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After almost six weeks of the selection process and four rounds of interviews, a candidate reported receiving a salary offer about 15% below the initially discussed range, remained silent for 30 seconds, and ended up getting $12,000 more, plus a hiring bonus.
Recently, after almost six weeks and four stages of selection, a candidate reported turning a salary offer below the agreed amount into a larger package by remaining silent during the negotiation, an episode that went viral on Reddit and divided opinions on the risks and effectiveness of the tactic.
A candidate received a salary offer about 15% below the range discussed in the first contact with the recruiter and, by remaining silent for 30 seconds, secured $12,000 more and a hiring bonus.
Silence marked the final phase of the negotiation
The case gained attention after being reported by the candidate himself in a Reddit post. He stated that he reached the final conversation after almost six weeks of the selection process, with four rounds of technical and interpersonal interviews.
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At the moment the recruiter presented the numbers, the offer was below the range discussed in the initial screening. Instead of justifying why he deserved higher pay, the candidate decided not to respond immediately.
The pause lasted about half a minute. He described the silence as one of the most uncomfortable moments of his professional life, but maintained the strategy during the call.
Initial offer was below the agreed range
The recruiter was the first to resume the conversation. She mentioned a tight budget and benefits offered by the company but interrupted her own explanation when she realized the candidate remained without verbal reaction.
With the tension of the call, she informed that she would consult the hiring manager to check if there was room for adjustment in the base salary. Ten minutes later, she returned with a higher offer.
The new package included an additional $12,000 and a signing bonus. The candidate stated that the money seemed to appear only when he stopped talking and let the company assess the risk of losing someone already approved in the process.
Candidate defended tactic, but users pointed out risks
In the post, the candidate advised other professionals to adopt a similar stance in the final stages of interviews, especially when faced with offers considered low. For him, negotiation involves resistance, and those who speak first usually give up ground.
The story surpassed 12,000 upvotes on Reddit until the last mentioned update. In the comments, users discussed the strengths and limitations of the tactic.
One participant assessed that companies rely on the candidates’ haste and politeness to prevent long pauses. Another questioned what would happen if the recruiter simply insisted on a direct response without raising the offer.
There were also reports of similar experiences. One user said that when hesitating in front of an offer from a large company, they received a $10,000 increase without having planned the pause as a strategy.
Another commented that they responded only with silence after stating the amount they needed to accept the position. The company, initially resistant, ended up reaching the level considered comfortable by them.
The online reaction also showed that the same pause can be interpreted as confidence, real discomfort, or simple hesitation, depending on the experience of the recruiter and the candidate.
The episode reinforces how the compensation stage can change the outcome of a selection process. Even after successful interviews, the handling of the final conversation can determine whether the offer will be accepted, adjusted, or declined.
Source: ndtv.
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