There comes a point in a person’s career where they’ve paid their dues to qualify for a salary bump. However, even a well-deserved raise may not happen for an employee because of certain authority figures. It could be a CEO, a supervisor, or, as is the case in this story, someone from human resources. 

A veteran employee was looking for a career switch and a pay raise when an HR representative scolded them for it during their interview. To make matters worse, the latter made things personal by scrutinizing the author’s résumé and belittling their accomplishments.

Baffled by what happened, the employee turned to the internet for answers. We also spoke with industry leader and HRLearns co-founder Suzanne Lucas for professional insights. 

Pay raises are warranted for high-performing, experienced employees

Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko / pexels (not the actual photo)

The author of this story, however, got scolded by an HR representative after asking for a salary bump

Image credits: Vitaly Gariev / unsplash (not the actual photo)

The situation worsened when the HR rep began launching personal attacks

Image credits:  Bench Accounting / unsplash (not the actual photo)

The author refused to name the person but gave some clues on what industry they are in

Image credits: throwaway23487329

The HR industry can be highly stressful, according to surveys

The HR rep’s behavior could be a sign of stress and burnout. A 2023 survey reported by the Society For Human Resource Management revealed that 95 percent of over 1,000 HR leaders in the U.S. believe their work is “simply too much.” 

Ninety-one percent of respondents also described their last few years in the profession as “challenging,” while 84 percent stated they “regularly felt stressed.” Eighty-one percent felt burned out, while 61 percent considered shifting industries. 

However, Lucas disagrees with the HR rep’s actions despite the job’s apparently demanding nature. 

“If an employee is out of the price range, you simply say, ‘Thanks, but we’ve budgeted X. Are you still interested?’” Lucas told Bored Panda, describing the HR employee’s conduct as “totally inappropriate.” 

Lucas also stated that the recruiter could have had a mental breakdown during the interview and may need professional help.

Knowing the market rate could help an employee during a salary interview

Image credits: Tim Gouw / unsplash (not the actual photo)

The author didn’t specify how much more they were asking for. According to Lucas, it helps to know the current market rate of your current position in the industry. 

“When job hunting, it’s absolutely normal to expect a higher salary than your current salary,” she explained. “Ideally, the salary range should be included in the job posting.”

However, the bigger issue in the story is the HR rep’s actions. Lucas says the author did go through the correct process by filing a report because this is the only course of action that won’t stir the pot further. She also recommends writing a review through a platform like Glassdoor. 

“Otherwise, it’s time to move on,” she said. 

The author deserves credit for not responding with the same hostility shown to them. They don’t hold as much leverage, and unfortunately, responding with the same aggressive energy may cost them their chances for a raise. 

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What’s your take, readers? What should have been the author’s response? 

The employee answered some commenters’ questions to shed more light on the story

Some people shared similar experiences and opinions on the matter

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