Interview Request for Current Payslip - should give?
 

Hi all,

I am going to attend an interview tomorrow and one of the items I was asked to bring is my current pay slip. This is the first time I have heard such a request. I am uncomfortable to give them my current payslip, as I am aiming to ask for a much higher salary if I were to get the job. My salary is currently on the low side, and my concern is they will base their offer on my current salary.

Is this request considered unusual and is it something I have the right not to entertain? If so, is there a diplomatic way to reject this request?

Another issue is that I have only started my current job a couple of months ago. It is a small company. This company that I am going to attend the interview for is a more established one, and it is one of the companies that I have applied for before I got my current job. They only recently called me to arrange for an interview. I am quite sure they will ask me why I want to leave my current job. The fact is the salary and benefits I get at the current company is not that good and it is also a new company which may not be so stable. Do you think I should be frank during the interview and mention these push factors? Or perhaps I should just tell them I would like to have a change in environment or something vague, so that I don't appear like a "mercenary"?

Thanks everyone, I'd greatly appreciate your views.

Cheers!

it is customary for HR to propose a package based upon your current pay package. Unless your skills are exceptional thus empowering you with adequate bargaining chips, this will be the norm.

All companies including government service will offer you taking into acc. whatever is your current pay. Trying to BS your way out to not giving payslip is a straight red flag, there is no such thing as "going for much higher salary" with no regards to what you are drawing now.

Your jumping ship after only a few months is gona look bad no matter what you say, there is no other way to make it sound good. Rubbish like "change of environment" after only a few months makes it even worse.

Thanks for the replies.

I have applied for the company that I am going for interview, earlier than the current one where I am working at. So, it is actually among my first choice. Unfortunately, it didn't get back to me untill more than 2 months later. So I have chosen to take up an offer from my current company, even though it is not my first choice. It makes sense for me to do that, rather then just sit around and wait without a job.

So now that the opportunity arises for me to have an interview with this company, I don't think I should let it pass. Given this situation, I don't think I will "look bad" to the potential employer if I explain this to them... agree?

actually, you should not have mentioned that you're already employed in the first place. just let them hire you as a fresh grad if you just graduated recently.

anyway, it is not an unusual request. for my case, i already left my previous company, so i just told them i didn't print out the slips.

try not to mention push factors. just doesn't seem very positive.

Thanks for the reply.

I have to be honest with them that I am already working. It will be bad if I said I am not and they found out later. Furthermore, I think I can bargain more if I am currently working, rather then unemployed.

I'm not a freshgrad btw. :)

Cheers!

The best thing you can do out of this bad situation is to say after joining a few months you find the job very different from what was described to you during interview. Then cite a few "examples" to illustrate ur pt.

Base on what you say, if you honestly tell them what happen they will write you off immediately. This reflect extremely bad on you, basically ur telling them you will sign the first contract that comes along and run road the moment another better contract comes. The next thing they will assume is what's there to stop you from running again if next month another of your interviewed company offer you a job?

When I change job.. my usual response when asked why i wanna change is that I actually do not intend to change job.. but the available position & ur company is simply something that I dream for / regret if I dont try etc.. will also tell them that I did not apply any other job except this one..

in fact, mention that u have applied in the company before and come up with some crap reason why u think being in the company is such a big deal to u.. make sure u sound excited when u talk abt dat company..

I always try to change my tone & body language when talking on different topics to enhance what I want the interviewer to think I feel abt dat topic..

Eg.. i will sound bored & monotonous but talk alot if asked how I will handle a particular problem.. anyway, back to ur problem.. in a nutshell, I wud just say I'm not intending to leave my current position if not for this opportunity in your company

Thanks everyone, for your advice and suggestions. The interview went well, and the question why I am leaving my current job didn't pop up at all. I've been scheduled for a 2nd round, yay! :)

I bet its not a engineering job.

Otherwise, no chance to go interview with pink IC anyway lol