Shamed for not providing salary range in phone screen
I was asked for a salary range by a large corporate recruiter during a phone screen. When I declined to give #s to her (I stated I would be looking for market rate) she was stunned then tried to shame me into giving her #s, saying never in her xx recruiting years has anyone ever refused to answer the question. Keep in mind, this was a 20-minute conversation and very light on details from her side about the role. Are people really that careless to announce a # and possibly leave $ on the table in future rounds of the interview process? To be frank, this was a company I was introduced to through a FBG career fair a few weeks ago!
C H
Recruiting & People Ops / HR - N. CA
251
10/28/20 at 9:36PM UTC
+1 to Amanda. I'm also a TA & HR professional and am puzzled that you would be shamed in this way. I am also a job seeker currently, and did have a somewhat bizarre conversation with an agency recruiter who went into rate pushing within the first 2 min of the call. But you talked to a corporate recruiter, so it's possible that they are untrained/new to the role, or are being pushed to stick to some kind of script(?) by their hiring teams or execs.
Amanda Radice
11
10/28/20 at 5:59AM UTC
I am currently a recruiter, with over 10 years of experience. This is abnormal. Honestly, candidates refuse to share salary needs or expectations al the time. The challenge is "market rate" isn't always consistent between companies (it's kind of a fallacy, unfortunately) so for some recruiters that makes it difficult to know if it is worth moving forward for the role or if it'd be a waste of your time. There are recruiters out there who are also more concerned if it would be a waste of their time, but that kind of recruiter is a whole different conversation.
It sounds like this recruiter is more of the second kind. Know that your response is normal. Their reaction to you is not. It is also not appropriate and not professional at all. If you do share a compensation range, I recommend sharing something like, "Total comp would need to be XYZ for me" - that gives some flexibility for you to not have to share a base salary/bonus/equity but you can share a higher target number and see how the package plays out.
It is also reasonable to say, "I cannot confidently share a range until I have a better understanding of the role and responsibilities."
Beth ScottBe the change you want to see
80
10/28/20 at 3:28AM UTC
I haven't had the opportunity to work with a recruiter in several decades. That said, if the recruiter is supposed to be working to secure you a great position, I can see where that might be important information to have so as not to waste your time with opportunities that won't meet your needs. HOWEVER, to give few details about her part and what she can do to help you and then to chastise you is inappropriate and unprofessional. It sounds like this recruiter is NOT a good fit for you. If it's not a good partnership, you can decline further engagement. Sending good wishes your way.
Anonymous
10/28/20 at 2:11AM UTC
I am working with a recruiter now, and the 20 minute conversation sounds slightly unusual. My first calls with a recruiter (I've done two) have been quite lengthy and detailed. I did get into specific salary numbers so that she could quickly hone in one opportunities that really fit my needs or know where she might need to be a bit bolder in pushing for a bit more. Maybe try a second opinion/recruiter.
