Categories: Jobs

60% of women want hiring managers to stop asking this question

Michael Timmermann | July 26th, 2017

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Going on a job interview can be a really stressful experience, even for applicants who’ve thought a lot about the questions a hiring manager may ask.

“How much do you make?” is one of those questions you’re likely to be asked at some point during your search.

U.S. workers don’t like the salary history question

More than half of candidates — 60% of working women and 48% of working men — believe salary history questions shouldn’t be asked, according to a new Glassdoor survey.

The job site reports that several states and cities are currently considering laws to make the practice illegal.

New York City recently banned employers from asking about an applicant’s previous compensation, which can be used as a benchmark to determine starting pay for a new job.

Supporters of the law say it’s a step toward achieving pay equity for women and people of color.

On average, women in the U.S. earn about 76 cents for every $1 men earn on an unadjusted basis, according to Glassdoor Economic Research.

In addition, nearly 70% of women do not negotiate pay and only half of men do.

“The time of looking backward to go forward to determine pay is over. Asking prior salary history questions can trigger unintended consequences and introduce bias into the hiring process that disadvantages women from day one,” said Dawn Lyon, Glassdoor chief equal pay advocate and senior vice president of global corporate affairs. “We need to reframe the conversation to pay expectations around the value of the job and the skills and relevant experience required to do it. Many companies are already doing this without legislation or regulation because it’s the right thing to do.”

If you’re asked about your salary history during an interview, you don’t have to respond with a specific dollar amount.

Glassdoor suggests that job seekers focus on their skills and experience, the job responsibilities and their current market value if they have to answer the question.

Here’s a sample response from Glassdoor:

“I’d prefer to focus on the value of my skills, relevant work experience, and current market value for this role at your company. Depending on other compensation factors and benefits, from the research I’ve done, including what other companies are paying, given my experience and track record doing x, y and z, I believe between $[80,000 and $100,000], is reasonable.”

How much are you worth? Check out Glassdoor’s Know Your Worth tool for a free personalized salary estimate to calculate your current market value.