‘Help me save my time and your time’: Recruiter clarifies why he asks candidates about their last drawn salary

SINGAPORE: Asking job candidates about their last drawn salary has long been a sensitive topic in Singapore, especially for those looking to move up to a higher-paying role. Many jobseekers fear that revealing their previous pay might give recruiters or employers an excuse to offer them less.

However, one recruiter recently shared online that not all of them ask this question with bad intentions.

In his case, he said he asks for a candidate’s current or last-drawn salary mainly for two practical reasons.

First, it helps him determine whether the candidate fits within his client’s budget. “For example, imagine if we go until the last round and the client is keen to offer, but they find out the candidate’s salary is already above their budget. I will get f-ed over big time by them. So to protect myself, I always ask. It’s better for me to know so I can manage my client as well. If I know the candidate is above their budget, I will let them know, so there is no chance of lowballing.”

Second, he explained that he uses this information to avoid contacting candidates for roles that pay less than what they currently earn. “I don’t want to be calling you for roles below your current salary. Please help me save my time and your time,” he wrote, adding, “And if a recruiter wants to know your salary to lowball you, just please don’t work with them.

“Rubbish recruiter with a rubbish take.”

Unfortunately, most readers still weren’t convinced by the recruiter’s explanation. One commenter said that if he and other recruiters truly had honest intentions, they would skip asking about “last drawn pay and focus on the candidate’s expected salary instead”.

Another explained, “The salary range should be stated in the ad in the first place. It’s clear what the tactic is when asking the candidate’s salary; it’s so that HR has a basis to cap the salary offered. There’s no other reason. 

“If the salary range is clearly stated, then the candidates wouldn’t waste their time interviewing for the role, which does not match their expectations.”

A third commented, “Rubbish recruiter with a rubbish take. The recruiter will know the company’s maximum budget, and it is their job to find someone who is willing and agreeable to earn that much. There is no need for the last drawn salary.

“Last drawn salary has no bearing on the company’s budget because the candidate will definitely want a higher salary to consider jumping over.”

A fourth added, “It’s a 2-way street; they can ask for last-drawn, and you can ask for expected salary. When talking with a recruiter, the first question I’ll ask is, ‘How much are you paying for this role?’ If it’s not in a good range, I’ll just end the conversation right there and save everybody’s time.”

In other news, a 22-year-old woman who graduated with a private diploma in IT (Network Defence) took to social media to share that she now regrets taking up a legal administrative job that pays below S$1,500 a month.

Sharing her experience on Reddit’s AskSingapore forum, the woman explained that she accepted the position only because she was unable to secure a role in her chosen field. “I accepted it because I was desperate for a full-time job,” she said. “I couldn’t find a job in that line, so I decided to apply for any admin-related role, and now I’m stuck with my current one.”

Read more: IT diploma grad regrets taking up legal admin job that ‘pays less than S$1.5k’ out of desperation