Employee recounts tense interview where HR compared salary negotiation to haggling at a restaurant: ‘I was shocked...’
An employee shared a bizarre interview where HR said negotiating salary was unprofessional.
An employee shared a bizarre experience during a recent job interview on Reddit, highlighting how interviews have changed over time.
The employee, with eight years of work experience, was exploring new opportunities for better pay while still being employed.
"Interviews have gotten so much weirder," the caption of the post reads.
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Interview takes awkward turn:
According to the post, the first stage of the process seemed straightforward. A recruiter called and mentioned a specific salary, asking if it was suitable. The employee confirmed that it was.
However, things took an unexpected turn during the interview with the HR manager and a department head.
During the discussion on pay, the employee quoted the same figure shared with the recruiter. The HR manager responded that the budget did not match that number, but the employee was open to negotiation.
At this point, the interview took a sharp turn. The HR manager reportedly said, “When you go to a restaurant, do you haggle over the price on the menu? It’s not professional to negotiate.”
Despite the strange encounter, the company later called the employee for the next round. The employee then decided not to move forward with the company.
"I feel like this whole charade was just a power play to try and lowball me on the salary from the start. I was honestly shocked," the employee adds.
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Reddit reacts:
The post quickly drew attention online, with many people expressing disbelief and sharing similar experiences.
Some called the HR’s comparison to restaurant haggling “bizarre” and “unprofessional,” while others praised the employee for standing firm on salary discussions.
One of the users commented, "Should have said no, I don’t haggle, but I certainly may leave and never come back if the prices don’t suffice for my budget".
A second user commented, "That’s really strange and frankly a big red flag."
"They were trying to demean and lowball you all in the same call. Red flag dodged," another user commented.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
