More candidates are walking away from interviews that don’t state pay upfront, citing wasted leave and offers as low as RM1,700 for experienced roles.
MORE jobseekers are rejecting interview processes that proceed without clear salary ranges, with many now treating pay transparency as a basic requirement rather than information disclosed at later stages of recruitment.
The trend reflects growing frustration over compensation practices, particularly when experienced candidates are invited to multiple interview rounds without upfront clarity on salary expectations.
The discussion was initiated by a Threads post from user @premmilaaa, who criticised hiring practices that delay salary disclosure and leave applicants uncertain about whether a role matches their expectations.
In the post, she urged employers to review CVs more thoroughly before interviews and highlighted cases where candidates with years of experience are still offered entry-level salaries, such as RM1,700.
She also claimed that applicants often take leave from their current jobs to attend interviews, arguing that unclear salary expectations waste time for both parties.
Public responses were divided between practical advice and frustration over low salary offers.
User @thecorporatebaddie17 advised candidates to ask recruiters about salary expectations early in the process.
She added that applicants should be upfront about their expectations from the beginning to avoid attending interviews for roles that do not meet their requirements.
“It may sound a bit arrogant, but it saves you the time and effort of attending an interview only to find out they can’t afford you,” she said.
Another user @zemanggg commented: “Agreed. I have a diploma and 12 years of experience, yet I was still offered less than RM2,000. Exhausting.”
Meanwhile, user @jeansmerah shared a more structured approach, saying: “Whenever I receive an interview invitation by email, I immediately reply: ‘My salary expectation is RM…, is that within your budget range?’”
