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Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

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Re: Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

#41

Post by tbirrell »

bbarn wrote: post #23

There's a big problem with salary ranges: Everyone wants the highest number listed. This prevents employers from being honest, because that max range should be the MOST They want to spend, but to the applicant, it's the least they think they should accept. It's frustrating as an applicant, and having been on both sides of this fence, I've stopped listing it because it's a very easy question to ask on a first contact:…

That also a dangerous question to answer on first contact. If I was applying I would not believe you and just avoid answering anyway. Time will still be wasted and this whole process will continue to be non-ideal.

Re: Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

#42

Post by johnward »

hiram112 wrote: post #22

Yes, but only if the salary is in my range. I get so many recruiter spams, LinkedIn junk mail, contacts from former associates, etc. - most of which have absolutely no salary range - those that do and are high enough tend to stand-out in my mind, while a lot of the other ones are simply mass deleted every few days.

I even if the ranges are listed I still think brain dead recruiters are going to send you an entry level help desk position even though you have 10 years of dev experience. I'm not sure how you solve the spray and pray nature of some recruiters. Especially the ones who tell me "i'd like to submit you for this req" after I've just told them I'm not interested.

Re: Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

#43

Post by pmontra »

If I see a job that I like with a salary that I like, I could apply.

If I like the job and don't see a salary, I could apply only if the job description hints to a salary that I like.

In other cases, I don't.

That means that if the salary is hidden and there is a mismatch between my expectation and the salary, I'll apply and everybody will waste time.

If there are many people like me the number of applicants could be higher but the effectiveness of the hiring process will be lower. I support the mandatory salary field.

Re: Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

#44

Post by 15155 »

misterhtmlcss wrote: post #27

I think addressing the salary too directly e.g this is how much money give or take $5k makes the hunt overly focused on financial benefits, which as has been commented has substantial downsides. I think that a standardized band should be selected. Substantial sized bands, to dissuade purely financially driven people. You want them, but also as has been pointed out you don't only want them. You need a range. Bands giv…

> to dissuade purely financially driven people

Financially driven... like the for-profit company you work for?

Re: Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

#45

Post by madebysquares »

Knowing the range is definite incentive to apply for a job or submit an application. Too many times a company will not list it and then the range is well below what I would be looking for. I will say glassdoor has helped a bit, because usually that is my first stop when an interesting company has an opening, that gives me at least some degree of what to expect.

I'm not looking for 200k but if you're budget is about 70k then I don't want to waste their engineers, managers, whoever or my own time.

Re: Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

#46

Post by draw_down »

johnward wrote: post #36
misterhtmlcss wrote: post #27

I think addressing the salary too directly e.g this is how much money give or take $5k makes the hunt overly focused on financial benefits, which as has been commented has substantial downsides. I think that a standardized band should be selected. Substantial sized bands, to dissuade purely financially driven people. You want them, but also as has been pointed out you don't only want them. You need a range. Bands giv…

> to dissuade purely financially driven people. Is there any other kind of job hunter?

Yes, we're all supposed to be passionate and love what we do. Working for money is gauche! Why, the very suggestion sent my monocle flying across the room!

Re: Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

#47

Post by sailfast »

A range is helpful but if the company is unwilling to put their actual max dollar value up for highly qualified candidates (read: the range is not the real range) it might result in fewer high quality applications.

If a range is not listed but the job is something of interest to me, I would not hesitate to apply and then ask the recruiter / HR contact about the range and whether expectations line up. It's one call and might help make a connection or refer you to a different gig.

As an aside, anything that indicates "we're an awesome bunch of rock star ninja people with competitive pay and benefits packages" typically results in a tab close.

Re: Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

#48

Post by RickS »

Not just more likely, I flat out won't cold apply anywhere that doesn't have a range listed. I consider any company that isn't upfront about compensation as having something to hide.

Note: if you do this, mandatory salary field should be only numbers and dashes, because everyone will just do what craigslist does: "DOE", "Competitive" etc. See angellist for a good example of how to do this right.

Re: Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

#49

Post by mhurron »

bbarn wrote: post #23

There's a big problem with salary ranges: Everyone wants the highest number listed. This prevents employers from being honest, because that max range should be the MOST They want to spend, but to the applicant, it's the least they think they should accept. It's frustrating as an applicant, and having been on both sides of this fence, I've stopped listing it because it's a very easy question to ask on a first contact:…

> it's a very easy question to ask on a first contact

It's also very easy to list in the ad so that everyone can not waste anyone's time in the first place. If you're going to answer it in the first phone call, just put it in the ad.

> This prevents employers from being honest, because that max range should be the MOST

The range is what is budgeted for the position.

It has nothing to do with stopping the company from being honest. Putting the range out there in the first place stops the company from setting the range by squeezing the applicants current salary as they try to get someone qualified for much less.

Re: Ask HN: Are you more likely to apply for a job that discloses salary upfront?

#50

Post by arielweisberg »

I don't consider most jobs and companies because I don't think they can pay the same or more than I already make. A good problem to have.

That said I think most companies are genuinely looking for more inexpensive candidates. Or maybe not? I don't know. I can never really tell what people are willing to pay.

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