Employer Says Techie Demands Unreasonable Salary Hike, Netizens Call Out 'Colonial' Mentality

Netizens pointed out that if the company’s budget fits the ask, the previous salary of a candidate should not be the point of conversation.

One of the users called for pay transparency and blamed the employer for being 'stuck in the colonial era'.

Source : Freepik

With the world becoming costlier every day and inflation failing to adhere to the typical industry-standard salary hikes, individuals nowadays are hoping that a job switch might help them correct their salary. 

The common salaried employee today is trying to manage the aspirations of a growing economy along with the corporate environment and outlook around wages.

This gap got further highlighted when an employer shared his experience of interviewing a candidate for a tech role. While the individual didn’t reveal much about the qualifications of the candidate, what stood out according to him was the ask from the potential employee.

Sharing the details in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, a user called Bhandari, said that the candidate was earning Rs 8 lakh per annum and wanted a jump to Rs 19 lakh per annum. Bhandari said that this jump was unreasonable and hampers the chances of an individual.

“A guy we interviewed for a tech role was getting Rs. 8 LPA and asked us for Rs. 19 LPA!! Dreaming big is ok but asking for such a big jump without being able to justify it kills one's chances of getting selected. Maybe such candidates are happy in their current role and will only switch if they get a big hike,” he wrote.

However, his post was received with a lot of criticism. Netizens pointed out that if the company’s budget fits the ask, the previous salary of a candidate should not be the point of conversation.

One user commented, “If you have decided you want to hire this person, then what they currently make is immaterial.you have a budget, you have an assessment process to determine *if* you want to hire them and *what level*. Based on those two, make the best offer you can. Job done.”

Others also called out the 'toxic' culture prevalent among recruiters and companies. One of the users called for pay transparency and blamed the employer for being 'stuck in the colonial era'. "I would say the candidate dodged a bullet here. Companies who value their employees pay them based on their skills and the company's budget for that role, NOT based on their last CTC. This toxic culture among recruiters has to stop and I'm glad to see this person being called out for it," the person noted.