Glassdoor Survey Finds The Majority Of U.S. Workers Believe Employers Should Not Ask About Salary History

MILL VALLEY, Calif., July 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Perhaps it's time to rethink age-old hiring questions like, "How much do you/did you make?" According to a new survey from Glassdoor, one of the world's largest and fastest growing job sites, more than half of U.S. workers¹ (who are employed or unemployed but looking) (53 percent) believe employers should not ask candidates about their current or past salary history when negotiating a job offer. This survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Glassdoor among more than 1,300 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, comes at a time when new laws are being adopted to address this inherent gender bias in long-standing hiring practices. Several states and cities are currently considering laws that would ban employers from asking about salary history, following similar laws recently passed in New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Massachusetts, Delaware and Oregon, among others.

Significantly more working women (60 percent) than working men (48 percent) believe salary history questions should not be asked. On average, women in the U.S. earn about $0.76 for every $1.00 men earn on an unadjusted basis², according to Glassdoor Economic Research. This documented pay gap, compounded by the fact that more than two-thirds (68 percent) of women do not negotiate pay compared to half (52 percent) of men, can quickly put women at pay disadvantages, especially when prior salary history is used to determine starting pay in job offers.

"The time of looking backward to go forward to determine pay is over. Asking prior salary history questions can trigger unintended consequences and introduce bias into the hiring process that disadvantages women from day one," said Dawn Lyon, Glassdoor chief equal pay advocate and senior vice president of global corporate affairs. "We need to reframe the conversation to pay expectations around the value of the job and the skills and relevant experience required to do it. Many companies are already doing this without legislation or regulation because it's the right thing to do. And, candidates can help change the conversation by offering answers that address their pay expectations based on the role and their current market value, while also taking into account how the company structures its overall pay and benefits package."

While most Americans do not think employers should ask about current or past pay, most do want more pay information up front from employers. Nearly all U.S. workers (98 percent) say it would be helpful to see pay ranges included in open job listings, and 95 percent say it is important to be thoughtful and informed about a company's pay philosophy (e.g., how pay and pay increases are determined) prior to accepting a job offer³. This is valuable for employers to consider given that nearly three in four U.S. workers (72 percent) report that a salary and compensation package is among their top considerations when determining whether to accept a job offer³.

"Pay is a key area where implicit bias can creep into people processes," said Lori Nishiura Mackenzie, executive director of the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University. "Women are often implicitly assumed to be less qualified and thus, have to work harder to demonstrate their worth, especially in roles that are male-dominated. The same negotiation tactics can have different returns for different employees depending on their race, gender, and other dimensions. Due to stereotypes and bias, past salary is not an accurate measure of an employee's value and putting all the onus on the candidate to negotiate their salary is not the answer either. It is critical to base offers on what the job is worth, starting with clear criteria and qualifications for the role when making decisions about a total compensation package."

For job seekers, Glassdoor offers several resources to help them better understand fair pay and determine their current market value, along with tips and advice on how to shape conversations about pay during the interview process. Resources include:

• Know Your Worth™
• Employee's Guide to Know Your Worth
• Local Pay Reports by Glassdoor Economic Research
• What to do When Asked About Salary History

For employers, Glassdoor also offers resources to help them navigate conversations around pay and pay philosophy including a total rewards package, in addition to advice on how to respond to new laws prohibiting employers from asking about salary history. Resources include:

• Know Your Worth™
• Employer's Guide to Know Your Worth
• Local Pay Reports by Glassdoor Economic Research
• How to Navigate New Laws Banning the Salary History Question

More Data + Interviews
For more data, including breakdowns of survey results by age, gender and location, and/or to speak with a Glassdoor spokesperson, please contact: [email protected].

¹ U.S. workers refers to adults who are either employed or unemployed but looking for a job
² Unadjusted basis refers to the unadjusted wage gap found between men and women after controlling for differences in education, work experience, location, industry, job title and company

Methodology
³ The 2017 survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Glassdoor from March 30 - April 3, 2017 among 1,329 U.S. workers (who are employed or unemployed but looking) ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].

About Glassdoor
Glassdoor is one of the largest and fastest growing job sites in the world today. Set apart by the tens of millions of reviews and insights provided by employees and candidates, Glassdoor combines all the jobs with this valuable data to make it easy for people to find a job that is uniquely right for them. As a result, Glassdoor helps employers hire truly informed candidates at scale through effective recruiting solutions like job advertising and employer branding products. Launched in 2008, Glassdoor now has reviews and insights for approximately 700,000 companies in more than 190 countries. For labor market trends and analysis, visit Glassdoor Economic Research. For company news and career advice and tips, visit the Glassdoor Blog and for employer-related news and insights to help employers hire, visit the Glassdoor for Employers Blog. Visit Glassdoor.com or download our apps on iOS and Android platforms.

"Glassdoor" and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.

SOURCE Glassdoor

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