Salary negotiation after career gap:

In today’s corporate world, it almost seems like a sin to think of a career break! In this post, Vishwas Mudagal takes a dig at how you should negotiate for your salary after a career gap.

‘I have a candidate who has a long career gap, but still she is asking for a 35% hike over her previous salary. Is this justified?’ asked a recruiter!

‘What do you think she deserves?’ I asked.

‘Perhaps same salary or a nominal hike because she was already at a high package,’ he replied.

‘Are her skills updated? Did your interview panel find her good?’

‘Yes, she is good at her job. But she is asking way too much hike.’ replied the recruiter again.

‘Is her expected salary higher than other candidates with the same skill level?’

‘Not really!

A good candidate would more or less ask the same. But the question here is we are giving her a chance to come back after a break. How do I convince the management to sign off on such a hike?’ he asked.

‘We need to stop judging people based on their career gaps & previous salaries. Start respecting them for the skill & attitude they bring to the table.

See if it matches market standards & then decide. If they are good, you have to pay. Period,’ I concluded.

This is not the only conversation I have had about how to deal with people who come back after career gaps. The culture of looking down on people with career gaps should stop.

Judge them on their skill and expertise AND nothing else.