This woman was told to take a huge salary cut by a recruiter, for the most pathetic reason
- Posted by
- Megan Murray
- Published
This woman’s experience of being shamed into a lower salary is happening way too often.
It’s no secret that our society has an issue when it comes to paying women fairly for their work. We’re well versed on the dilemmas of the gender pay gap, but although it can be seriously difficult for women to get a pay rise once they’re in a job, there’s also a huge problem with how many women are missing out on getting a higher salary when going into a new role.
It’s something that’s been highlighted in a recent tweet by social media user @i0sTalia, who says she’s a cloud engineer and artificial intelligence and robotics graduate.
She tweeted her experience of being shamed into a lower salary by a potential recruiter, writing: “Just had a job ring me and tell me that they want to offer me 25k lower than my current salary because they can train me and my current salary is quite a lot for my age so this would be more aligned.”
It goes without saying that 25k is a laughably huge jump to expect someone to come down from their current salary, and it’s ethically wrong to tell someone that their age is a factor in their pay. A perspective employee should be rewarded for their skills and talents, not their age.
The reactions on Twitter show how prevalent this issue is, with many other social media users recognising the technique as ‘negging’ and sharing their own experiences.
One woman commented on the taboo and secrecy around salary transparency, writing: “I will never understand why job postings don’t automatically have salary info on them. How do I know if I’m interested in the job if I don’t know that I can afford to pay my bills if I take it?!?”
Another female Twitter user said: “I’ve had this happen before — and it’s always been bias. If they already undervalue you, it won’t get any better after being hired. RUN AWAY. You’re worth so much more than that.”
A third shared her own experience, tweeting: “One time during an interview I was told ‘a pretty girl like you must have a boyfriend, doesn’t he treat you to nice things?” As an excuse, not to up my pay… I ran.”
And this isn’t an issue which solely exists anecdotally, either.
Recent research by employment law specialists Slater and Gordon shows that four out of five women could be missing out on bagging a higher salary due to feeling like they can’t negotiate pay when applying for a job. Meanwhile, a whopping 50% of female employees have said that they feel they are being underpaid.
The study showed that women have fears around looking “rude” or “ungrateful” when it comes to asking for more money, but that research indicates if they pushed for the pay they want, they’re likely to either get it or at least part of it.
Culturally women have been conditioned not to make a fuss when it comes to money, a trait that’s perceived as being more masculine, but this needs to stop. If you feel you’re being underpaid, read our six tips to getting the salary you deserve.
Images: Getty Images