In a now-viral video, a TikToker shows a job description that promises “highly competitive” pay, sparking debate about salary transparency in the comments section.
TikToker @techsavvyassistant posted the video on Feb. 20. As of March 21, the video has reached over 262,000 views.
In the video, the TikToker shows a job posting on their computer screen and zooms in on the benefits listed. The benefits include a “highly competitive salary,” remote work, and PTO.
The clip then cuts to the application screen where the TikToker has written “Highly competitive :)” in response to a question about salary expectations.
The video’s text overlay reads, “If it’s so competitive, say what it is.”
@techsavvyassistant another day, another company having double standards #applyingforjobs #jobsearch #job #executiveassistant #chiefofstaff #techlayoffs2023 #tech ♬ original sound – lexi 🍂
In the comments section, viewers expressed their distaste for vague salary ranges.
“And then they say ‘we need to know your expectations to [move] forward’ you say a decent amount and then ‘sorry we cannot offer you that,’” one commenter said.
“Highly competitive means they will hem and haw about paying you market value,” another wrote.
Others shared their own experiences of being offered subpar salaries after interviewing for more senior roles.
“‘5-10 years experience and bachelors degree required. $42k starting salary,’” one user wrote.
“I interviewed for a digital content manager job that said this. The pay was $17 an hour,” another said.
Several places in the U.S., like New York City and Washington, now require salary ranges to be posted with job descriptions. But @techsavvyassistant says that some companies “abuse” this requirement by posting large ranges, writing, “They like to abuse it with like ’40k-150k.’”
The Daily Dot reached out to @techsavvyassistant via email.
