For example, I’ve seen candidates who made over $100,000 in their last position take a $10.00/hr job and wonder why they can’t make ends meet. Then after the company has spent literally thousands of dollars training that person … they quit. This is clearly a lose-lose for the employee and the company.

On the other hand, I’ve had candidates who made $100,000 and over time downsized their life so they can take the $10.00/hr job. Makes total sense.

Asking the question is less about HR snooping and more about making sure the candidate has thought out the salary and benefits of the position. All that being said, you are spot on that companies need to pay a competitive wage to attract and retain good workers – that’s a message I’ve been sharing for years on the blog.

HR has been using the previous salary history as a tool that allows them to snoop into information that is not required as a part of the job. They claim too often that this allows them to see if the experience level is commensurate with the positions need. Bullshit. They use it as a tool to weed people out, or to narrow the range they will pay for a qualified candidate. Salary history is between me, God and the previous employer….oh and the tax man too. If you want a qualified employee, pay them a wage that is considerate of their experiences and skills….otherwise they will simply become gone……..at a most inopportune time….

You have to keep in mind some screening process are invading privacy. Especially questions regarding your pervious financial gains.
A nosy recruiting process is often frustrating good candidates. If you want sheeps who follows it could be fine fine, but if you want wolfes that hunts down business for you I think you are out of tracks.

I guess an ATS would help support your suggestions. What’s your opinion on current ATS tools available? I have my argents for and against an ATS in general but mainly because many of the products in the market today don’t need the needs of HR.