“What's your current income?”

For decades, employers asked job seekers this question without hesitation. A candidate’s income was considered an open book that HR and hiring managers felt privy to without compunction. Salary information could be used to figure out the type of compensation package an applicant would accept, and even what they were worth.

Hiring managers could reach certain conclusions from a job seeker’s salary history. If it was too high, employers might decide to pass over offering the person the job because they were “too expensive”. If it was too low, the applicant could be perceived as not qualified enough or further along in their career path to handle the expectations of the position they were seeking.

All this is evolving, and HR must be ready.

Portions of this article were originally posted on the Proskauer website and can be accessed here. 

Cincinnati, Ohio passed an ordinance prohibiting employers from asking for salary history from job applicants, effective 03/13/2020.

This recently passed law prohibits employers from asking job applicants for their salary history. Under the Ordinance, employers with 15 or more employees located within the City of Cincinnati may not ask about or rely on the prior salary history of prospective employees in determining their starting salary.

The way organizations recruit, interview, and choose new employees is changing in a variety of ways. What were once commonplace practices are now being phased out in favor of new processes that are less discriminatory and equal for everyone.