I wouldn't lie with a specific number, but I would answer it with either one of these two options:

1. You're probably more aware of the market conditions than I am and I trust you to make me a competitive offer should we both agree this is a good match

2. I have an embarrassingly high compensation in my current role, and I am not comfortable in divulging it, because very few employers are able to match it and I'm not expecting them to

Both answers put the onus on the employer to put out their best offer possible, and any push back is basically a huge red flag.

> Both answers put the onus on the employer

One might also be a lie, which I think is problematic. If, however, your second reply *isn't* a lie you might as well tell them to signal your worth. However that's a privilege few emploees enjoy.

Your first reply is a good option for msot of us.

One of my former coworkers (whom I'll call Doug) had his boss at a previous job more or less do this on his behalf. Doug had been working for a small company that was acquired. The new owner asked the boss of the smaller company what Doug had been making. The old boss reported a number much higher than Doug's actual salary. The new ownership just said "sounds reasonable" and Doug immediately got a massive raise. Doug said he was a little uncomfortable that a lie had been involved, but he didn't feel he could contradict his boss, so he went with it.

I'm not exactly sure why the circumstances didn't involve the new employer from actually checking his previous salary, but based on my interaction with Doug I'm sure the story is true.

This is the boss saying “Doug was worth more than I could pay him, here’s what he should be getting” which is actually a very nice thing to do for the new ownership because losing Doug soon after could have been devastating. Likely the small company had felt it couldn’t match the actual salary (and likely tried to make it up in other ways).

Here is a heart warming story about the same thing:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jul/05/keith-gille...

You don't have to play the game. There are plenty of employers out there who do _not_ ask salary history, or will accept "my expected amount is $x" (which is not based on what you're making right now)

Agree, this is the ideal way. But if my life dependent on one company interview and they ask current salary instead of desired - they will get my desired number as if it was my current

in a hypothetical world where your life depends on one company why would you lie about something that they can easily verify?

in the real world your life is unlikely to depend on the answer to this question. you can always say " i require X" in response to the question and if they probe more decide whether or not your situation requires you to divulge the extra information. i interview people regularly (and i don't ask about salary) but if i found out that someone flat out lied to me in an interview that would be a straight up pass/recommendation to fail a probationary period from me. i don't want or need those relationships on my team.

Doesn't lying increase your odds of not getting job if you get caught?

Doesn't lying increase your odds of getting job if you not caught?

You can be caught about lying in an interview at any time after the fact. If I interviewed someone and found out they flat out lied in response to a question (side note: I don't ask about salary), it would be an instant no/suggestion to end a probationary period from me.

But I said "if you not caught"

why not just lie about your experience and level if you're not going to get caught?

Because being stuck doing a job that's over your head every single day isn't fun, even if you're getting paid for it. When they say interviewing is a two-way street, they're right.

It’s not a good idea to lie in the interview process. If you get caught, you jeopardize your chance of landing the job.

But you do have ways of presenting a good number for negotiations. For example, you can respond with your total compensation (health insurance subsidies, retirement plan matches, stock-based compensation, transit/parking subsidies, educational stipends, etc).

If you’re changing jobs, and the new employer lacks stock or other forms of compensation, it’s totally reasonable to negotiate from a point of what you’d be loosing by switching jobs.

Agree in general with you that lying is big No in interview process.

However, asking salary is a very delicate question that they are not supposed to ask. Making such question a mandatory to get offer is a very shady and questionable practice. I have no problem in telling employer my Desired Salary number (that I know they can pay) as my Current Salary is just another negotiation trick. The ultimate goal is to get both parties to agree and make a deal. By volunteering your true salary you are just giving up your negotiation edge

Never lie, just don't answer it.

If you lie and they verify it later after an offer (which they probably will during background check), you'll be fired for the lie.

I can't imagine any company doing this over that question. It cost them a lot of money to hire and start training you. And it isn't even a capability related question like if you lied about your education.

I've seen it happen. A peer team had found an excellent match and extended the offer, which was accepted. Then during the background check there was some discrepancy in details (not salary, but even more trivial stuff) and HR canceled the offer. Management fought it hard but HR stood firm, offer dropped.

