Debate: Should hiring algorithms consider past salary data? I spent $300 on an audit tool that showed bias

I just paid $300 for an algorithm audit tool to check how a hiring system screened resumes for a job I applied to. The tool flagged that my previous salary of $45k was being used to rank me lower, even though the new role had a higher pay band. Honestly, I'm torn on whether past salary data should ever be in these systems. On one hand, it helps companies predict your expected salary and budget better. On the other hand, it locks you into your old pay and can keep underpaid groups down. I also read that some states are banning salary history questions in interviews, but algorithms still scrape it from public data. What do you all think about this? Has anyone else seen an algorithm use your salary history against you?

3 comments

3 Comments

paige_owens51mo ago

Yes @viola_lopez30 is right, I paid the same and used my report to challenge the company and they actually adjusted my score.

viola_lopez301mo ago

My $300 audit tool showed the SAME exact thing for a job I applied to back in March. It flagged that my $52k salary from 2022 was pulling down my score even though the posting said $70k to $90k. I called the company's HR and they admitted the algorithm pulled salary data from a public database, not even from my resume. Honestly, if you can afford it, pay the $300 and then use that report to push back on the hiring team or file a complaint if you're in a state that bans salary history. It's a mess but at least you have proof now.

king.eric1mo ago

Well, I guess I'm the only one who thinks paying $300 to prove an algorithm is bad is kind of a waste. You already know the system is broken, why give them more money to confirm it? If that salary data was from a public database, you could probably look it up yourself for free instead of paying for some fancy audit report. And expecting HR to actually change anything based on your paid report feels optimistic at best, they'll just nod and move on to the next candidate. Seems like the real winner here is the company selling the audit tool, not the person getting the job.