Counter Offers

[Caged]

Except all the other things are listed on your CV and are actually relevant to your ability to do your job. What you were paid previously has nothing to do with your ability to do a job, and shouldn't have any bearing on future earnings. Disclosing a low salary is a brilliant way to screw yourself over, and totally unnecessary. If you don't feel like making one up, just say that you signed an NDA or something and can't disclose it, and bring the conversation around to what number you are thinking of for the new role.

Edit: You're right in that it depends on the job, if it's one where your integrity is of the utmost importance then it's not a good idea to make stuff up, but most jobs aren't like that. If it's any job that requires you to negotiate anything at all (i.e. most of them) then it should be seen as a positive thing that you managed to get one up on someone.

 

[toshj]

That's a bold statement, you're in no position to make it really, it might well matter depending on the employer, the industry etc... If they do find out then they're unlikely to be too happy about it either way.

Why would it matter? If they weren't happy to offer a particular salary then they shouldn't have offered it. If they felt pressured into making a larger offer than they could afford because they were trying to poach you from another position then guess who's problem that isn't.

Having spent almost ten years headhunting I can safely say that it depends on the industry and firm. Some companies won't care if they find out and will give it the "Oh you" approach. In the industry I focus on, lying about your salary and your new employer finding out will more often than not lead to being fired!

 

[melvis]

They'll also perhaps have a bigger issue with it if its the sort of role where they like to do background checks, check credit history, criminal record checks etc

theyve said they do a CRB check and a credit check, though i didnt know this at interview time

edit - for 5k though they may very well not notice.... when OP said 40% I assumed he'd lied by a 5 figure amount.

i lied by 5k and they offered me 8k above my current real salary, if thats any mitigation

If you don't feel like making one up, just say that you signed an NDA or something and can't disclose it

in hindsight i wish id done that for sure

 

[Caged]

To be honest I'm even surprised that people are asking the question. I've only ever been asked by recruiters what I'd like to get, never what I currently make. If you're a recruiter and you know your market then you will have a good idea of what certain job titles at certain employers are paying.

 

[melvis]

Having spent almost ten years headhunting I can safely say that it depends on the industry and firm. Some companies won't care if they find out and will give it the "Oh you" approach. In the industry I focus on, lying about your salary and your new employer finding out will more often than not lead to being fired!

its a junior developer role for a finance company, hopefully thats not your industry!

 

[toshj]

To be honest I'm even surprised that people are asking the question. I've only ever been asked by recruiters what I'd like to get, never what I currently make. If you're a recruiter and you know your market then you will have a good idea of what certain job titles at certain employers are paying.

From a recruitment perspective that's the worst thing to ask. In fact, the first thing I was ever taught was to ask what they're on currently and avoid at all costs asking what they want.

If you come to the end of an interview process (or even the beginning or halfway through) and then ask what the candidate wants, if they then say £50k, but the role is at £45k and they're currently on £40k, then you've got a hell of a job in managing their expectations (i.e. they're going to be disappointed by the £45k offer). But if you find out they're on £40k and the offer is at £45k, then the management of expectations is a great deal easier and more realistic.

 

[Caged]

I think you just have to accept that both sides are trying to game each other and what ends up happening is somewhere in the middle. Obviously the entire song and dance could be avoided if people would just list salaries with their vacancies.

 

[toshj]

Obviously the entire song and dance could be avoided if people would just list salaries with their vacancies.

That's too restrictive. Most companies have some leeway when it comes to compensation levels. Ruling out certain (potentially top quality) candidates by limiting you salary levels when originating a vacancy probably isn't the best idea.

Like you said, it's normally a big song and dance between the candidate wanting as much as possible, the client wanting to pay as little as possible and the recruiter in the middle trying to get the best deal for each, without pushing each party too far. It can be rather stressful

 

[Caged]

I don't think playing the cards so close to your chest where you're asking the candidate to give you numbers and you say whether that's in the range of the position is a great way to go about things either. Some recruiters are absolutely terrible.

It would help if employers didn't try and get people for way below the market rate and put everyone in an awkward position when they have to reveal the numbers, but there's a very obvious feeling that whoever says a number first loses.

 

[Strife212]

If you do get called out on it as a result of the P45 etc.. you could perhaps say that you took some unpaid leave. Would be quite an easy explanation for the lower than expected amount of tax someone claiming to earn X would pay.

Just going down the rabbit hole with these excuses to be honest.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Any counter offer from your current employer is the pay raise you won't be getting next year as they'll looking to replace you ASAP.

 

[dowie]

Just going down the rabbit hole with these excuses to be honest.

Hardly the point if he's already been caught out. You can hold your hands up and admit you lied to their face or you can tell another lie which could plausibly explain the discrepancy they've found. Which approach works is completely variable... its simply an option he could take *if* caught.

 

[Combat squirrel]

Take the pay rise in the current job, so ur legit on higher pay when you do leave

 

[UTmaniac]

Whichever you choose, at least one boss will feel you are driven more by money than career aspirations.

If you stay, both will feel money talks.

If you go, your old boss might be more likely to think they treated you badly and/or the career prospects in their business were not appealing enough.

 

[john_s]

If you're worried about being caught out, you don't have to give a P45 to your new employer. Your tax might be screwed up for a little while though until HMRC get their act together.

 

[randomshenans]

I agree with tosh, having worked in headhunting, and having exaggerated my salary on interview, you will be fine. You could clearly say you were being underpaid anyway. They offered you the money so don't think it's more than you should be paid. If they did they wouldn't have made that offer.

 

[peterwalkley]

He clearly was underpaid if they came back with a matching counter-offer. In the unlikely event that you are pulled up on it via the P45, just point that out. I very much doubt it would be checked, the form will just be thrown at whoever handles payroll and never referred to again.

IMO you should never take the counter offer. Reasons why are already in this thread.

 

[zipp0r]

if you are happy with the job and the people you work with then take the counter offer.

 

[wndsr]

Sounds like this is the end of your career, bro.

 

[a1ex2001]

If I have to hand in my notice to get a pay rise then I'm going anyway, unless I really really desperately wanted to stay.