Ricardo Salvado had never written a LinkedIn post. One phone call changed that. His story is a recruiter experience Portugal job seekers may find painfully familiar, and it touches a nerve a lot of candidates share.
Two weeks of CVs and one friendly email
About two weeks ago, Ricardo started sending out CVs and switched on LinkedIn Open to Work. Replies came in, including an email from a Randstad Portugal recruiter proposing a short chat.
The first call happened on September 25th. They went through his career path and a few open roles that might fit. One stood out: a position at Indra Group, which looked like a strong match for his background.
Then the call took a turn.
The question that stopped him cold
“What is your least salary?”
Not salary expectation. Least. Ricardo was stunned, and consider what he knew at that point. Nothing about the client, the project, the responsibilities, the seniority inside the team or the reporting line. He had only worked out that it was a migration project, and even that stayed vague.
Naming a number with so little context is like bidding at an auction without seeing what’s on the table.
He said so: without knowing the proposed package, moving forward made no sense. The recruiter said he would check with his superior and call back on the 28th.
Round two, with a nod to European law
The follow-up came on October 6th. The answer was that this is standard procedure, and the recruiter really needed the rock-bottom figure.
Ricardo declined again and brought up the recent European Pay Transparency Directive. The reply was that it hasn’t yet been transposed into Portuguese law. Technically true. Ricardo then said that under these conditions he wouldn’t continue, and the recruiter warned he’d be missing the opportunity.
Ricardo laughed, said thank you and hung up.
The UK way: show the range first
Ricardo has worked in the United Kingdom, where the routine was simple. The company states an annual figure or a salary range up front. His logic is hard to argue with: if a budget exists for the role, why should the candidate be the first to name a price?
He imagines a different opener: “We’re talking X–Y. Does that work for you?”
Short, honest, quick. It would save time for recruiters and candidates alike. And if you’re browsing tech jobs, you’ve probably wished more listings worked this way.
Is it policy or one process?
Ricardo ends his post with a direct question to Randstad Portugal. Is this company policy, or just how this particular process was handled? Only the agency can answer, but the question is fair.
What you can take from this
If you’re in the middle of a job hunt, a few habits can help:
- Ask about the role, project and package before you name any figures.
- Write down dates and what was said, as Ricardo clearly did.
- Mention pay transparency calmly, without turning the call into a debate.
Practices also differ between technology companies, so one awkward call doesn’t tell you how every employer works. When you’re scanning roles on the devs.com.pt website, remember that a first call goes both ways. You’re evaluating them too, and a good process should make that easy.
Related News