The practice of asking job candidates to disclose their last salary to prospective employers has long been one of the more contentious aspects of the hiring process. While this remains a common request in many countries, certain states in the United States - including California and New York - have banned it. The European Pay Transparency Directive, established in early 2023, also prohibits employers from inquiring about a candidate's salary history.

When speaking with insiders in the job market about this topic, it is often helpful to recall the simple calculus involved from both sides. Openly, employees seek to maximize their salary while employers seek to minimize it. Both parties have a bottom line (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement or BATNA in negotiation terms) - employees typically won't take a job offering less than what they could get elsewhere, and employers won't offer more than the value they believe a candidate can bring to the organization.

Reference source: Stop Asking Candidates for Their Last Salary

Date of Input: 04/04/2024 | Updated: 04/04/2024 | amira.rahim