Surviving on Rs 12K? Job applicant calls out HR’s shocking salary claim

A disgruntled Reddit member recently turned to the Indian Workplace subreddit to highlight what he described as an unreasonably low salary proposal from a company he had approached for employment. He uploaded a screenshot of a WhatsApp exchange with the recruiter to illustrate his experience and explain why he chose not to proceed further with the opportunity.

In the shared chat, the recruiter initially asked whether he could come in for a face-to-face meeting at their office on Monday at 2 pm. The position discussed was for a trainee recruiter role. In response, the candidate acknowledged the message politely but expressed concern about the compensation being offered. He pointed out that a monthly pay range of around twenty to twenty-five thousand rupees felt far below prevailing industry norms, especially considering the high cost of living in Bengaluru. According to him, such an income would barely cover basic survival expenses in the city.

The recruiter replied in a manner that surprised many readers. Instead of reconsidering the compensation, the recruiter stated that there were individuals managing with salaries as low as twelve thousand rupees for the same trainee recruiter role. The recruiter further claimed that the general market baseline for such positions began at fifteen thousand rupees per month. The candidate found this justification inappropriate and responded that presenting the fact that people were somehow managing on twelve thousand as though it were an achievement did not make the offer any more acceptable. He implied that struggling to get by on such a modest income should not be framed as a positive point.


The post quickly attracted attention from other Reddit users, many of whom supported the candidate’s stance. Several commenters reassured him that declining the offer was the right decision and that he had sacrificed nothing of value while preserving his peace of mind. One participant remarked that if the hiring team displayed such questionable judgment during recruitment, it raised concerns about how unhealthy or exploitative the internal work culture might be. Another user sarcastically questioned where exactly someone could realistically sustain themselves on twelve thousand rupees a month, suggesting that such an amount would hardly be sufficient for dignified living in a metropolitan city.

The discussion soon evolved into a broader debate about wage standards, corporate attitudes, and the growing disconnect between salary offers and urban living expenses.