In Job Hunting, the Pas de Deux of Seeker and Offerer

I mean, sometimes you can find people that are both good and desperate. it happens. But it's hard. You don't want to limit yourself to desperate candidates.

And yeah; the salary range? I won't even refer people anymore until I have some idea of the salary range. I've embarrassed myself too many times by recommending someone really top-end, when what they really wanted was a really top-end intern. I mean, I know some really top-end interns, too... but if you are paying $15/hr, well, you are just going to get a different person than if you are paying $150/hr.

All of that is significantly less important in a very large organization which can tolerate a wide variety of work styles but in a startup, hiring someone who doesn't work out is sooooo painful.

Or you could just be honest and tell them what you're currently earning. They still have to make you an offer, and you're free to reject it. I don't think telling potential employers your current salary is losing 'the hand', or if it is, you have plenty of opportunity during the negotiation of your offer to get it back.

But really, if your potential employer has a simple go/no-go flag on some salary threshold, then you can be sure you don't want to work there--especially because your co-workers there have (like yourself) won a race to the bottom.