I want to be clear that I understand that this happens more often than not.
I've been working with the Vice President of Finance at my company to hire a manager level position. I was in a meeting with him to gather a few more details about what he was looking for in a candidate.
For the most part, all the qualifications seemed very relevant and reasonable. I originally chose to work at this company because they had a more laid-back corporate culture – meaning that I wouldn't be burned at the stake for every minor error. I still have my fair share of issues with corporate America.
Finally, we get to salary. I didn't see what document/website the vice president was referencing, but he vocalized that this role would fall into xyz percentile (I forgot the exact number he read, only the next point), which placed the candidate below the median pay for the position.
For more context, my company profits in hundreds of millions of dollars a year. We're headquartered in a major East Coast City, with some of the highest living expenses in the country. On top of all that, we're looking for a seasoned manager.
It's sickens me how easy this decision was. The vice president gave a quick look and decided that this role needed to be under the median threshold. I wouldn't consider it a competitive option, although we're supposed to treat it as such.
SMH this crap is insane