| > Candidates often pad their resumes with skills they don't have. They'll pad their salary history. They'll hide things like stretches in jail. They'll list degrees they don't have. All to get a higher salary. The employer often doesn't realize for months that the employee wasn't as represented, and way overpaid. It goes both ways. I'll explain why I disagree with you and downvoted you (since you are making an argument in bad faith). 1. Padding a resume is sometimes necessary to bypass automated systems. If the choice is between slight embellishment and never getting an offer, then I believe it is morally justifiable to pad the resume just enough to conform to requirements. It's really an open secret - recruiters will openly tell you to do this. Also, to go further on this, job requirements are very often written by less technical people (HR) who will make mistakes in the number of required years in tech, or have ridiculous requirements that would limit the candidate pool to maybe...10 people on this entire planet. 2. Padding the salary history is almost impossible and easily verifiable through pay stubs. I very much doubt this happens often enough at desirable jobs, especially where people's reputation is on the line. 3. They'll hide things like stretches in jail - Again, almost impossible to hide, considering court records are public record. Even you or I could check this and not proceed with offering them a job. If the company doesn't do this diligence - that's on them, they certainly have the resources to do so. > The employer often doesn't realize for months that the employee wasn't as represented, and way overpaid. What about cases where the employee ends up being better than expected and brings way more value to the company than the originally agreed upon offer? How quickly is that reconciled? It goes both ways, after all. > It goes both ways. While it does go both ways, it's like saying a pedestrian is also causing damage to the car during a collision. The amount of resources a company/corp has is insurmountably higher than any individual could hope to achieve (barring billionaires). This is why we have multitude of protections for employees (that corporations are continuously trying to circumvent) > Anecdotally, I know employees with million dollar salaries. Is it credible that if corporations really had all this power, they'd be paid that much? The mere fact that they are able to pay a million dollar salary to a single employee signifies one of the following: 1. The employee is indeed a genius who brings this amount of money in or more, or contributes to the company growth in a way to justify this. 2. The company enjoys something like monopoly presence on the market and can afford to overpay for truly mediocre employees. If this is the case, then it's hard to feel sorry for the company. |
> Padding a resume is sometimes necessary to bypass automated systems
You're justifying lying. Not a good start for a relationship with your employer. Would you hire someone you knew was lying on their application?
> recruiters will openly tell you to do this
If they do, you know you're dealing with dishonest recruiters. Is that who you want to do business with?
> who will make mistakes
Just go to another company where you do qualify.
> Padding the salary history is almost impossible
Back before the internet, other people endlessly bragged to me how they got a better offer by padding their salary. When I interviewed for jobs, I'd bring a paystub to show the interviewer that my salary history was honest. They appreciated that. They were aware that such padding was routine.
> If the company doesn't do this diligence
A lot don't do that, especially smaller outfits.
> What about cases where the employee ends up being better than expected and brings way more value to the company than the originally agreed upon offer?
Simple. Document the value you brought to the company, go to the manager and start negotiating. If he won't budge, quit, and interview at the next company, being sure to present your evidence of the value you bring. P.S. if you really did bring the value, the company will be happy to raise your pay in order to keep you.
> The amount of resources a company/corp has
The only power a corp has over you is if you give it to them by being afraid to negotiate and afraid to walk away. They're not going to hire thugs to beat you and shoot your dog.
BTW, just for fun, I've been watching "Power", a miniseries about drug kingpins. I have to laugh at how they negotiate. It's always "do this for me or I'll kill you". Way to inspire loyalty! Or at least the silly Hollywood fantasy way.