To find out what an expert has to say about high expectations and low salaries offered in the job market, Bored Panda spoke with Dawn Moss. “I've worked with hundreds of hiring managers in lots of different disciplines and this is one of the common situations; low salary and high expectations for the job,” she said. “To be fair to all the hiring managers out there, they are often given a budget and want to get as much as they can with the money they have!”

Dawn also explained that it won't be a surprise to most people that the workplace has gone through massive changes recently. “It means employers are looking for individuals with more technical and behavioral competencies,” she said and added that “the workplace was changing fast even before the pandemic, environmental considerations, technology, big data, AI, political influences, social demographics, the list goes on.”

“It can seem overwhelming when a candidate looks at the job advert and job description with the long list of criteria, tasks, responsibilities, etc. In my experience as an in-house recruiter, this job description was often a 'wish list,'” Dawn told us. “The hiring managers would take that job to market (job boards, agencies, social media, etc.) and see who was looking, who was interested in the job, and see what they could get for the salary,” she said.

Moreover, the job description is also what we tend to think of as the 'end product.' “This means the hiring managers and recruiters aren't necessarily looking for a candidate to 'tick' all of the boxes. Of course, it's great if they find someone who does match most or all of the criteria.”

Dawn explained that the job description is a measurement of what the hiring managers would like someone to work towards. “So candidates should keep this in mind when applying for the job and demonstrate not just their fit to the job now, but their potential to meet the criteria in the future. For example, if you have no experience but you are undertaking a qualification, training course, certificate, etc., be sure to add these things to your cover letter and CV.”

“Also, keep in mind that it can be a benefit to the business if a candidate doesn't 'tick' all of the boxes,” Dawn said and added that “they are more likely to stick around for a little longer, be highly motivated to meet the new challenges, and have a balance between bringing lots of skills and experience to the job but also lots of opportunities to learn and develop in the job.”

According to the recruitment expert, the workplace is getting more and more demanding. “Therefore, the skills required to deal with fast-paced working environments and staying ahead of the competition mean employers are less realistic.” And Dawn believes that the speed and pace of change won't slow down in the near future. “Stress levels in the workplace have increased over the last few years and are still increasing,” she added.

“Certainly, people are now talking about wanting to spend more quality time with their friends and family and some have enjoyed working from home and the balance that adds to their lifestyles. The conversation has started up again about the 4-day working week,” Dawn explained and added that it will certainly be an interesting trial and topic to follow. 

Meanwhile, her advice for the applicant who receives a clearly delusional salary offer is to try to get an idea of the salary or the salary range before going through the entire recruitment process. “If there's a number you can call to get more information or have an informal chat, always call them. This is a genuine invitation to call and start a conversation, but also start the relationship.”

Having said that, Dawn warns not to make the salary the first question! “If you are genuinely interested in the job and the company, you will ask questions about these first, you may wish to share a brief and interesting summary of your experience and how it matches the job—don't waffle on and on... Then you can approach them about the remuneration and benefits.” She also said it’s important to let the person know you don't want to waste their time first (of course you don't want them to waste yours either).