Techie was hired by Gurgaon company with 33% hike. Two days before joining, he sent an email about his 'personal boundary' and a new demand. Founder shares the email

A startup founder recently sparked a heated discussion online after describing an unpleasant hiring experience. The incident quickly attracted attention on the subreddit Indian Workplace, where users debated the ethics of salary negotiations and job offers.

Hiring Deal That Fell Apart

The controversy began when Jasveer Singh, an entrepreneur based in Gurgaon, posted about a candidate who had initially accepted a job offer but later withdrew at the last moment. Singh explained that he had interviewed a backend developer who was earning an annual salary of ₹21 lakh. After evaluating the candidate, his company proposed a compensation package of ₹28 lakh per year, which represented an increase of roughly one-third over the candidate’s existing pay.

According to Singh, the developer verbally accepted the offer and confirmed that he would join the company after completing the notice period at his current workplace. Based on this commitment, the company stopped evaluating other applicants and waited for the candidate’s joining date.


However, the situation changed shortly before the expected start date. Singh revealed that just two days before joining, the candidate sent an email informing the company that he had secured a better-paying opportunity elsewhere. The developer had reportedly received an offer of ₹32 lakh annually from another organisation and now wanted Singh’s company to raise its proposal further to ₹36 lakh if they still wanted him to join.

Singh expressed frustration about the situation, arguing that the candidate should have been transparent earlier if he was still exploring other opportunities. From his perspective, agreeing to the offer and then renegotiating at the final stage disrupted the hiring process and wasted the company’s time.

Debate Spreads Online

The post quickly gained traction on social media, attracting massive engagement. Within a short period, the message collected more than 4.5 million views and around 3,500 likes. The discussion also spilled over to the Indian Workplace subreddit, where users began sharing their own experiences and opinions about salary negotiations.

Many commenters sympathised with employees who continue exploring better opportunities even after accepting an offer. One user argued that professionals should never allow companies to undermine their confidence or undervalue their skills. According to the commenter, job seekers must understand their market worth and refuse to settle for compensation that does not match their abilities.

Another Reddit participant shared a similar experience from their own job search. The user recalled being told that their salary expectations were excessive and that their current employer already paid according to market standards. The commenter responded by questioning why anyone would look for another job if their present organisation truly offered competitive pay for long-term employees.