Employee earning Rs 14 LPA asked for Rs 18 LPA. Recruiter agreed, but candidate still got rejected. Delhi entrepreneur shares why

A candidate had the experience a recruiter wanted, agreed on the salary and was seemingly a perfect fit for the role. Yet, the hiring conversation ended abruptly over one issue: her 90-day notice period. Delhi-based entrepreneur Kanika Jain shared the exchange on X, highlighting what she believes is a growing problem in the job market. According to Jain, long notice periods are not only making job searches harder for employees but could also be creating problems for companies trying to hire quickly.

Candidate's salary wasn't the problem

Jain shared a hypothetical recruiter conversation that began smoothly. The recruiter asked about the candidate's experience, to which she replied that she had four years of experience. The recruiter responded positively. The next question was about her current CTC and salary expectations. The candidate said she was earning Rs 14 lakh per annum and expected Rs 18 lakh. Again, the recruiter had no objection.

The problem emerged when the recruiter asked how soon she could join. The candidate said she had a 90-day notice period. The recruiter then explained that the company needed someone sooner. The candidate pointed out the irony, asking why she was being rejected for a 90-day notice period when the hiring company's own notice period was also 90 days. “Call ends,” Jain wrote.

Why 90-day notice periods are becoming a hiring headache

Jain argued that the issue goes beyond one candidate. She said it is becoming increasingly difficult for job seekers because even people who are a strong fit for a position can be rejected simply because they cannot join immediately.


But she believes companies may also be hurting themselves by maintaining lengthy notice periods. According to Jain, long notice periods can create frustration on both sides. She has also noticed what she described as a “tit-for-tat attitude” among some job seekers.

Job seekers may start looking for multiple offers

Jain pointed to a recent example from her own clients. She said three of her clients received offer letters in the same week, while two of them were already “aggressively looking for more offer letters” despite having secured good salary hikes.

Jain suggested that companies could face even greater challenges if the notice-period issue is not addressed. Her argument is that when employees know they may have to wait months before joining a new company, they may be more inclined to secure multiple options rather than commit to one offer.

Jain suggests shorter notice periods based on tenure

Rather than having a blanket 90-day notice period for everyone, Jain proposed that companies create policies based on an employee's tenure and seniority. She suggested a notice period of 15 to 30 days for employees with less than three to five years of experience. For employees with six to 10 years of experience, she proposed 30 to 45 days.


For employees with longer tenures and those in senior leadership roles, Jain suggested a notice period of 45 to 60 days. The idea, she argued, would allow companies to retain some flexibility for senior positions while making it easier for newer employees to move between jobs. Jain's criticism was blunt. After outlining her proposed approach, she concluded that “a 90-day notice period should be a crime.”