Why your Organization should NEVER "low-ball" Candidate salaries + How Job Seekers can prevent getting low-balled

In this week's edition of my Newsletter:

• Why your Organization should never "low ball" Candidate salaries
• How Job Seekers can prevent getting low-balled

Why your Organization should never "low ball" Candidate salaries

If you're active on social media, you've probably seen this post going around which originated on Twitter posted by a Recruiter:

Tell me you're a psychopath, without telling me you're a psychopath....

Folks I can confirm - it doesn't take much bandwidth at all to let someone know they're presenting themselves way lower than what they should be getting. Do NOT mistake doing this as "getting a good deal".

I'm pretty sure your Organization is looking to invest in the right person and have that person stick around for a while right? So offer them what they truly deserve!

I mean, its a different story if this Candidate was offered $125K or somewhere near that max $130K budget if they were perhaps lacking in certain areas required for the role. But the difference between $85K and $135K is pretty significant. To me, just at a surface level, that's like 2 completely different roles with that much of a disparity.

Now as an Organization, maybe you're feeling like you "got a great deal" - but I assure you you're not. I won't discuss the ethical issues with this as that is clearly obvious but here is how "low-balling" Candidates will negatively affect your Organization:

1. Brand damage. People talk. And things can often spread like wildfire especially on social media like with the above post. Sure this Recruiter's employer apparently fired her. But do you really think that will reduce the brand damage this Organization is probably now facing? Do their current employees want to associate themselves with a brand who appears to be okay with low-balling Candidates? Are current employees now wondering if maybe they themselves have been low-balled? How about this Organization's Clients - how do they feel about being associated with them?
2. Short-sightedness. Getting a Candidate to accept an offer lower or WAY lower than what they should be getting isn't "slick". It doesn't make you a top notch negotiator. A top notch negotiator would provide an irresistible offer where both parties - employer and prospective employee - walk away feeling like winners! Low-balling a Candidate on your offer might make them say "yes" right now, because they have something which allows them to put food on the table and a roof over their head. But you think they won't keep looking? You think they'll stick around when another Organization willing to offer them what they're REALLY supposed to be getting comes around? Then its back to square one for you and your project or whatever work which is not getting done, further stretched out. You need great people and you need to pay them well. Don't be short-sighted!
3. More costly. What does your recruitment process cost you? What does not completing the project on time costing your Organization/department/team? What does it cost you each time you low-ball someone who ends up leaving some time later for what they deserve? I don't know what that costs you because that might depend on a few factors - but I suggest you take the time to estimate what it does cost you, because work is not getting done and the person you need WILL bail if they haven't already.

Look - a successful negotiation is not a zero sum game where one party has to lose in order for the other to win. A successful negotiation very well might involve some concessions and compromise. But ultimately, what we want to aim for is for both parties to walk away feeling like they won. THAT is a successful negotiation. If you're presenting offers - intentionally or unintentionally - to Candidates which you know are well below what they are worth, there's nothing to feel good about. They're not going to walk away happy, and if they do accept, its so they buy themselves some time to find something better with an Organization which will pay them what they deserve.

Need help in your recruitment cycle and finding Tech talent for your team? Send me a direct message or email [email protected] for more info on how I can help or if you need some ideas on how to make it work.

How Job Seekers can prevent getting "low-balled"

So if you're a Job Seeker, at this point you might be thinking: "Dean - how do I prevent this from happening?"

Here are a few tips:

Do your research. Can't tell you how often I've come across Candidates who simply have not done the research in determining the type of market rates/salaries they can position themselves at. Set up conversations with your professional network or peers. Attend industry events. Check out the Payscale website. Check out websites for your industry or professional institutions who keep track of salary/rate data. Most large Staffing Agencies also release annual Salary guides. Look - if you have a very specific/niche skillset, these sources might not provide exact data, but its a great starting point for your research. No excuses folks - be well informed about this and do your research.

Secondly, learn how to negotiate folks, its a great skill to have. I've seen people on social media talking about how the answer to prevent this from happening is to make salary/rate data transparent - but I think that's only part of it. Remember, you will be competing for the same role with other Candidates, and if all else is equal between you and the others - the one who gets the best deal will probably be the one with the negotiation skills!

Finally, what's the "word on the street" with the Recruiter representing you or the Organization you're in negotiation with? Ask around from your peers, research them, what do others have to say about them? Any testimonials? Doing this you just might find out its actually a toxic environment where the Organization does not appreciate and value its people, which will save you time and sanity if there is substantial evidence of this.

Are you an IT Professional in Canada with 3+ years of professional work experience? Lets get in communication - send me a direct message or email [email protected] and let me know your career goals to see if I can help land you your next role.

That's all for this week folks - until next time!

Dean Kulaweera - Director, Recruitment & Sales |?Tech Recruiters 360