Would you choose the Fancy Title or the Attractive Salary?

As an unfortunate byproduct of ‘economic downsizing’, there is a new trick doing the corporate rounds. New salary arrangements are lower than before or remain staid and packages’ and perks have either shrunk or disappeared.

Luckily for the job seeker or those fancying a fresh challenge, employers are recruiting. If purses are closed and belts tightened, what exactly can an organisation tempt a senior executive with?

Here’s the ruse. They’ll play on your ego and offer you the big title, something that looks great on a business card and makes you feel, let’s face it, more important than you are going to be. It’s human nature to want a suitably impressive job title, but at the expense of what?

It’s highly likely that by accepting the ego boost title above salary, benefits or other perks, you will live to regret your decision.

Truly prestigious can be rare, and in such a job market as we have now, are there not only less such roles, but competition is fierce.

You see, ‘desperation’ for a role, however subtle, is never an attractive trait in a job seeker. Headhunters and recruiters at executive level and above can sniff a ‘compromise’ a mile off.

An inflated title for a deflated salary isn’t going to do you any favours in the long run.

A good job title looks great on a CV or resume, on your card and as an email signature, but for the person going through the day to day responsibilities. It’s very much a ‘cosmetic procedure’ that gives an initial boost to morale, but if this ‘false promotion’ doesn’t really offer the career guidance or progression – or even worse, more work for no extra benefit, than it is a very short and sweet solution to the problem.

Job security, autonomy and opportunities for development and growth all score above job titles as ways to improve the level of satisfaction among workers.

Employees also gain long-term job satisfaction if they get the sense they are valued and cared for in their workplace. The world's human resources, human capital or plain-old personnel managers should know the risks before faffing with job titles.

Despite all the buzzwords in our "new economy", one thing remains certain, a spiffy new job title won't pay the bills.