There are NO pros. None at all. The recruiter has nothing to lose in asking the following questions. But has a lot to gain. If 50% of people answer the questions then thats a big win for the recruiter with almost zero effort involved:
1) How much are you currently paid?
2) How much are you looking for?
All that can happen is it opens the possibility of them putting a low-ball offer to you. Ie. less than what they were planning on offering. Recruitments fully expect people not to answer (1) but there is no harm to them in attempting to fish for an answer.
For (2), the key thing to remember is that the first people to give any numbers loses! The recruiter knows this. You should too. Your goal should be to ask what the salary range is BEFORE they ask you how much you are looking for. If they refuse to give you an answer, then it becomes a lot easier to refuse to give them an answer when they ask.
Quite often recruiters will try and avoid this situation by asking you how much you are looking for very early in the conversation. Even within the first 2-3 minutes. You need to shrug this off with "Well, I need to find out more about what the job entails before I can answer that". If they are insistant then give them a broad range with a large top end that is so unspecific it is of little use to them.
Key points:
1) Never tell them how much you are earning. Its none of their business. They expect you not to answer this but might push. Act like you've heard it a 1000 times before with a slight "eye roll" (I know that you know I'm not going to answer this) tone.
2) First person who provides an answer loses.
3) Never talk in exact figures. Always use ranges with a bias towards the top-end.
4) Expect recruiters to fish for answers but know that you are not going to answer - they are used to being fobbed off.
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There are NO pros. None at all. The recruiter has nothing to lose in asking the following questions. But has a lot to gain. If 50% of people answer the questions then thats a big win for the recruiter with almost zero effort involved:
1) How much are you currently paid?
2) How much are you looking for?
All that can happen is it opens the possibility of them putting a low-ball offer to you. Ie. less than what they were planning on offering. Recruitments fully expect people not to answer (1) but there is no harm to them in attempting to fish for an answer.
For (2), the key thing to remember is that the first people to give any numbers loses! The recruiter knows this. You should too. Your goal should be to ask what the salary range is BEFORE they ask you how much you are looking for. If they refuse to give you an answer, then it becomes a lot easier to refuse to give them an answer when they ask.
Quite often recruiters will try and avoid this situation by asking you how much you are looking for very early in the conversation. Even within the first 2-3 minutes. You need to shrug this off with "Well, I need to find out more about what the job entails before I can answer that". If they are insistant then give them a broad range with a large top end that is so unspecific it is of little use to them.
Key points:
1) Never tell them how much you are earning. Its none of their business. They expect you not to answer this but might push. Act like you've heard it a 1000 times before with a slight "eye roll" (I know that you know I'm not going to answer this) tone.
2) First person who provides an answer loses.
3) Never talk in exact figures. Always use ranges with a bias towards the top-end.
4) Expect recruiters to fish for answers but know that you are not going to answer - they are used to being fobbed off.