A LinkedIn post has gone viral after a personal branding expert claimed that a candidate turned down a Rs 20 lakh per annum (LPA) job offer following a three-week-long interview process, highlighting how unclear salary discussions can lead to hiring breakdowns.
According to the post, the company had advertised the position with the term “competitive salary” without specifying a fixed compensation range.
The recruiter later admitted this was an oversight, writing, “It was entirely my fault. We posted the role with ‘competitive salary’.”
He explained that the candidate progressed through multiple stages of interviews, with no discussion on compensation at any point. After nearly three weeks of evaluations, the company finally made an offer of Rs 20 LPA.
However, the candidate countered with an expectation of Rs 28 LPA, which the company was unable to meet. “That is when I realised what had happened,” the recruiter noted in the post, reflecting on the mismatch.
The post further highlighted how job titles and salary expectations can vary significantly across companies. The recruiter pointed out that a “Senior Manager” role, even with similar naming conventions, may carry very different compensation structures across organisations.
He also admitted that both sides had made assumptions throughout the process without clarifying expectations. “Nobody discussed actual salary for three weeks,” he wrote, adding that this gap ultimately led to the breakdown.
Calling it a mistake, the recruiter said the entire process, from multiple interview rounds to selecting a strong candidate, ended in wasted effort due to the lack of early salary alignment.
Following the experience, he added that he has now revised his hiring strategy and ensures salary ranges are mentioned upfront in job postings to avoid similar situations in the future.
