Question About Reporting a Previous Salary

Nice subtle brag; have a downvote

Explain it just like you explained it here?

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Explain it just like you explained it here?

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It's a numeric box on an online form.

Or so I'm guessing...

Just put a 3-6 thousand short of what you are expecting for this position.

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Put what you made, then explain it if questioned in an interview.

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This is what I'm thinking.

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That said, if the company does not disclose a salary range, then you should not disclose current, or previous salary.

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How would I find something like that out? I've been told that hiring companies can ask for W2 statements if they really want to verify.

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Honestly, even if a company does disclose the salary of a position, you should not disclose yours. It makes no difference what you currently make, it's only the company trying to see if they can get you for less than what their band is for that role.

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I completely agree the thought process behind it is bullshite, but I feel like nowadays with these bureaucratic/automated hiring techniques you really can't get around it.

Yup. Say that can discussed if they feel you are right for the job. If they call you back after the interview then discuss it.

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How would I find something like that out? I've been told that hiring companies can ask for W2 statements if they really want to verify.

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That's just it, they can ask for a W2 but have no right to attain one themselves, unless you're applying for a government position. They can also ask your previous employer what kind of salary you are/were being paid when speaking with them as a reference, but I'd guess that about 75% of the time they won't just outright ask (at least in my experience).

If you have a cordial, understanding relationship with the place you're leaving you can always request that they do not disclose that information if contacted - or you can ask them to "hook you up" and highball the prospective employer on your previous salary. I'd suggest the first option unless you have a REALLY good relationship with your soon-to-be former boss/employer.

I've always upped my previous pay and requested pay figures by about 15-20% when applying for a new position and it's never really come back to bite me, but it's all about what you're comfortable with and how serious this new employer is, to put it simply. I probably wouldn't have done the above if I were applying for an upper management or "presidential" position unless I knew the prospective employer was just flat out enamored with me and was practically begging me to join.

TL;DR - it's really a case by case basis, but usually those figures are just used to gauge what you think you're worth and to have a starting point on salary negotiations. 3/4 of the time they don't confirm those amounts anyway.

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Not saying I do it correctly, but I always leave the previous salary field blank. I don't see any reason the company I'm interviewing for need to know my previous salary. Not sure how it benefits me to put something in that field.

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This brings up a good point. It only benefits you if you "give yourself a raise" in those figures or you suspect the new employer will attempt to lowball you, otherwise you gain nothing by filling them out and would be alright leaving them blank. It's a bit of a gamble, as they could come back with a figure that's lower or higher than expected and the latter could really spoil a negotiation from both perspectives.