17 Oct The Salary History Trap Jake is interviewing for a marketing coordinator position at TechCorp, a growing software company. He is currently earning $38,000
The Salary History Trap
Jake is interviewing for a marketing coordinator position at TechCorp, a growing software company. He is currently earning $38,000 at his small nonprofit job but knows that similar positions at tech companies typically pay between $55,000 and $65,000. During the interview, everything is going well until the hiring manager, Ms. Chen, asks:
"So, Jake, what's your current salary?"
Jake hesitates, realizing he's in a tough spot. He knows that if he tells the truth about his current $38,000 salary, TechCorp might offer him something like $42,000-$45,000, thinking that he will be happy with an offer of a higher wage than he currently makes. The position should pay closer to $60,000, based on market rates and the actual earnings of other marketing coordinators at TechCorp. However, he does not want to lie during the interview process.
Jake knows that his nonprofit salary does not match his skills or market value, and he is concerned that revealing it could lead to a lowball offer and hurt his long-term earning potential.
Two bills were submitted to Congress in March 2025 that would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938. H.R. 2007 would require employers to disclose the pay range of a position to applicants. H.R. 2219 would prohibit hiring companies to ask an applicant what their current salary and benefits are.
Please discuss the following with your peers:
- In your opinion, what should Jake do in this situation?
- Is it fair and ethical for employers to base new salary offers on previous wages? Why or why not?
- How might this practice perpetuate pay inequalities across different industries or demographics?
Our website has a team of professional writers who can help you write any of your homework. They will write your papers from scratch. We also have a team of editors just to make sure all papers are of HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE. To make an Order you only need to click Ask A Question and we will direct you to our Order Page at WriteDemy. Then fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Fill in all the assignment paper details that are required in the order form with the standard information being the page count, deadline, academic level and type of paper. It is advisable to have this information at hand so that you can quickly fill in the necessary information needed in the form for the essay writer to be immediately assigned to your writing project. Make payment for the custom essay order to enable us to assign a suitable writer to your order. Payments are made through Paypal on a secured billing page. Finally, sit back and relax.