I’m looking to get a new job an a recruiter is putting me forward for a role at a series b startup. He’s now come back to me and said the company want to know a detailed breakdown of my current compensation including base pay, bonus %, what option plan scheme I have, benefits and pension. I’ve never been asked for this level of info before. Should I share?

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I'm of two minds about this kind of thing.

1) I have no problem sharing that info with people who ask me for purposes of general information sharing
2) I absolutely do not share concrete details of current comp with any recruiter ever. That said, I have given ballpark ranges for bonus/401k match/pension in the past when discussing comp targets, as telling a company that I'd be giving up X to go to them can sometimes get them to increase Y to compensate.

likesmarthelpful

If UK companies culture wise are still somewhat similar to American ones, my vote is to tell them "absolutely not" and immediately drop out of the interview process

Companies that pay well never need to know your current compensation. Ever.

likehelpful
Recent IconRecent

No

likehelpful

@VP1: It is not illegal everywhere, only in 20 something states with the rest being fair game

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Do you want to work for a startup with such recruiting strategies?

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This is what exact I reply when any HR/Agency calls me and ask me about my CTC. 99% of time discussion ends immediately and I feel like a King 🤴 😂
I’m in search for a recruiter who will pay me on the basis of my skills and not what currently I’m getting paid for my current role. 😀

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You should NEVER discuss salary until the end - except for the occasional conversation up front with the recruiter where THEY should reveal the salary and TC range for the position so that you both don't waste each other's time (e.g. if the position is slotted for $200K and you're making $275K already - it's not a good fit). If I were you, I'd turn it around and ask the recruiter what the range will be for both salary and TC for the position. You should NOT offer any details of your current position.
By the way, it sounds like a bit of a Mickey Mouse operation, so you might want to look elsewhere.

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If “at least x”, wouldn’t they just offer x?

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Tell them what you want to make and anchor the number somewhere you are happy, but you have no responsibility to tell them your current compensation and this is illegal to even ask for in some states, like California.

likesmarthelpful

No

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It's not really unusual for a B startup to not have fully fleshed out compensation yet. Seed knows literally nothing and they're basically babies. Series A, is like the teenage years. At B they are a ""grown up"" company, but still not very mature and still likely doing a lot of stuff the scrappy way that they did it at Seed. So I would not assume ill intent, they may just not know how to compensate you. I'd just respond by saying your current employer has an expectation of privacy regarding compensation. From there, choose a number you'd be happy with, add 30% to it and send them that as your target salary. Even if it's out of range, use that padding to negotiate aspects besides base salary. If they aren't willing to negotiate, then ill intent is confirmed and you should walk.

likehelpful

What can they do that will be good? If you share and the job was at a hire pay rate they then can save money on hiring you?

There is an old business saying, never be the first person to give a number to the deal.

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I’m copying and pasting what I’ve been asked for:

Base salary (how long you've been on it i.e. did you get a pay rise recently or otherwise)
Bonus, what percentage and when do you get it
Equity/Options - what is the scheme, how much weight does that candidate put on this? i.e. Is it RSUs and therefore they count it as part of their ‘cash’ comp? What is your current vesting period, and again, would they walk away from it or are they waiting around for a cliff/next vest?
Benefits - full list of current benefits, including things like car allowance?
Pension - percentage? what do you get vs what do you contribute?

helpful

I suggest you do NOT share these details. This is information you are not obligated to share and also puts you at a disadvantage on the negotiation table when they know your hand. Better to make a list of what you WANT and for them to meet your expectations or negotiate. Infact I would be the one asking them...has an employee received a pay raise...what is the bonus..what are the benefits... etc. Put the power back in your corner. If they are not transparent walk away...

I would consider that a red flag. Also, check with your state laws as other mentioned it might be illegal

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Haha. Series B! They should know they own comp structure by then. Just say that you see your current job compensation as irrelevant as you haven’t learnt anything about the role, how you can add value, how they want to approach comp etc.

I used to work in startup sales and transitioned to corporate marketing. Knew I would take a 25-33% pay cut. So many people discounted me early in the process because they thought I wouldn’t accept the comp package. Was super frustrating as I knew what I was getting into.

likehelpful

The purpose of the question is usually to find out if they can afford you. If not, the manager will spend their time talking with other candidates they can afford. I suggest you share what you are looking for in compensation to consider your next job - understanding what you make today doesn’t actually help them know whether they can afford you.

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I’m in the UK btw

helpful

almost positive this is illegal to ask a candidate

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If you’re not comfortable, then give them your asking, not your current.

Imho, that’s a weird request. If it’s a series b startup, i’d expect their compensation structure would be a bit more defined now. That is, it doesnt really matter what you were getting, if you’re getting the position ABC, then the allowable compensation package for you is within a certain range.

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They aren’t looking at you & recognizing the potential value you bring. They look at you as somebody who checks the boxes and they want to get you as cheap as possible.

Hard pass in my book

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Thanks for the advice all. I’ve gone back to the recruiter to state I cannot share what they’re asking for. However, I’ll just provide them with a ballpark for TC. He even thought it was a strange ask

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We are hiring - let me know (I work at a series c startup, never updated my fishbowl)

Move on

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