In my experience, disclosing my salary to recruiter has only ever had a negative effect.
When asked, I always say "I am looking for between $Y and $Z" to set the tone. If they continue pushing for my current salary I end the conversation.
To which you respond, "Then I guess we won't be working together". If he really cares about your business, he'll come around. If not, then it really doesn't matter either way because your likelihood of getting what you would ask for otherwise is slim.
It's somewhat like lying about a credential.
Also, I could be wrong but I don't think a new employer will contact a previous employer to specifically learn how much a particular individual was earning.
But don't lie to them, especially if they're going to pay you more because of that lie.
This isn't the question that I answered. It was asked how stating a specific, untrue salary might be fraud.
Refusing to answer and giving an untrue number are different.
> Also, I could be wrong but I don't think a new employer will contact a previous employer to specifically learn how much a particular individual was earning.
Lying doesn't mean you'll get caught.
Also, be careful. For example, during a background check for one my jobs (a rather "ordinary" one), they said they couldn't verify one of my previous employers, and asked if I could send them proof. I sent W2s for both years I was employed and my offer letter, which satisfied them. Maybe some would feel that's too remote a risk to worry about, but it's not out of the question.
The salary negotiation is a completely separate event.
If the potential recruitee said "I'm looking for $X" they're not deceiving anyone.
I've seen how a hiring company might look at a person who wants $X, but earns lower-paying figure and think, "Well, market pay is $X, but if the company before was paying them $X-20%, we can get away with offering $X-15% or $X-10% because it's a marginal increase for the applicant and we still save money."
evilduck, below: nails it with this[0]:
"companies aren't going to tell your their actual upper bounds for what they'll pay in salary, why should you tell them your actual lower bounds? "
I'm just saying that lying about your previous salary in order to get a higher starting salary is pretty clearly fraud. While it's unlikely to ever be prosecuted it is probably grounds, as has already been said, to withdraw the offer or to fire someone.
It's total BS that a potential employer would base their offer on your current salary, but at the same time lying about what you currently make is dangerous
If you're not well networked and you're not enough of a rockstar to have companies approaching you out of the blue, your best bet is to control where that salary anchor is placed. There's hardly any way to verify your claim and you're almost always better off placing it at a believably higher position. I mean, companies aren't going to tell your their actual upper bounds for what they'll pay in salary, why should you tell them your actual lower bounds?
One time I was contacted about a role in London offering between 65k and 90k (can't remember exactly, but a range along those lines). I said I would only consider moving for the 90K end. He asked what I was on. I refused to tell him then eventually got wore down and told him my relatively small Spanish salary. He refused to put me through for that saying that it was not usual to get more than 10% more than what I am on.
The company was willing to pay more for "the right candidate", but my salary at the time meant I wasn't that candidate.
Don't disclose your salary to recruiters.
Stay away from those recruiters and never negotiate your salary with recruiters.