Updated October 10, 2024, at 4:27 PM

Lately, I’ve noticed a trend in the answers I receive when asking prospects about their salary history and expected compensation for their next opportunity—a disturbing trend.

While I realize that states around the country are starting to make such sections of employment applications illegal and eventually obsolete, I’m here to assure you as a candidate: you should provide such information.

Here are a few myths about talent acquisition recruiters that applicants should know, and why they matter during the negotiation process.

Myth #1: Your salary history is irrelevant to your application.

This information is critical to your application for many reasons. The first is why and how you’ve been rewarded for your performance in the past.

Good recruiters will match your salary history to your job history and related tasks, plus your accomplishments. Do they all jive? Have you received increases in pay commensurate with promotional titles for your industry? How were the accomplishments listed on your resume rewarded? Is your compensation history a motivational factor for your job search or interest in a passive recruitment inquiry?

This is the analytical aspect of the recruiter’s function—we’re trusted resources to our employers; charged with identifying the best fit for the vacancies we intend to fill. Such compensation, job function, and title history answers help us determine fit.