DEMANDING a salary in line with industry standards can sometimes backfire for employees.
A woman recently aired her grievances on Threads, questioning why her salary request was rejected despite her qualifications.
However, in her post, she did not disclose her previous salary in her post.
“I applied for a job position that offers between RM3,000 and RM7,000. I asked for RM5,000, which is at the lower end of the range.
“But the employer’s response? ‘Why is there such a high salary jump?’” she said.
In the comments section, she claimed she had explained to the employer that the reason for the higher salary request was her desire to work in a company that “valued” her skills, rather than simply filling an “empty role”.
The woman stated that she has seven years of work experience, in addition to holding self-funded certifications and actively upskilling herself.
“It’s upsetting because fresh graduates in the same field, without any certifications, can earn around RM4,000 to RM6,000. Why, despite all my effort, am I still not considered qualified?” she lamented in her post.
In a follow-up, she claimed she had followed up on her salary inquiry three times but allegedly received no response from the employer.
She was later informed that “someone else passed the interview”.
The post sparked a broader discussion on how employers justify salary decisions.
Netizens advised her to avoid asking for too significant an increase in salary, with one user suggesting she request no more than a 30% increment based on her previous pay.
Others pointed out that companies also consider a candidate’s attitude and behaviour during interviews, suggesting she might not have been a good fit for the company’s work culture, and encouraged her to refine her interview skills.
Another user speculated that the company may have wanted her to disclose her previous salary in order to avoid “overpaying” her and to maintain internal salary equity in line with industry rates.