Go one step further and respond with "One million dollars...mmmm"

Asking someone what they made at a previous employer seems like a cheap way to try and pay someone as little as possible. A fun snarky response feels justified.

Best case, they laugh and offer you a fair salary. Other best case, you move on to interview at a better company.

Some people hate lying. Myself included. Makes it awkward at times.

You should you know that the other side has no problem lying to you just to get what they want from you:

1. We value work life balance

2. We value diversity

3. We care about our people

4. We pay fairly and reward efforts

Are one of the biggest lies I have heard from corporate HRs and recruiters

5. Unlimited PTO

They may ask for pay stubs.

Act confused when they do that and ask if this is some sort of scam (because it is).

"I've never heard of a job interviewer needing my tax records..."

"I heard on the news that job applicants have been victims of identify theft lately, sorry I can't share my personal information like that..."

You can choose to do this or to not provide a (false) salary history in the first place, but just understand that typically what you're actually doing is choosing to not accept a particular position.

I'm in a position now where I could afford to do this. I've also been in positions in the past where I needed a job and did (and would advise others in similar positions) to just play the game and provide the damn pay stubs.

I've also had to pee in cups before that. These sorts of degrading requirements should be banned collectively. It's very hard for an individual who needs a paycheck right quick to personally move the needle on this stuff.

I had to take a drug test once for a development job. This wasn't recently but it was after marijuana had been legalized in several states (but not the one I was in at the time). I reached out to the recruiter who basically said "we have employees who are contracted out to the state. It's a state law that we need to drug test our employees. The law does not require that we report the results or even read them."

In general I don't think drug testing for certain jobs is a bad thing. What jobs get tested, how often, and what drugs get tested for is something reasonable people can disagree about.

I’ve had to do it for low tier stuff when I was younger, like telemarketing. It’s an unnecessary invasion of privacy. If I showed up too stoned to speak coherently fire me for being incoherent. I had to do it when working with some heavy equipment too. The argument doesn’t even work there though. I’d not be hired if I smoked pot two weeks ago, but if I took shots with breakfast that would be fine?

I don’t even do drugs and I rarely drink. I just think your performance on the job should be all that matters. If you drink, sleep poorly, etc, and it affects your performance, that should be observable and reacted to accordingly.

I would not have objected to vision tests and reflex tests, that sort of thing, to be licensed to use potentially dangerous equipment.

> The law does not require that we report the results or even read them.

The best move then would be, of course, be to consume a large amount of marijuana the night before you take the test. If they end up not hiring you because of it, well, do you really want to work for someone who will just straight up lie to your face?

Well, I think it's unlikely I passed the test, and I worked there long enough to get promoted twice. I believe that they didn't care about the results and just had to go through the motions.

I've always heard this, but I've had a dozen jobs in the last decade (not a joke), and no one has ever asked me for previous paystubs. They have asked for previous proof of employment, but that came down to "a letter from my company that confirms I work there", no salary information listed.

It happened to me before. I was kind of shocked. I got a "take it or leave it" response when I complained about it.

I’ve had companies ask me to fill out a paper application. After they received my CV, cover letter and telephone interview. They also gave me the take it or leave it. Thinking to myself if this is how it’s going to be at the interview stage I can’t imagine wasting 40-50 hours/week over the next year for even more bullshit. I left and called my recruiter and told her don’t ever do that again.

I have never seen this happen to myself or anyone else. Nor are you required to give them any pay stubs, as they contain your social security number and personal financial information. That's not something you give to a recruiter. Please be very wary of anyone who asks for a pay stub.

You're not required to give anything to anyone. There are just consequences if you don't. In this instance, that consequence is not getting a job.

It's never happened to me but I do know exactly one person who was required to provide pay stubs exactly one time. She complained about it too and they actually told her that it was their policy not to pay more than 10% above what someone was making at their last position. I wouldn't do it, but some people will. That's why it happens.

I have photoshop installed, no big deal