End Salary History – A Step Toward a Fairer Workplace
All employees should be compensated fairly for their work. During your job search journey, have you found that some employers have asked for your current or previous salary during the interview or requested this information on the job application form? Although we accept this as the norm, it can actually lead to bias. In this blog, we will take a look at the reasons why the practice of asking candidates for their past salaries needs to be stopped.

What are salary history questions?
Salary history questions are inquiries made by employers to job candidates to find out their previous salaries and earnings. They may ask the candidate to disclose information about their compensation package including bonuses and benefits.
Why do companies ask salary history questions?
Companies may ask for a candidate’s salary history for several reasons. It can be to help them to determine what salary they will offer the candidate should they be successful. It can also help to define the candidates’ expectations and check that they align with the company’s budget. Asking for past salaries can ensure that the company do not waste their time and the candidate’s time by pursuing someone who is seeking a salary that is too high. It can also highlight whether a candidate is a good fit for the position. Asking this question can also be a helpful way to start salary negotiations. This all seems fair enough, right? Wrong…

Why is asking salary history questions detrimental?
The practice of asking for previous salaries has been under scrutiny in recent years as it has been shown to cause unfavourable issues. Studies consistently show that women, disabled people and those from minority ethnic backgrounds earn less than their male, white counterparts for the same work, education level and experience. If you ask someone who is currently being underpaid what their salary is, it can then perpetuate the existing pay gaps in gender, race and disability. This creates a cycle of unequal pay that can then persist throughout a person’s career.
Asking past salaries can be a ploy to lowball candidates when it comes to pay negotiations. If you focus on what the person earned in the past rather than their potential, it can result in lower salaries for qualified candidates who may have taken lower-paying jobs for personal reasons. For instance, someone may have had to accept a lower-paying job to fit around childcare, sacrificing their previous higher-paid salary. They may have simply accepted a lower-paid job because that’s all they were offered at the time. We all have bills to pay after all! Similarly, it may be detrimental for those who have taken time off work for personal reasons or made career changes. Their previous salary may not accurately reflect their skills or experience in these instances.
Furthermore, it’s widely accepted that job hoppers tend to be on higher salaries compared to someone who stays at the same company in the same role for a long period. This employee will be on a lower salary than the industry average and what they ultimately deserve. Companies shouldn’t be penalising these candidates for their loyalty to their previous company.
Asking for past salaries can limit a candidate’s ability to negotiate a fair salary offer. They may feel that they are expected to accept a salary offer based purely on their previous earnings rather than the responsibilities of the new job and their experience.
Advice for candidates when asked for their current salary:
- Always be honest. An employer can ask for proof as part of your reference check and you could then jeopardise getting the job altogether.
- If you do not get asked for salary information, do not provide it.
- Your salary history should not define your future earnings. You should advocate for a fair salary that reflects your skills, experiences and the requirements of the position.

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What can we do to end salary history?
Leading gender equality and women’s rights charity, The Fawcett Society are working with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) on the campaign #EndSalaryHistory. You can sign the petition and encourage your employer to join the end salary history pledge.
REC offer a guide which has actionable steps that companies can take to eliminate the practice of requesting salary history information from their job candidates.
The steps include:
- Stop asking for salary history during the hiring process.
- Educate recruiters and hiring managers about the impact of asking for salary history. Providing them with training on how to avoid asking for this information during the hiring process.
- Revising job applications to remove any questions related to salary history or expectations.
- Encouraging candidates to negotiate their salary based on the requirements and responsibilities of the role not on previous pay.
- Carrying out regular audits to identify any pay disparities that may exist in the company.
- Provide salary transparency within your organisation.
By implementing these steps, companies can take a proactive approach to promoting pay equality and creating a more inclusive workplace. When these salary history questions are removed, businesses can feel confident that they are offering candidates fair and equitable compensation.

Fair salaries for all
Many states in the US have already banned this practice so it’s about time the UK caught up. Employers mustn’t focus on what a candidate is earning right now but on what they want to earn and what they are essentially worth. This is the only way to prevent low offers from being made and to level out average salaries. Everyone deserves to be paid what they’re worth.
If you’re looking for creative recruitment agencies in Milton Keynes, Northampton, Luton or Bedford, come to Next Chapter Recruitment. We are specialists in digital, PR and marketing recruitment. We work with both companies and candidates, providing creative recruitment in Northampton and the surrounding regions. Get in touch with us to discuss your recruitment needs.


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