Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Job Seeker Questions CTC Disclosure Request, Internet Divided
A person was talking to a company about getting a new job.
The company asked how much money the person currently earns.
The person did not want to say and instead asked how much the company planned to pay.
The company said the payment depends on the interview and would not share the amount.
The person agreed to talk about money after the technical interview.
The company asked again for the current salary anyway.
The person shared their expected salary instead, and the conversation ended without a reply.
The person posted the conversation online and many people shared opinions.
Some think companies should not ask about old salaries, while others think it saves time.
The discussion shows people disagree about how open salaries should be.
A job seeker on Reddit refused to share their current CTC before an interview, asking instead about the role's salary budget.
The HR representative said the budget could not be disclosed and would depend on the interview.
The candidate gave an expected salary range, but the conversation reportedly ended with no further response from the recruiter.
The post also made unverified claims about requests for original education documents or a ₹40,000 cheque, and laptop-related deposit and tracking requirements.
Reddit users were divided, with some sharing salary details to save time and others arguing pay should reflect the role's value.
- Who
- An anonymous job seeker (Reddit user) and an HR representative from an unnamed company
- What
- A debate over whether employers should ask candidates for their current CTC before interviews while keeping the position's budget confidential
- When
- Not specified in the articles
- Where
- Reddit, following a WhatsApp conversation between the candidate and the recruiter
- Why
- The job seeker argued that current CTC reflects present pay rather than the value or appropriate salary for a new role
Job Seekers
Recruiters
Current CTC disclosure before interview
Job Seekers
Current CTC reflects what a person earns at their present company, not their value; compensation should be based on the role, skills, experience, and value they bring.
Recruiters
Asking for current CTC is an informal recruitment norm used to assess whether a candidate's expectations fit within the company's pay range.
Salary budget transparency
Job Seekers
Companies should disclose the role's budget instead of keeping it confidential while demanding candidates reveal their salary.
Recruiters
Budgets depend on the interview and cannot always be shared upfront; some candidates disclose salaries to avoid rejection at the screening stage and wasted time.
- Platform
- Reddit; conversation conducted over WhatsApp
- Stage
- Pre-screening before the interview
- Recruiter disclosure
- Salary budget not disclosed; said it would depend on the interview
- Candidate response
- Refused to share current CTC; provided an expected salary range
- Outcome
- Conversation ended with no further response from the recruiter
- Unverified claims
- Requests for original education documents or a ₹40,000 cheque; ₹40,000 laptop deposit and time-tracking software on personal laptops
- Currency mentioned
- ₹ (Indian Rupees)