I had applied for a job recently at a large healthcare facility and was rejected due to my salary expectations being out of range for the role.

24 Comments

1. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 26,2023 at 7:50PM UTC

   To clarify - if I have a position with a comp range that tops out at 50k and the candidate says they're looking for $75k, you're saying it's unfair to not move that candidate forward?

2. AnonymousApril 26,2023 at 8:04PM UTC

   Per the job description I believe if they have a budget or pay range in mind, it should be added to the job description. We sit and waste time applying. We ask for something fair. If someone has experience and can do the job they can at least give it a chance and be flexible in having a conversation.

3. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 26,2023 at 11:02PM UTC

   Flexible on what, exactly? If I have a position that tops out at $50k - it tops out at $50k.

   If the candidate wants $75k, what do I say to my hiring manager when he asks me why I just wasted him time having him interview a candidate that is $25k outside of his price range?

4. AnonymousApril 27,2023 at 11:10AM UTC

   Maybe you should practice posting a comp range, candidates might be able to work within your salary cap. With out knowing what your comp range is, and given the option, I too will post what I hope i could get. You might be losing a person of great fit for your position and that is a "You," problem.

5. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 27,2023 at 5:28PM UTC

   Recruiters don't get to decide whether or not the comp information is posted in the job posting. That is company policy.

   You absolutely should post what you hope to get. I never said otherwise.

   But if you're looking for $75k and I can only pay $50k, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with that.

6. AnonymousApril 27,2023 at 5:01PM UTC

   You say to your hiring manager "I believe it's time to start posting the salary range in the job description. It would weed those wanting more & less out of the application process, and wouldn't continue to waste anyone's time moving forward."

7. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 27,2023 at 5:25PM UTC

   Whether or not to post the salary range in the job posting is not up to the hiring manager. It's not up to the recruiter. It is company policy - and not set by either.

   Also, in some states it's now the law.

8. AnonymousApril 29,2023 at 6:36PM UTC

   You have no idea how incredibly lucky she was to even get a rejection reason. Millions of job hunters apply for thousands of jobs with no response whatsoever. Your response, while understandable, is incredibly naive. The job market isn’t fair, nor is it for the faint hearted. You will be rejected in job searches for lots of reasons throughout your working life and most of them will seem unfair, the majority of them you will never know why, and all of this will be beyond your control. Add to this, every one of them will leave you feeling a little less, diminished, disappointed and rejected. It only takes one yes. I’m sorry you weren’t considered further for the role because of salary. Don’t let that stop you. Chances are, had you been considered there was still no guarantee you would have gotten an offer. The job market is tough right now. If that’s your pet peeve, don’t apply to jobs that don’t post the salary range. That is something that you can do that’s in your control. Good luck!

9. AnonymousApril 26,2023 at 8:54PM UTC

   No, she's asking about being rejected for citing a salary that they didn't even publicly post, or that a recruiter didn't offer.

10. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 26,2023 at 11:04PM UTC

    I understand her comment. My question stands.

    She provided her compensation expectations. It was outside of the salary band for the position she applied for.

    Whether or not the comp was publicly posted, she's still outside the salary band.

11. AnonymousApril 26,2023 at 9:00PM UTC

    From all the thought leaders, recruiters, TA's, Hiring Managers, etc.
    who are oh so vocal on this topic on LI, you have every right to ask the "range" for the position. The company has a budget in mind that is given to those in the hiring capacity.

    If that person will not give you a salary range, but instead asks you for what your desired salary is, you should respond with "I'm interviewing with companies (regardless if you are or not) that have a range of $xx,xxx to $xx,xxx."

    If they give you one with a slightly lower range, you could respond with "I'm sure that during the interview when we've discussed how my skill 1, skill 2 and xx, are a great fit for the company, we could come to an agreeable range." Good Luck. PS - check to make sure that your state does or does not have to post the salary range in job descriptions. Google it for your state.

12. AnonymousApril 26,2023 at 9:14PM UTC

    Thank you. I appreciate the insight and thoughtful comment.

13. AnonymousApril 29,2023 at 1:49PM UTC

    I would bet a company that dismisses a qualified candidate because of their salary requirements isn’t interested, willing or able to adjust the salary up for a candidate. Likely they have so many qualified candidates who have responded to the position, they are culling to a few great fits. Given that, would you be willing to lower your salary requirements? If not, why would you want to go through an interview process for a job that doesn’t meet your requirements? Unless you are open to a salary cut or just want the practice of going through the interview, I would take the recruiter at their word that the company has a set range and won’t be negotiating for you. Her job is to place someone in the role so if she thought she could meet your range, she wouldn’t have rejected you.

14. AnonymousApril 26,2023 at 11:35PM UTC

    While I am firmly on the side of posting salary ranges, I also think it's completely reasonable to dismiss a candidate whose salary expectations are well outside the hiring range (whether they know that up front or not). What's the point in proceeding if your expectations and theirs are too far apart? Even if you got a job offer out of it, perception is that you'd be accepting out of desperation and that you'd be looking for another job from day one.

15. AnonymousApril 27,2023 at 1:02PM UTC

    I wholeheartedly agree with this comment. Why waste anyone's time if they won't be able to match your expectations?

16. AnonymousApril 29,2023 at 5:24PM UTC

    Agree, as well. When I was doing recruiting if they were slightly over, I would still talk to them but if they’re quite a bit over, i don’t want to waste everyone’s time because I know we’ll never come close to what they want/currently have.

