By | Authored byKim Marie Lachance Shandrow
Mercedes Johnson likely had no idea she’d be a viral sensation after she posted on Facebook about a recent salary negotiation with a job candidate. But 34,000 retweets and 200,000 “likes” on Twitter later, she realized she’d struck a nerve — and not in a good way.
Mercedes told her Facebook community that she offered an employment candidate “$85,000 for a job that had a budget of $130K.” But after someone posted a screenshot to Twitter, Mercedes found herself at the center of a debate over salary transparency and fair pay negotiations.
The criticism comes at a time when companies are reaffirming commitments to pay equity and recalibrating their company culture as employees walk off jobs in search of an enhanced work-life balance that includes flexibility and better benefits.
Still, many employers continue to grapple with whether to be up front about pay. A common thread of the compensation debate is about the need for mutual trust between prospective employers and candidates. Recruiters and hiring managers are balancing budget considerations with the need to properly value applicants’ skill sets and experience. Meanwhile, job seekers are looking to limit the blind spots of salary negotiations while finding an employer that’s willing to invest in their career growth and happiness.