Bait and switch on salary?

Breanna

August 31,2022 at 12:51PM UTC

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Bait and switch on salary?

I was recently contacted by a third party recruiter to interview for a role I’m highly qualified for at a software company. Before meeting with the company, I reviewed the salary and role requirements in detail with the recruiter.

I’ve now completed multiple rounds of interviews, including a case study, and the company decided to make an offer. The offer is 15% lower than the bottom of the salary band the recruiter provided. It’s not exactly insultingly low, but it’s much lower than I anticipated, and honestly, I would not have gone through the process if I’d known upfront.

I let the recruiter know that the offer wasn’t in line with the salary range communicated up front, and he said he was sorry, but the company has decided to change it at the last minute. He said they realized I would be making more than someone in a higher level role, and they were committed to pay equity. I said that I think changing the salary at the end of the process is highly unethical, and calls the company culture and management into question. After that, he said he would go back and advocate for me.

Has anyone experienced this before? I’m not sure if the salary issue was caused by the recruiter, or if the company genuinely changed their minds last minute. I’m debating reaching out to the hiring manager- partly because they said use this recruiter frequently, and partly because I don’t want to be seen as the jerk who demanded a much higher salary out of the blue.

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AnonymousAugust 31,2022 at 2:41PM UTC
I have never experienced this but don’t feel like you are a jerk. You deserve to get your worth and don’t settle less than you deserve.
Maegan MAugust 31,2022 at 2:43PM UTC
You aren't going to be seen as the jerk who demanded it out of the blue because you can legit state that was not the range explained to you at the beginning of the process and X amount is what you require. This is on them, not you.
Sharon GrehanAugust 31,2022 at 4:48PM UTC
Definitely don't settle and don't allow your fear of their perception stop you from articulating your worth. You said you wouldn't have gone through the process if you had known the salary they were going to offer - let that be your reminder. You deserve to be fairly compensated and if they are lowering your offer to offset underpaying current staff that raises many red flags. Be firm and you definitely won't come off as unprofessional and nown of this is out of the blue, you went into this with clear expectations and they are the ones who changed things out of the blue! Best of luck
BreannaAugust 31,2022 at 5:43PM UTC
I should probably clarify- if the recruiter lied to me about the salary upfront, I imagine that from the company perspective it might look like I’m suddenly demanding more money and acting unsatisfied with the salary band at the end of the process.
AnonymousSeptember 1,2022 at 9:03PM UTC
Hadn't thought of this possibility. Very complicated! Maybe wait to see what the recruiter says? If they did lie, maybe they're trying to work to undo their lie. But then depending on their response, reach out to the hiring manager just to make sure your side of the story is accurate.
AnonymousSeptember 1,2022 at 1:36PM UTC
Extremely common but unprofessional nonetheless.
Michele SinclairSeptember 4,2022 at 1:02PM UTC
Red flag ...
AnonymousSeptember 4,2022 at 1:08PM UTC
If you contact the hiring manager, you could write a note indicating you enjoyed learning about the company & position and that you were impressed by the people you met. You were surprised to learn the salary requirements didn’t meet what you had specified with the recruiter in advance, as both their team and you spent a lot of time on the process. You especially had hoped to join the team…. Etc. That would be a soft way of figuring out if the recruiter was dishonest, and if not, then the company itself was caught in a situation that doesn’t speak positively for its culture.
AnonymousSeptember 4,2022 at 1:15PM UTC
To maintain pay equity, they can pay a sign-on bonus to you that brings you up to your expected pay rate. I'd also have the offer letter stipulate an increase within 1 year, irrespective of performance. Ensures you are compensated appropriately and gives them the opportunity to address their salary band issue.
AnonymousSeptember 4,2022 at 6:24PM UTC
A sign on bonus is great - this year. What about next year and going forward? The base salary will still be too low and the company will have no incentive to adjust it. The other commenters have given excellent advice, I'd go those directions rather than this.
AnonymousSeptember 4,2022 at 1:53PM UTC
Something to remember is that, while it feels like recruiters are on the employee’s side, their job is to get company vacancies filled. That’s how they get paid. It’s very possible that the recruiter knew that the pay was too low from the start, but was hoping you’d get through the process and have invested too much time to turn it down. Because, at the end of the day, they are paid by companies not by the people they are placing in jobs. Just keep that in mind while you negotiate this.
And quite honestly, if the company was willing to pay you XX at the beginning of the process, what someone else makes should not factor into that, at all. If anything, it sounds like the other person needs a raise and you need to be paid your due.
Stay strong, know your worth!
Lisa MarieSeptember 4,2022 at 2:14PM UTC
Changing the salary at the end of the process is a red flag you should not ignore.
This is NOT a mere company POLICY which is open to change at their discretion.
How did no one there realize this "disparity" before this stage in the game?
How will they treat other situations such as this and others in the future? Such as:
- offer then change the terms or value of bonuses when it comes time to pay out
- hybrid schedule was never hybrid in the furst place (not just changing to keep up with the job demands)
- changing other terms of employment after you've started (system of promotion/growth to other levels, provision of systems/tools to carry out the job's functions)
- etc, etc.
My bottomline advice: No matter how desperate you are for a job, do not take THIS ONE IF you are a person who commits to staying at least a year or two in a role before moving on, BECAUSE ANY COMPANY which does this sort of thing, most likely has other shenanigans up their sleeve, and CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
THIS is NOT a little oversight.
If I were in your position, I would either
1) politely politely decline stating the last minute change in the salary as my reason
2) if you are currently unemployed and needing an income, go ahead and start the job (provided there are no caveats), but keep interviewing - and if asked about the current role during interviews, simply refer to the salary "under-cutters" as a transition/temporary role while you are searching for your next best opportunity.
AnonymousSeptember 16,2022 at 1:53PM UTC
I agree - had this happen many moons ago and the company behavior played out with commission changes at the time of payout, promotions, etc. We discovered the beloved Director never got approval for her plans yet we had stuff in writing. We should have sued.
Joanna PoeSeptember 4,2022 at 2:20PM UTC
Tell them if they're committed to pay equity, they should raise the salary of the more senior employee to match the current demands of the market, not lowball the incoming people. They'll only end up getting what they pay for...
BeaBoss750792September 4,2022 at 4:23PM UTC
Yup. This situation screams to me that they’re so reluctant to raise the salary of a current employee to the going market rate that they’d rather lowball a promising prospective employee.
Ida McCartySeptember 4,2022 at 4:24PM UTC
Unfortunately during the current economic climate, this is quite common.
Unethical, but common.
You have the option of getting a sign on bonus, to increase the amount of salary.
Remember that the recruiter is not your advocate, they are the advocate for the company that they are employed. You make more, and they get more in commission. That is their incentive, and nothing else.
AnonymousSeptember 4,2022 at 4:39PM UTC
If you would be leaving another job to take this job, then definitely counteroffer at what you want to be making. If you are currently unemployed and don't have any other job offers, then maybe still counteroffer at the midpoint of the original band or less, but keep in mind that this is a huge red flag and the company is probably going to screw you over on other things so you might want to keep looking in the meantime. Good luck!
AnonymousSeptember 4,2022 at 7:14PM UTC
The fact that they would lower your offer instead of giving the other person a raise says a LOT about the company. I don't think they can really claim pay equity when, to them, that means underpaying everyone. They should be raising everyone's salaries to keep up with the current market. Huge red flag!!