A text message exchange went viral, exposing a huge taboo about discussing pay, even with your future boss.
workplace commentator Ben Askins runs a successful TikTok account They are dedicated to calling out “toxic” bosses and companies.
People anonymously post their experiences at work, and Akins shares his thoughts on it.
Clips are often great conversation starters.
Akins made headlines again when a woman named Katherine shared why she couldn't get a job.
A text exchange between Katherine and a recruiter reveals how being upfront about pay can rob workers of opportunity.
“Hey Katherine, I just tried to call you! I'm sorry to hear you didn't get the job. They just contacted me,” the message reads.
“Oh, that's a shame. I thought it worked out really well. Did they say why?” Katherine replied.
“Yes, they said they were excited to meet you, but your question was too financially oriented,” the recruiter explained.
“What the hell does that mean?” Katherine shot back.
“It seems like you've heard a lot about money? Is that true?” the recruiter asked.
“You're kidding! Is this for real? I asked a few questions at the end because I wanted to clarify what was included in the benefits package,” she said.
“But for the rest of the interview, all my questions were about the role itself.”
“Well, I was shaking. They said they were looking for someone who was more interested in the role than about the money,” the recruiter retorted.
Akins found the entire text message exchange “ridiculous.” Because while finding a job you enjoy is important, the main reason people need a job is money.
“I hate that she's trying to defend herself because she has nothing to defend,” he said.
“This is a job interview. Naturally, people are going to be interested in the price and the package that comes with it. That's the only reason that person is in that room.”
Akins argued that the main reason people go to work is “to make money,” so it's natural to ask that question during an interview.
“The idea of not being able to ask basic interview questions is very frustrating,” he says.
People online had similar reactions.
“Why do employers want people to pretend we're working for fun?” one person asked.
“To me, it's a big red flag for a company when they refuse to talk about money,” another explained.
“I think she dodged a bullet there. You wouldn't want to work in a place with that kind of mentality,” one person argued.
But others agreed it was a dangerous topic to bring up.
“I know this is an unpopular opinion, but the interviewer was right: you shouldn't ask financial questions in an interview,” someone else argued.
“Unfortunately, this has been around for years. I'm 47 years old, and I've had people say to me about my salary in a job interview because it's vulgar to talk about money.” I remember it clearly,” one person shared.
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Workplace expert Roxanne Calder says it's important to talk about salary during interviews. No one wants to waste time, but how you approach money is extremely important.
“It's okay to talk about salaries, we should, everyone needs to pay their bills,” she told news.com.au.
“You have to get the timing right. Money muddies the waters.”
Calder advised asking questions about the role, rather than asking about salary and then another question about the role, because you want to keep the money conversation a “sandwich.”
She explained that she wanted to prove to the interviewer that she was passionate about the role and not just about the money.
Mr Calder said he also wanted a “softer” approach to pay. She argued that companies should raise money, but if they can't, they should ask politely.
“You need to be humble and say it in a nice way. I think I'll do it at the end of the interview. I really appreciate you interviewing me. “May I ask you a quick question?'' she said.
“It shouldn't be the first question you ask. You want people to see your kind side and not think you're greedy or difficult.”
Calder said that due to advertising platform salary filters, salaries can sometimes appear between $100,000 and $120,000, so he has to play the long game if he wants to get the upper end of the salary estimate. , he said.
She often said that the person interviewing you will want to pay the lower end of your estimated salary, and taking the money right away can make you feel uncomfortable and lead to an automatic write-off.
Calder advised that companies may need to interview several people before coming to the conclusion that “if you want the best workers, you need to pay them more.”
“Once everyone has done all the interviews, you start to realize that the person who takes the role for $100,000 may not be as good as the person who needs $120,000 to take the role.” she says.
