Last Drawn Salary Debate. Yes or No.

[ecureilx]

No idea what you mean ecureilx. I work for a very small company, and I don't waste my time advertising positions just to collect data.

Nope, if you read my previous post, I mentioned some large companies do ask and file the Previous pay slips, after the salary had been agreed upon and joined. Even though the previous pay has no influence in the new pay.

I always wondered why !

As an HR person, I really need to know either current salary or salary expectations.

No you don't. That's bullshit. Your first and foremost task is to find a qualified person. If you can't take the time to interview candidates and qualify them with respect to fit, skills, and experience BEFORE you need to know the salary details, then you really do qualify as one more swimmer in the turd bucket into which so many recruiters fall.

Why aren't you seeking the qualified candidate first? You may have to let that person go because of salary issues, but again, why aren't you seeking the most qualified candidate first?

This is why most managers in any company hate HR with a passion... they think they need to know things that have jack shit with the person's ability to do the job... and seemingly have no clue as to how to identify essential skills. Instead it seems to be, "How much you make?"

In an ideal world, what you say maybe true. ...

[sundaymorningstaple]

I have to agree with SE on this one. As a headhunter for 10 years here in Singapore (long time ago) who specialized in the hard engineering sciences as they pertain primarily to the O & G, Civil & other Heavy Construction industries the last thing I needed to know was their salary requirements. I would however, for those candidates who had never worked in Asia and Singapore in particular, indicate that they could expect to reveal current salary and expected salary at the outset of most interviews if they were being interviewed by a Singaporean HR person. Most of my clients already knew how I operated so they knew the person who I sent for initial consideration is what they needed, but they might have to find the money if they wanted them. My closing rate was one of the best in the industry here back in the day. (But I cheated as far as recruiters go as I ONLY recruited for those industries I had a close relationship with (O&G where I also spent 20 years) I did NOT handle the IT/Financial/Health sector at all.

[Kardin25]

Personally I think the HR only needs to know about candidate's expected salary, that would be sufficient. Then the HR should be able to figure out whether 1) it's within your company budget range 2) Candidate's minimum salary that they are willing to work for.

I don't see how last drawn salary would help in a recruitment, except that they would just add X% to your last salary. The hiring company would have set a range of budgets for the certain position, of course it varies based on experience that's where Expected Salary comes in. What I earned in the past is not related to what I'm going to do in the future in your company. HR should have the knowledge/skills to evaluate the candidate's value to the company. That, is Human Resource.

Easy example: You sell goods A to your customer. Customer ask how much did you pay for goods A. Would you even tell them? No right? Same thing here.

[martincymru]

If your budget, so to speak, is way below the market price then do I really want to waste my time coming for an interview.

It's obvious that the Company are amateurs, likely to employ at grade 3 level but only pay grade 2 salary. That's why in Singapore we have many people with fancy job titles who are actually low grade.

[Wd40]

Mortlock2005 is the famous Simon Mortlock, the lead editor of efinancialcareers. This guy knows a lot about the finance careers world. Nice to have you here Simon!

http://news.efinancialcareers.com/sg-en ... nmortlock/



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[mortlock2005]

Nope, I'm not Simon Mortlock. It's not even my surname - just a street I once lived on.

[Wd40]

Oops, sorry about that. Your nick just perfectly connected to that guy, especially since you are in the same field.

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[BBCWatcher]

If my budget for a role is max $5k per month, it makes no sense to bring someone in for interviews who won't accept less than $7k per month. They might be the best qualified person for the job, and I would LOVE to hire them, but if we can't afford them, it's pointless going through to full interviews.

There's an easy solution to that problem: advertise the job at "salary up to $5K/month for the most highly qualified candidates." Rational $7K/month workers won't even respond, and irrational workers are going to respond anyway no matter what you write. Problem solved.

[mortlock2005]

I completely agree BBC Watcher. I'm still trying to convince my employer to do that.

[NZinSG]

I just spoke to a recruiter who needed to know my last drawn salary. It was in a different country, so I am unsure how it aligns to Singapore scales.

They also wished to know what salary I was expecting - all I could say was that I am not familiar with Singapore payscales or what the job is offering, but I am open to negotiations.

Back to the different country part: My last salary was [ X ], I would accept [ Y ] even though it is several thousand lower, because [ X - Previous Country Tax ] is about [ Y - SG Tax ]. That would be the minimum I would accept for a role.

As for hiring, I hired in Australia and never once needed to know the candidates previous salary - it has no bearing on them as a person. I would go into the interview with our salary range in mind, and then give them an offer based on the role's requirements, and how their expertise aligned to the requirements. I would ask them it if was suitable, if they wished to negotiate then I would be open to it.

@BBC - Exactly, we would place the upper range in the job ad.

[Wd40]

Australia's recruitment process is probably more aligned with most western countries like the US or UK.

Singapore's recruitment standards are more aligned with India or Philippines.

In some aspects, Singapore is even behind India. The MC for example. Even MNC banks here ask for MC even though the Europe HQ or India offshore centres don't care about them.

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[NZinSG]

MC? Medical Certificate?

It was via a Western Recruitment company.

[BBCWatcher]

Back to the different country part: My last salary was [ X ], I would accept [ Y ] even though it is several thousand lower, because [ X - Previous Country Tax ] is about [ Y - SG Tax ]. That would be the minimum I would accept for a role.

Isn't that too low, other things being equal? Why would you leave a job (and its benefits and protections, which are generally more generous in other developed countries), uproot your family/life, and move to a higher cost of living area only to receive exactly the same take home pay? On the surface, that doesn't make sense.

Maybe you would, but there would have to be a reason or three. Do you prefer Singapore's weather? Food? Lack of internationally dominant rugby teams, but international dominance in the men's 100 meter butterfly?

[Wd40]

MC? Medical Certificate?

Yupp, I didn't know it stood for that, until I arrived here.

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[NZinSG]

Back to the different country part: My last salary was [ X ], I would accept [ Y ] even though it is several thousand lower, because [ X - Previous Country Tax ] is about [ Y - SG Tax ]. That would be the minimum I would accept for a role.

Isn't that too low, other things being equal? Why would you leave a job (and its benefits and protections, which are generally more generous in other developed countries), uproot your family/life, and move to a higher cost of living area only to receive exactly the same take home pay? On the surface, that doesn't make sense.

Maybe you would, but there would have to be a reason or three. Do you prefer Singapore's weather? Food? Lack of internationally dominant rugby teams, but international dominance in the men's 100 meter butterfly?

Hahaha! I wonder what it would take to make SG have a dominant rugby team...

Different circumstances, I guess for my current cicumstance I would accept that as a minimum as I'm already here and looking for a position.

If I were to be relocating then yes, I would be looking for a bump in pay/benefits to offset what you've mentioned.