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Comment by pc86 | Hacker News Reader

> We noticed that men constantly asked for WAY more than women when applying, so we decided to take the salary negotiations off the table to make it easier for everyone.[0]

So I'm being punished because some people don't ask for what they're worth? I would consider applying for the senior position but it's less than I make now. This policy means I have to either 1) take a pay cut; 2) punch above my weight and apply for the next rung up the ladder; 3) not apply.

I get what they're trying to do but this does not seem to be a way to go about it while continuing to get the best applicants possible.

[0] http://corgibytes.com/careers/

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We noticed men consistently knew their market worth and women undervalued themselves, so we decided to use the hot button topic of diversity to make it seem like lowball offers are actually coming from a moral high ground.

You're not being punished. If it's not a good culture fit and pay for your personal situation, you're right, you don't have to apply.

Women not asking for enough isn't just our experience either. There's research that backs up that women consistently don't ask for as much as men. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/05/the-conf...

As for the rates, we acknowledge they're lower than average publicly on our website. However, our folks only work 40 hours per week. We're really diligent about that. So some folks are making more per hour from their last jobs that worked them 60+ hours per week.

It's also worth noting that we're bootstrapped. We don't have investors, which is both a pro and a con. One of the pros is that we have a lot of control over the culture so we make Corgibytes a place that works for the right people. One of the cons is that we don't have a deep pocket of investor money to dip into. We have to go with the market value for what people are willing to pay for our services and that determines what we can pay our staff. It ends up being less, but we try to be upfront about it so there's no surprise.

They hire remote and those salaries are competitive outside of the Bay Area.

I do agree however that their reasoning is a little off putting.

I don't think they are competitive outside the Bay area for the roles they are filling. <Anecdote> A year and a half ago I was looking for (and found) a senior/lead remote position. I had four offers from such places as Ann Arbor, Boston, Austin, and D.C. The lowest offer was 20% more than what Corgibytes offers to Leads (plus non-trival equity).

That is good to hear. I haven't been captive in over 10 years and I am located in a smaller town so I am a little out of the loop on what senior dev salaries are in most places. Great to hear that remote senior dev positions are demanding that.

Different experience than misthop as I'm not remote, but these salaries are not competitive and I am in what 90% of HN would consider "rural" and I drive to an office every day. Now I do work for a software company so that may push the salaries up a bit higher but not by this much.

I know working remote is a plus and some of the copy they use implies you have an equipment stipend of some sort, but for most of the senior developers I know, CB's lead salary is at least a 10% haircut if not more. Not to mention you have to do 90 days as a contractor so even after you quit your job and work for them you may be looking for another job in three months anyway!

I mean you can make whatever argument you want about salary but requiring a 90-day contract period from people who aren't necessarily coming to you as contractors is a pretty shit way to get good people in the door.

I'm sure they can hire people for those salaries, but they're almost certainly not getting the best people. I know of multiple companies offering remote work with salaries that are $50k+ more than what Corgibytes offers. They might very well not be looking for the best though.

I do appreciate them being upfront though. I wish all employers would be so clear about their salary ranges.

It's especially low because they're basically hiring consultants. The going rate for a senior contract developer is well over $100/hr, which would be $200k a year if you consider their purported work schedule.

Agreed. I am a male, and it took me 3 years out in the real world before I felt I was actually being properly paid.

Having been in a situation where I am underpaid but really like my job, i.e. startup, I know the emotional toll and how it contributes to disgruntlement and burnout. For candidates I want to work with, I will advocate behind the scenes for higher salaries if the candidate either didn't ask or didn't ask for enough.

But, if you are being paid $XYZ and you believe you are being correctly compensated for your skill set, make damn sure you create many times that value (or potential value at startups) for the company. The situation can backfire very quickly where you will be seen as overpaid and your job questioned.

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