their rightful pay from their next employer.
Let the disrepute belong to the organisations that set your future pay solely on account of your current pay, not on account of dishonesty.
