If you have ever been in a job interview, especially in Pakistan, you must be familiar with the payslip query. Instead of telling you the pay bracket of the prospective job, they will ask you about your last job salary. Should you tell your job salary, they will proudly add a crisp PKR 5,000 to the number and consider themselves the most generous employer in the world.
The pay-scale?
This phenomenon comes from a toxic fact; most job interviewers do not consider the worth of the company individually, rather they look at it with reference to the interviewee’s last job.
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Letโs take a look at an example. You have to hire a Social Media Manager. Now, when looking for one, you shortlist a candidate. But when they ask about the package, you ask them what their salary was and you add PKR 5,000 to it. But you overlooked one factor. His last job was at a third-tier company. Now, even though that third-tier company does not even come close to your level, you just equated yourself with it.
What should it be based on?
What should the salary be based on if not the prior salary? It should be based on the job the person has to do. List the tasks that the person has to get done. If you believe that you have a company-subjective payscale, compare the list of tasks with it.
But, if you want your salary to be market competitive, then do your research. Do not just look at what another company might be offering someone in the same position. Instead, first consider what job description that company has for the position. Does the task list match what you have in mind? Now, take task lists of both the jobs and the salary and formulate your salary package.
Why is it not a good idea?
It is not the best way to go about a job interview because an interview is a two-way street. While an interviewer gauges the potential candidate, the interviewee gauges the company and the work culture. After attaining a negative impression of the company, the employee has only two options: He will either reject the company and badmouth it amongst his peers; or he will take the job because of financial pressure but he will not be too enthusiastic about it.
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The choice now, is yours. You have to decide whether you need an enthusiastic workforce that genuinely respects the company or you want sheep to complete the herd and a negative image in the market.
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