Despite the fact that they're what most of us depend on to live, there are few more awkward topics out there than our salaries. The money that keeps a roof over our heads says a lot about the power we wield, and even more about how we are valued (or not) by our employers. As the ongoing minimum wage debate continues apace, people are becoming more aware that bosses across the spectrum of employment might not be compensating them as they should.
This has been made abundantly clear by a recent viral tweet, comparing two social media posts from people hiring for two different companies. In one, a woman celebrates the fact that she is surprising a junior software engineer who asked for a low salary with an offer it would be hard to refuse. In the other, a recruiter reveals how she offered a prospective employee $45,000 under her hiring budget because they didn't ask for more money.
Unsurprisingly, most people were not impressed with these dramatic hardball tactics. It may be one thing to not know your value, but it's quite another to encourage the delusion. Although this might be a particularly bad example, it just goes to show that if you have a niggling feeling that you are not being paid your worth, you're probably right.
It seems like a company that's comfortable with underpaying their workers is also happy to not treat them well. If nothing else, this is a lesson in being savvy when advocating for yourself.