17. AnonymousApril 27,2023 at 1:05AM UTC

    This is seriously the worst! What a terrible reason to not offer the potential perfect candidate a role! Honestly I think this was more of a blessing for you!

    Don’t take it personally. Continue your career search and keep pushing for your ideal salary expectations! Do not low ball yourself at the next opportunity. You can do this!

18. AnonymousApril 27,2023 at 12:18PM UTC

    Reply, ask that their range is or hourly rate. Doesn't hurt. Every company has their reasons for not putting a range on a job posting, that is an uncontrollable. You can though ask. There are only a handful of states that require that to be posted, it's growing but only a handful. If you've not been given an interview, that's up to them regardless of the reason they sent out. Often this means they have a diverse pool of candidates and that part helps them narrow down a bit. No one wants to waste any candidate's time if they see your ask is already over what they have budgeted. good luck.

19. AnonymousApril 27,2023 at 1:57PM UTC

    Did you tell them your salary expectations as part of your application? If so, while they may not have posted the salary, they likely have a budget, and so concluded that you're out of range. It's unhelpful when employers don't include salary (but that's a discussion for another time), but very rarely are jobs truly without a salary budget in mind. If you did not include salary expectations with your application, they may have assumed your "price" based on your experience, compared to the experience level they're looking for. In that case, it couldn't hurt to confirm there's a misalignment before moving on.

20. Mare LevineApril 28,2023 at 2:50PM UTC

    I really feel for you, and I want to encourage you to not lower your belief in what you are worth. As you said, you have valuable experience and women have a tendency to undervalue themselves (FairyGodBoss [FGB] has webinars related to this topic and others that may help, so watch their events calendar here: https://fairygodboss.com/events)

    Now, on to some strategies that may or may not be helpful:

    1) If I can avoid putting a range or specific dollar amount on an application, I will. As others have posted here, that allows you to open a discussion why your skills are perfect for what they need, and why paying you more than 'average' would be worth their while.

    2) If I must put something, I take some time to reconnoiter. First, I will take the title, "Healthcare Records Manager" and get some general ranges. Then I refine it to the next level, "Healthcare Records Manager in Maine," and I see what my state (or region or province) is paying on average for that position. Finally, I get granular and put, "Healthcare Records Manager at Hospital ABC," and get specifics.

    One other specific search you can do, is to search on an unusual sentence in the job description, such as, "Must collect all hardcopies from the Rosewood Conference Room after quarterly Hospital ABC" meetings." Employers frequently use the same job write-up over and over again. By searching on an unusual sentence in that, you may find the exact, previous job listing and an associated pay range.

    It may seem tedious, but this digging can tell you a lot of helpful things. This gives you an idea if there are any jobs at Hospital ABC that are worth your time applying for. It allows you to compare what the average pay for your job is across the US versus your specific state. Then you may discover Maine pays less than other places, and you then can think about moving or looking for remote options. It will also help you have a very clear idea of what you are worth when negotiating your next salary.

    Repeat the more granular search with other hospitals you were considering and evaluate once again how the amount they want to pay compares to what you feel you are worth. You may find a state or government job may have a higher pay range, or perhaps a boutique clinic that serves a targeted clientele, so look at options.

    3) When you're doing the deep dive on the pay, also look at the reviews. A great culture, benefits (like flex-time, hybrid remote, 100% paid for health insurance, etc.), and a company who promotes from within are also part of the things to take into account (FGB listings are a good place to see this). Only you can decide what those are 'worth' to you.

    Here are some places I do my research on salaries, benefits, and feedback from employees:

    Glassdoor

    Indeed

    Bureau of Labor Statistics

    Salary.com

    FGB

    The Muse

    Diversity.com

    Talent.com

    ZipRecruiter

    + Your favorites here

21. AnonymousApril 29,2023 at 1:07PM UTC

    While a range may not be listed in the job description, it doesn't mean they don't have one. Pay transparency should absolutely be the standard, it's unfortunately not. I wouldn't bother wasting your time if they've already told you they're unwilling to pay your desired wage.

22. AnonymousApril 29,2023 at 1:07PM UTC

    The recruiter might be doing a salary survey, by extracting information from candidates as to where the compensation should be pegged at. The hiring party might not have something firm in mind and they're fishing. It is tough when the application does not go forward without a magic pinpoint $ number. Next time provide a wide range, base it on salary.com or other salary surveys and of course what your experience and knowledge commands. Then move on to other applications AND NETWORK your little tushie off to get hold of people who have insights into the company and the hiring needs. Move on.

23. Annetta MosesApril 29,2023 at 3:51PM UTC

    At most companies when a position is created, it is attached to a pay range. If the position is offering $35-$45 per hour and a candidate indicates expectations at $70-$90 per hour, I will not consider the candidate. Even if if the candidate does well in interviews I do not have the budget to pay the candidate what she wants.

24. AnonymousApril 29,2023 at 5:24PM UTC

    Not every company is legally required to share compensation ranges yet. You must have given them the range or told them what you want. Ask yourself if you went all the way through an interview and in the final offer stage found out that they only had 30k in their budget and you wanted 50K what would you do? You would likely reject them. I would lick your wounds know they cannot afford you or revise your expectations if you really want to work there. You cannot get blood from a stone and if they only have so much for that job that is what they have. I know this may seem unfair but keep looking, the right combination of work product, salary and culture is there for you somewhere else.

    When you are asked for salary range in an application in the future might I suggest you put 1.00 in the field and leave that to when you both know there is mutual interest.