Red flags that suggest a job posting doesn’t offer a 'competitive salary' as it claims, recruiters say

Job postings that claim to offer a "competitive salary" are on the rise, putting more onus on job seekers to suss out how much money they can expect from a new role.

While you can figure out the salary range after a conversation or two, you might not want to get too far without having an idea, in case what's on offer isn't anything near what you're willing to accept.

If you're at the start of a hiring process without pay clarity, there may be early indications that the promise of a "competitive salary" is an empty one. Here are some red flags to watch out for in your conversations with recruiters and hiring managers.

One red flag is when a recruiter is unwilling to discuss compensation, says Bonnie Dilber, a recruiting leader at software company Zapier.

Other actions that set off alarm bells: When a hiring manager says they don't talk about salary because they don't want that to influence a candidate's interest, and an employer asking for your salary expectations while refusing to disclose their range.

"I wouldn't eliminate a potential employer based solely on a lack of salary transparency, but I would expect them to talk openly about this in the interview process," Dilber says.

There can be a few good reasons why a company doesn't provide a ballpark salary figure early in the hiring process, says Jeff Hyman, an executive recruiter of 28 years.

The employer might not have seen enough candidates to land on a salary range, or the person speaking to you may not be the decision-maker and might need their boss's approval before throwing out a number, he says.

But if the company continues to evade the pay conversation after multiple interviews, that's a clear red flag, according to Hyman. 

It may mean the employer still has no idea