Why Do Recruiters Ask For Salary Expectations?

At some point during your conversation with a recruiter, you’re going to start to discuss salary. It’s just a normal part of the conversation. Part of that conversation is going to consist of the recruiter asking you what your salary expectation is.

Some people are taken aback by this and not sure how to answer. Sure, it might sound a bit personal of a question, but there is a logical reason for this. Recruiters do not want to waste their time on a job if the company is not going to meet your expectations.

In fact, if the recruiter doesn’t ask you about salary, you should probally bring it up. It’s in your best interests to ask a recrutier about the salary of the jobs your interested in.

Recruiters only make money by placing people in jobs where they will stay. If a recruiter presents you with a job that is not going to pay you what your seeking, then it would be a waste of time for them.

When a recruiter asks you what your salary expectations are, they are doing this so that they can get a good idea what sort of jobs to discuss with you. If you’re seeking $100k, then they will not discuss jobs that pay $20hr. It would be a waste of time for you and for them.

Legal Considerations When Discussing Salaries: Depends on the State

One thing to remember is that it’s not legal in many states to ask a person what salary they have (or had) at the present of prior job. So, if you are asked by a recruiter what your salary expectations are, you don’t have to actually tell them your salary. What you can tell them is the salary you are seeking.

So, if you are currently making $65k in your role, and the recruiter asks you what your salary expectations are you could say any number you like. Most people would say 70k or 75k and above, if they are seeking a move strictly based on salary.

You never have to tell your recruiter your current or prior salaries, and you also don’t have to mention it during interviews. If you wish to tell them, that’s fine but it serves no point. The only number that a recruiter cases about is what salary you are seeking in order to accept a new role.

Are Recruiters Looking To Cheat or Lowball You?

No, most recruiters are not looking to cheat you. That’s a common misconception. As long as you have gone with a reputable recruiter and checked out their LinkedIn profile and researched the agency that they work for, you don’t have to worry about being cheated.

However, there are instances where a recruiter will try and sell you on a lower salary if the company that is hiring people won’t pay a high salary.

Here’s an example. If a company is only willing to pay $70k and you are seeking $80k, then the recruiter might really hard push you to take the job.

Recruiters won’t lowball you, though in most cases. If a company is willing to pay $80k, then a recruiter won’t ever tell you to take less than that. The more a company pays you, the higher the cut a recruiter will get.

In instances were you are dealing with a temporary role, then you might run into situations where the recruiter wants you to take a low number. This is the only case where a recruiter might try and lowball you. However, in temporary roles, it’s also sometimes the case that you will be paid more through an agency and working with a recruiter than if you were to work directly under the client company.

Here’s a quick way to tell if the recruiter is looking to cheat or lowball you: read reviews online and also see if the recruiter has a real LinkedIn profile.

A good recruiter will not have many bad reviews online (there will always be some disgruntled people who leave bad reviews). And a good recruiting firm won’t have many bad reviews either. Most recruiter’s won’t lie to you as it would hurt their bottom line. But that’s not the case for all recruiters. Find out the bad ones by doing research.

Should You Ever Tell a Recruiter Your Current Salary?

Now that you know that you don’t have to tell a recruiter your salary, the question is should you ever tell them for whatever reason?

In some cases it might be helpful to let them know your current salary if you are serious about only taking a job that pays a minimum salary.

Here’s an example:

If you are working at a firm, and you are making $80k and are seeking a higher salary, then it would be a good idea to tell the recruiter what you’re making. If you only tell them you want $90k and above, some recruiters will approach you with jobs that are a bit lower (for example, at your current pay rate) since they might think you’re flexible and it’s not a hard number.

If you are currently employed, it might be a wise idea to let the recruiter know that you really do have a hard number that you are not interested in going below. If you say that you’re making 80k then they won’t approach you with jobs at the same pay rate.

You can even tell them a fabricated number (it doesn’t have to be 80k, you can tell them whatever number you like—they won’t be able to confirm this on their own).

How To Handle The Question: Honestly or Strategiclly?

How you answer the question depends on a number of things. First, if you are not working, then be upfront with what you’re willing to accept. If you have a desired salary, but are desperate to work, then let your recruiter know that you are not picky.

You don’t want your recruiter to not let you know of opportunities because they think you won’t accept a certain salary. So, in this case, it’s best to be honest and strategic, as they both work best for you.

In the case that you already have a job, then you should be strategic. If you are only looking to leave your current place of work because you want a higher salary than what you’re currently making,  then you need to be strategic.

In these cases, you need make it clear to the recruiter that you won’t accept an offer less than a particular number. You need to be strategic, and in most cases it would be beneficial to you to tell them you make a particular number. That number doesn’t have to be real, you can lie to a recruiter about your salary.

There’s nothing wrong with doing that. The main thing to do is make it clear that you have a minimum salary that you will accept. This will avoid the problem of a recruiter setting you up with a job interview that doesn’t pay what you are looking for.