# Lying to recruitment agency about current salary



## ruthieJ (13 Feb 2007)

Hi All,

Has anyone inflated their salary when holding discussions with a recruitment agency in order to get more money? If so, what was the outcome?

Kind Regards

Ruthie J


----------



## PM1234 (13 Feb 2007)

I would think most people do this to a certain degree (within reason). It will depend on the job itself and the going salary.  It will give room for negotiation at least, provided you don't price yourself out of the running.


----------



## Bgirl (13 Feb 2007)

when you hand in your P45 if you get a job will show if you have inflated your salary.


----------



## Lorraine B (13 Feb 2007)

You don't need to hand in your P45 though. If you ring Revenue and ask them to issue a week 1 tax deduction card to your new employer (you need their reg. no) then they will have no idea what you had earned year to date!


----------



## ClubMan (13 Feb 2007)

You can have your _P45 _altered to remove past income details. And if these would be easily inferred from other details then I think that there are ways to hide these too. But it seems like a lot of hassle. Why not concentrate on what you think you are worth rather than what you are currently earning and just negotiate well rather than worrying about lying or hiding details?


----------



## bankrupt (14 Feb 2007)

ruthieJ said:


> Has anyone inflated their salary when holding discussions with a recruitment agency in order to get more money? If so, what was the outcome?


 
Yes.  The outcome was a large increase in salary.


----------



## aircobra19 (14 Feb 2007)

Why tell them your salary. All they need to know at the interview stage is what you want.


----------



## CCOVICH (14 Feb 2007)

bankrupt said:


> Yes. The outcome was a large increase in salary.


 

Can you say for sure that it was your lie about salary that got you an increased salary or could it have been that your new employer would have paid you more anyway?

Employers aren't mugs.  Unless they are very small and isolated they are likely to know average salaries for their sector.  Likewise for recruitment agencies.  What's more is that they might know someone working with you at the moment (and be able to check if you are lying).


----------



## Sandy2004 (14 Feb 2007)

Ruth,
in 2003 I was working in a company earning 25k which was rubbish money for what I was doing, I told the agency  that I was currently earning 29k and ended up with a job earning 34k so by expanding the truth a little I went up nearly 10k on my salary


----------



## Lauren (14 Feb 2007)

In the past when an agency asked what I was on..I would not directly answer the question but I would say.."what I am looking for is....."...that usually keeps them quiet...The only way to get a decent salary or rate increase is to change jobs....Recommended this to a friend of mine recently and she ended up getting approx 30k MORE than what she was previously on! I would say though that she was changing country and was working in the IT industry where the variance from job to job, employer to employer and project to project can be significant.... So try to evade the question, avoid lying but be very clear and confident about what you want...


----------



## CCOVICH (14 Feb 2007)

Sandy2004 said:


> by expanding the truth a little I went up nearly 10k on my salary


 

Ha-whatever way you look at it it's lying, and unless they tell you 'we are paying you X because you told us you are earning Y', I don't think you can assume that lying works.


----------



## Sandy2004 (14 Feb 2007)

but if I told them what I was earning I may if I was lucky got to 30k and I was worth way more than that!!


----------



## aircobra19 (14 Feb 2007)

I would simply say these are my salary expectations, and that all they need to know. By giving them your previous salary you are making it easier for them to beat you down. Any company with any sense would see the logic in not doing that. You're being hired to be smart not stupid.


----------



## Welfarite (14 Feb 2007)

Sandy2004 said:


> .....and I was worth way more than that!!



So that's how much a liar is worth!!!!!


----------



## gd2000 (14 Feb 2007)

I habitually stretch the truth!  It's part of the game!  Either that, or I refuse to discuss current remuneration...  It's always worked well so far, although there's always a first time that it could blow up!  I reckon it's unlikely though - and if you're uncomfortable lying you could always use the line "I'm currently on x per annum, although I'm due a significant increase to y following a recent review".  If they ask questions, you can always say the increase doesn't happen until March/June etc...


----------



## bankrupt (14 Feb 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> Can you say for sure that it was your lie about salary that got you an increased salary



Yes.


----------



## CCOVICH (14 Feb 2007)

It was a rhetorical question, I'm afraid I don't be*lie*ve you.


----------



## bankrupt (14 Feb 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> It was a rhetorical question, I'm afraid I don't be*lie*ve you.



Why not?   Don't much like your snide manner I must say, is that rhetorical too?


----------



## Sandy2004 (14 Feb 2007)

Welfarite said:


> So that's how much a liar is worth!!!!!


A liar is worth much more than that! Me I just stretched the truth a little!!!


----------



## GreenIgirl (14 Feb 2007)

I used to work as a recruiter and used to encourage my candidates to consider their current salary + bonus+ profit sharing + and increase they would have been due (yearly increase, national wage increase).  When one leaves their current company, it is possible that you could miss out on a review and therefore I think you should plan to incorporate your total comp.

Honesty is the best policy.....


----------



## CCOVICH (14 Feb 2007)

bankrupt said:


> Why not?


 
If you lied about your salary I believe you would lie now to prove your point.



			
				bankrupt said:
			
		

> Don't much like your snide manner I must say, is that rhetorical too?


