Giving previous salary info on application forms

Lilacblue

Hi All

How do you feel when you are asked to list your previous salary history on job application forms?

The job I am looking at applying for has a (low) rigid salary which cannot be negotiated. On the application form they want to know what I have been paid for all of my last employments. I always feel that this is overly-personal and intrusive...I just feel uncomfortable with it somehow.

My friend said that they ask for the information so that they can try to gauge your previous level of performance/work status (??). But I still don't see why I should disclose this. It's fair enough for them to want to check my qualifications and my aptitude for the job, but what does my previous income have to do with that? What does it look like if I keep those boxes blank? :-(

Opinions welcome! Maybe it's just me

InsideInsurance

Reference forms normally ask for your salary too from your prior employer but I have never seen one returned with it filled in.

You could leave it blank and hope they dont mind. You could put in what you think they want to see and hope your prior employers dont confirm your salary to be different. You could put the truth in there and hope it doesnt scupper your chances if the new job is a big step up or down

AP007

I always put that I am not allowed to diclose this or just put N/A

Since I have no job at present what I was on should make no difference but I know it does If I put £xx,xxx and the job was paying only £11,000 I bet they will turn me down right away.

Even with no salary disclosed I had one job reply to me saying 'we wouldn't be able to afford you'!!

CCFC_80

Think this tends to be a stupid question on application forms and completely irrelevent. How would most people know that being on 13k a year 12 years ago might be the same as earning 17.5 k per annum today.

El_Torro

I have in the past lied about previous salaries, especially when applying for jobs at a significantly higher pay grade. As far as I know I haven't been caught out yet. I would be surprised if previous employers would disclose this kind of detail.

CCFC_80

El_Torro wrote: »

I have in the past lied about previous salaries, especially when applying for jobs at a significantly higher pay grade. As far as I know I haven't been caught out yet. I would be surprised if previous employers would disclose this kind of detail.

Exactly, if a potential employer was to ask, where would they be able to check?. Previous employers would be very reluctant to give that info out if they still existed and of course probably couldn't if it was held on computer.

Lilacblue

Thanks for all your replies. I submitted the application form and just kept the salary boxes blank in the end.

There was also an 'equalities form' that I was asked to complete (and some of the boxes were 'mandatory'). I know why employers say they have these forms (although I don't think they actually do anything with them), and usually you are told that the person shortlisting for the role won't see them, that they are anonymous and confidential blah blah blah. Well this one had none of that written on it, had to be submitted to the same person as the form, at the same time, and was certainly not anonymous!... It asked for name, address, date of birth then went straight into asking about sexuality. Eeek!!

I just ended up putting my name and address and left the rest blank. They will probably mark me down for this but I just find that really poor.

I hate applying for jobs. Sooo depressing

Denning.

Lilacblue wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies. I submitted the application form and just kept the salary boxes blank in the end.

There was also an 'equalities form' that I was asked to complete (and some of the boxes were 'mandatory'). I know why employers say they have these forms (although I don't think they actually do anything with them), and usually you are told that the person shortlisting for the role won't see them, that they are anonymous and confidential blah blah blah. Well this one had none of that written on it, had to be submitted to the same person as the form, at the same time, and was certainly not anonymous!... It asked for name, address, date of birth then went straight into asking about sexuality. Eeek!!

I just ended up putting my name and address and left the rest blank. They will probably mark me down for this but I just find that really poor.

I hate applying for jobs. Sooo depressing

Equality forms are needed and used for big employers especially. Used as defence in discrimination claims. Used to get diversity awards. Helps guide their recruitment strategy. There is a lot of evidence that diversity increases productivity etc

cherryblossomzel

I realise you've already sent in the application, but my two pence:

I hate giving that kind of information too (previous salary and sexuality etc), sooo intrusive. And I always worry that they might consider the previous salary too high and assume that you wouldn't even consider the job, when you might be willing to take a pay cut for the right job, or the previous salaray too low and assume you can't do the job, when you might be perfectly capable. You could maybe put in the covering letter that you didn't put in your previous salary as you can't disclose it but explain that you are willing to consider all offers and that you look at the entire package, including benefits, training, potential for promotion etc.

t0rt0ise

It's always seemed reasonable to me. Titles of jobs vary so much so if you were say an Admin Assistant it could mean you were on 14k if at one company or 30k at another, and they want to know what sort of level you were at.

CCFC_80

t0rt0ise wrote: »

It's always seemed reasonable to me. Titles of jobs vary so much so if you were say an Admin Assistant it could mean you were on 14k if at one company or 30k at another, and they want to know what sort of level you were at.

Yes, but whats the point in asking on an application form what salary you were on at a company 10 years ago. How would the interviewer know what that would be equivalent today. Also more to the point, How would they check this? As I say it's a stupid irrelevent question.