Offer shopping is not a new phenomenon. But, what happens when it takes place the very last moment. A viral post by a startup founder has led to conversations about hiring ethics and salary negotiations in the tech industry, after he shared an experience involving a candidate who asked for a higher pay package just days before joining.
The discussion began when Jasveer Singh, co-founder and CEO of KnotDating, described the incident on LinkedIn leading to strong reactions from users who were divided over whether the candidate’s actions were fair. In his post, Singh explained that the developer was earning Rs 21 lakh per annum (LPA) at his previous job. KnotDating offered him Rs 28 LPA, which represented roughly a 33 percent salary hike. According to Singh, the candidate accepted the offer and confirmed the joining date. However, the situation changed shortly before the expected start date.
He further added, “Guy was at 21 LPA. We offered 28 LPA, roughly a 33 percent hike. He agreed and confirmed joining. Yesterday he emailed saying he got a 32 LPA offer elsewhere and now wants 36 LPA from us.” Singh said the request came at a difficult moment because the company had already paused its hiring process after the candidate confirmed the offer.
Why the founder said he was frustrated
Explaining his frustration, Singh said the company had stopped interviewing other candidates and waited through the developer’s notice period. “Nonsense. Why agree in the first place. If you are still shopping offers just say it upfront. We stopped interviewing other candidates and waited through the notice period for the joining date.”
He added that the request for a revised salary came only two days before the developer was expected to start work. “Now two days before joining, he came back with a new price tag,” he concluded his post. Singh also shared a screenshot of the candidate’s email, in which the developer requested a revised compensation package of ₹36 LPA.
Internet splits over who is right
Many users had differing views on the situation. Some people defended the developer, arguing that negotiating better offers is normal in a competitive tech job market.
“What’s wrong with this? Candidate has all rights to negotiate. He has skills that are in demand. This is capitalism world , companies do the same – re-org, firing, etc.” one user wrote. Another user joked about the strategy behind the negotiation. “He used your 28lpa offer to get 32 lpa and using that 32 lpa to get to 36 lpa.. Calculative and smart.”
Others pointed out that salary negotiations should ideally happen before accepting a job offer. “There is nothing wrong with negotiation. The problem is doing it after agreeing and confirming the joining date. Negotiation should happen before the commitment, not after it. It’s like saying that after getting engaged, your fiancé is still going out on dates.”
A common problem in the IT hiring market
Some users also said the issue reflects a wider pattern in the technology sector, especially in India where long notice periods often lead candidates to explore multiple offers simultaneously.
“Market is competitive and this is a common issue especially in IT sector that most people are shopping offers while serving notice. It has to be fixed within system only – may be, a less notice period clause rather having as high as 3 months, solve at some extent,” one user wrote.
Others suggested practical steps employers could take to avoid similar situations in the future. “Next time take their signatures on job agreements, that is the only thing that can uphold in courts,” a user suggested.