 
I don't much like the fact that you would encourage other posters to lie.  If you feel that's snide, well too bad.


----------



## Trafford (14 Feb 2007)

I was just asked for my salary expectations so I told them a figure which happened to be €5K more than I was earning at the time. I got a job which offered me €8K more, so the outcome was positive, however I didn't have to tell any untruths.


----------



## ajapale (14 Feb 2007)

What is the nature of your relationship with the agency? Do you have a contract with them? What does the contract say in matters of full and truthfull disclosure?

If they are working for you then I class this in the same category as telling lies to your solicitor, accountant and estate agent or any other professional acting on your behalf.

If on the other hand the aggent is working for potential employers I would class this as the same category as telling lies to the police, the revenue or any number of legitimate authorities.


----------



## CCOVICH (14 Feb 2007)

Trafford said:


> I was just asked for my salary expectations so I told them a figure which happened to be €5K more than I was earning at the time. I got a job which offered me €8K more, so the outcome was positive, however I didn't have to tell any untruths.


 
Yes-I have to say that in my recent experience I wasn't asked what I was earning, rather what my expectations were (to which of course you can say what you like!)


----------



## bankrupt (14 Feb 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> If you lied about your salary I believe you would lie now to prove your point.



Good reasoning there CCOVICH, I'll bet you have also told lies in the past, therefore you cannot now be trusted.  I'll leave the reader to decide how rational that stance is.





> I don't much like the fact that you would encourage other posters to lie.  If you feel that's snide, well too bad.



Where did I encourage anyone to lie?  The OP asked a simple question, I provided a simple answer.  Apology please.


----------



## CCOVICH (14 Feb 2007)

bankrupt said:


> Apology please.


 
Go fish.


----------



## sheena1 (14 Feb 2007)

ajapale said:


> If on the other hand the aggent is working for potential employers I would class this as the same category as telling lies to the police.


 

Hardly the same thing IMO. While a lie is a lie is a lie.....not all lies are equal....


----------



## bankrupt (14 Feb 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> Go fish.



How's the ride on that high horse of yours?

I couldn't care less whether or not the OP lies about their current salary, it worked well for me but it may not for the OP.  As another poster pointed out, it's all part of the negotiation game.


----------



## ajapale (14 Feb 2007)

sheena1 said:


> Hardly the same thing IMO. While a lie is a lie is a lie.....not all lies are equal....



Fair enough sheena1,

I suppose there is a continium ranging from swearing on oath right down to the tooth fairy! Plenty of grey scales there for everyone.


----------



## Persius (15 Feb 2007)

Rather than lying about the level of your current salary, you could just say that your contract with your current employer precludes you from discussing your current salary with third parties. This is often the truth as such clauses are AFAIK quite common in work contracts.

Then, as other posters have suggested, just move on to what your salary expectations for the new job are.


----------



## Winnie (15 Feb 2007)

It doesnt really matter what you are currently on - what matters is what you are looking for...............if you say you are looking for X then that is what the recruitment agency is going to be using as a basis for seeing if certain jobs suit you.  There is no need to discuss your current salary at all really.  
But beware - if your potential employer asks what your salary expectations are, don't give a bracket...... €xx to €yx.......they will usually offer you the lower end of the bracket (understandably!).  Made this mistake myself - think i could have gotten more.............will have to give it socks at salary review time!


----------



## Bnage (15 Feb 2007)

I agree. I also worked in recruitment. Iv seen CV's claiming the owner had a first degree in History when infact he left school at 16. He went on to earn huge wages.


----------



## powernap (16 Feb 2007)

my pupils wouldn't even dilate when lying to a recruitment agency. they are mostly hustlers who are your best friend when its seems you are a suitable candidate for a job. its more to do with what they can make out of you rather than a career progression for you. they were probably estate agents or solicitors in a past life.

your not commiting a crime if they agree to pay you. 
Show me a nice person and i'll show you a crap negotiator.


----------



## Trafford (16 Feb 2007)

Bnage said:


> I agree. I also worked in recruitment. Iv seen CV's claiming the owner had a first degree in History when infact he left school at 16. He went on to earn huge wages.


 
My friend did this to work in Bank of Ireland. I found out afterwards she used my degree results on her CV. Worst of it was, her friend worked in HR in BoI at the time. They've both since left, luckily for them, before they were found out. Lying seems to ok for some people.


----------



## GreenIgirl (16 Feb 2007)

As a recruiter when I checked references (including one from the current role) I would ask the referee the current salary of the applicant.....

Tis a game and one has to be smart!


----------



## Lauren (16 Feb 2007)

I have to say if a recruiter went to my current employer seeking a reference without my authorization I would be quite annoyed with the recruiter. If the recruiter did have my permission and my employer gave them information on my salary I would be even more annoyed!

At the end of the day, recruitment agencies make their percentage based on your annual salary or daily rate so its in their interest to get the highest value package for you. Good recruitment agencies/recruiters provide a service as much for applicants as for their direct customers so people shouldn't be nervous about 'managing' them.


----------

