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The Reluctance of Employers to Show Salaries

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Messy
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The Reluctance of Employers to Show Salaries

Post by Messy »

I have achieved all I can in my current role and now face a brand new management who speak a different language of prioritising setting targets and recording performance - over my real role which is ensuring staff are safe and we are legally compliant in all things fire safety. I now spend so much time filling in spreadsheets and reporting on key results (yawn), and attending 3 x weekly performance meetings (!). Frankly this nonsense ironically damages my performance, makes me less efficient and worst still results in us struggling to meet legal compliance. The scary bit is I have legal responsibilities that I am unable to achieve due to this pathetic management approach.

So its for those reasons I am out - and after 12 years I am leaving the role. I set up this fire safety department and all its systems up from scratch and have really enjoyed it. So its with a heavy hearts that I am currently looking for a new job. But I have to as the stress of this one isn't good for me. To be honest, I have had two job offers and are able to take both of them, but they are not exactly what I want to do.

The problem I have got is so many jobs - and especially the most interesting ones - do not show the salary on offer, not even a salary range. Pinewood studios in Surrey and a large hotel group in central London both have jobs that would suit me, but I am reluctant to dish out my CV (with all the personal details on it) and go through an interview to find the rewards are barely a minimum wage. OK I am exaggerating, but some salaries are a bit of a joke.

One job I enquired about in recent weeks barely paid what I could earn working in my local Tesco. It was based in 50% in London and 50% Kent with no travel expenses to cover my 115 mile commute to the Kent location. Maybe I am too picky???

Let's not be coy here, regardless of how motivated any of are (and despite my grumpy old git status, I still am), we all need to pay the bills and receive an adequate salary to recognise our worth

So in the past, maybe now, or in the future - how do you assess job adverts in terms of whether you wish to apply without having any idea what the renumeration will be?
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Ian Rienewerf
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Re: The Reluctance of Employers to Show Salaries

Post by Ian Rienewerf »

It's a long time since I was in the job market, but you probably need to take the approach I use when looking for self-employed work.
The job applicant interviews the company.

I was in a similar situation with a wood chipping factory who advertised for a full time H&S officer.
I sent in my CV via Email, so I had a contact I could use to ask for adjusted hours compared to those advertised.
When they explained that the safety officer role was strictly a 9am-5pm weekday attendance only - I realised why they have had so many fires in the factory which operated 24-hours each day, and decided I would be better off walking away.

Try to find a contact in HR or the fire safety department.
Tell them you do not want to waste their valuable time, and ask the question.
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Re: The Reluctance of Employers to Show Salaries

Post by stephen1974 »

The Phrase "Competative Salary" is always a big red flag for me. Competative for who exactly? you in the race to the the bottom? normally means a 19K to 21k offer.

I remember a council job where they put an upto salary amount in the advert which was ok but not great, but enough for me as I wanted to move jobs. They offered me the job and then offered me the lowest salary in their range. When I queried it they said the advertised salary is what you can earn after 5 years. I told them on ya bike. They called back with another offer but still told them no. I spoke to the guy who eventually got the job, they had offered the job to three people, we all turned down the 1st offer and the 2nd offer. He took the third offer which was still 2k short of what was advertised.

Way back before minimum wage I was doing a 10k a year job, (blinking hell, how the hell did we get by on 10K a year) and we were told not to tell anyone how much we earned. Why? because some guys doing the same job were on 6,500 a year.

On the plus side, seems we have an employment shortage now, cant think why, so hopefully we will see salaries increase.
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Re: The Reluctance of Employers to Show Salaries

Post by Alexis »

If a job attracts your attention with no or competitive salary in the advert, (as Stephen mentions) then I would look at reviews from past employees of that company and just do a general bit of investigation in places like LinkedIn. Whilst looking at the company, you may even find people you know who have had dealings with them where you could message them and ask their views on the organisation.

The following link is only one of many that you can get a bit of a handle on from employees past and present, although you do have to register first. https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews/index.htm

here's a Mr G list.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?newwind ... 34&bih=714

I would say there isn't much else you can do until you forward your CV Messy.

You could, of course, send just a cover note without your CV initially and state, that you would require some sort of ball-part figure before wasting both yours and their time if the remuneration was not going to be able to fulfil your financial expectations? (Using correct wording of course!) ;) That way if they say no, then you wouldn't be interested anyway?
Messy wrote: Fri Jul 16, 2021 8:05 am
The problem I have got is so many jobs - and especially the most interesting ones - do not show the salary on offer, not even a salary range. Pinewood studios in Surrey and a large hotel group in central London both have jobs that would suit me, but I am reluctant to dish out my CV (with all the personal details on it) and go through an interview to find the rewards are barely a minimum wage. OK I am exaggerating, but some salaries are a bit of a joke.
I have to say though, with the company examples you mention above, we would hope these types of places would have a decent wage.

Another little mention......What personal details are you putting on your CV Messy? Of course you need your name, but no need for address, home phone, personal email addy's (make a special one for these) and perhaps think about putting your LinkedIn profile link instead?

If I can offer any assistance to "tone down" your CV, just give me a shout.
"A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle."

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