A job seeker has sparked a viral discussion on Reddit after walking out of a final-round interview with a Fortune 500 company, because no one, not even the Vice President, would talk money. In a now-viral post, the candidate explained that he was interviewing for a mid-level data analytics role and had cleared three interview rounds and completed a take-home project. But after four rounds, one question remained unanswered: What’s the salary?
What started as polite corporate deflection quickly became jarring and concerning at one point. The post read, “Every earlier round was great—good rapport, challenging technical questions, lots of “we love your background!” vibes. But there was one red flag: nobody would give me even a range on compensation. Round 1 (recruiter screen): “We’re still benchmarking the position”; Round 2 (hiring manager): “Let’s make sure you’re a fit first—then we’ll talk numbers”; Round 3 (panel): “Oh, HR owns that conversation. They’ll cover it next time”; Round 4 (director + VP): same song, fourth verse.”
By that point, the candidate had had enough. “I’m excited about the role,” he told the VP, “but after four interviews and a take-home project, I need to know the compensation range to confirm we’re in the same ballpark.” The VP in a cryptic response said, “That’s confidential until the offer stage.”
Exit, stage left
The candidate politely thanked the VP, paused the call and walked away. Still, he admitted feeling torn. “Part of me wonders if candidates should start doing this en masse so companies can’t keep playing ‘guess the number’ at the finish line,” he wrote.
The internet, however, was all in. “If they’re not sharing, it’s going to be lower than you hope,” wrote one user. “You shouldn’t go to any interview without at least a ballpark,” added another.
Others pointed out the strategic delay. Companies often drag salary talks until candidates are emotionally invested and more likely to accept less. As one commenter summed it up, “The longer you dance, the harder it is to walk away. And they know it.”
Turns out, salary silence speaks volumes.
