I’m celebrating a client today. She absolutely nailed her conversation with a recruiter, and darling, what happened is a masterclass in strategic career negotiation that every woman needs to learn.
After understanding the company’s challenges, here’s how the conversation unfolded between the recruiter (R) and my client (C):
R: “So, I have not been given a budget by the company for this role yet, but obviously it’s a start-up, so we have to take that into account. Just to make sure it makes sense for both of us to continue talking, can you tell me what your current salary is?”
C: “Well, given that my current salary is for the role I am doing at the moment, which has no bearing on the role we just discussed, my current salary is irrelevant. It would be much more effective to discuss the salary for this new role. So may I suggest you get in touch with your client and understand what the range is so we can have a meaningful exchange?”
R: “Oh, okay… Erm, what I do know is that for a previous applicant, they said they would pay between £140-150K. Would a role at that level be of interest to you?”
C: “Okay, that gives us more information. To your question: £150K is below what I had in mind, considering my profile. Is there any give on that range?”
R: “I am not sure… Let me get back to the company and discuss with them. Given that it’s a start-up, from experience there is probably quite some flexibility. And like I told them: if they want quality, they will have to pay for it. Let me discuss and get back to you, thanks!”
The Strategic Lessons Every Executive Woman Should Learn
This exchange demonstrates exactly what we teach at Women of Agency in our career negotiation coaching: negotiation strategies for women that create power, not compliance.
Recruiters Often Withhold Information You Deserve
Notice how the recruiter claimed she had “no idea about budget”, then two sentences later revealed the exact range? This is standard practice. Recruiters prefer not to disclose ranges set by the company they represent. They’re trained negotiators working for the employer, not for you.
The “Start-Up” Discount Myth
Did you catch that subtle expectation management? “Obviously it’s a start-up” is designed to anchor your expectations downward. Ignore this entirely. Quality talent requires competitive compensation, regardless of company size. This is precisely why senior professional women need strategic career negotiation skills.
They Want Your Number, Not Your Worth
Here’s a dirty little HR secret I share in our women’s career coaching program: recruiters focus relentlessly on your previous or current salary, never your expectations or market value. Why? They’ll typically offer the same salary (if other factors make it attractive) or add 5% maximum. Research shows this is sufficient to make most unhappy employees jump. It is absolutely not in your interest to answer this question.
You Can Push Back Without Consequences
No phone was slammed down. No opportunities lost. Being pleasant but firm is not just possible, it’s essential for women negotiating their worth. This is what women in leadership do differently: they negotiate from value, not history.
Homework Creates Confidence
This is lesson number one in our executive career coaching for women: know what you’re talking about. My client had researched market rates, understood her value, and could confidently redirect the conversation. She put the ball back in the company’s court: either meet market rates or there’s no point continuing. The recruiter implicitly agreed the range was too low (“If they want quality, they will have to pay for it”).
But What If She Lost the Opportunity?
Some worry that such directness costs opportunities. What if the company truly could only pay £140-150K?
My darling, here’s the reality: neither party would have won.
My client would have been demotivated, undervalued, and resentful from day one upon discovering she was underpaid. That damages your happiness, performance, and career trajectory. The company would have gotten an employee harbouring those feelings, never delivering their best work. This isn’t just about negotiate your worth in one conversation. It’s about role co-creation that serves everyone.
Taking an offer below your value isn’t strategic career advancement. It’s accepting less than you deserve and starting a new role already compromised.
The Non-Negotiable Rule for Professional Women
Whatever your current comfort level with pushing back, commit to this: never, under any circumstances, disclose your previous or current salary to a recruiter. This single practice is fundamental to women’s career negotiation advice we provide.
Your previous salary reflects a different role with different responsibilities, potentially years of being underpaid due to the gender pay gap, and what someone else decided you were worth, not what you are worth.
When you’re negotiating your worth, you’re establishing the foundation for everything that follows: your lifestyle, your retirement, your financial security, your sense of value. This conversation matters.
If you need support navigating these situations and communicating with power when faced with highly trained negotiators, Women of Agency’s career negotiation coaching gives you the frameworks, language, and confidence to advocate for yourself effectively. We specialise in helping mid-to-senior level women master negotiation strategies that transform their earning potential.
Because you deserve compensation that reflects your actual value, not your salary history.
