Job candidate calls out 'the salary number guessing game from hell' that's part of interviewing

It's no secret that most employees are being offered pathetic compensation despite working long hours. Even when employers pretend to care, their behavior changes when it comes to salary and they simply refuse to give decent wages. u/symphonicstrings shared a post titled, "I failed the salary number guessing game." The post has become quite popular on the site, gaining 9.9k upvotes and 1.2k comments.

The individual shared that they had just completed their third interview for a finance-related job whose recruitment process spanned over two months. Fortunately, they were able to perform well during the first two interviews. Upon getting to the last stage, the individual decided to inquire about the salary offered for the position. The interviewer replied, "Sorry, we can't tell you that; it's confidential and could damage us if it got into the hands of our competitors. I'm sure you understand. What is a figure you'd be comfortable with?"

Since the job required the individual to work a very arduous 60 hours a week, they felt that it was only fair to be paid $60K a year. The interviewer's face went "sour" on hearing this and she said that the company wouldn't be able to give that much. The candidate was willing to compromise, so they told her that they would settle for $50k in a year and be content knowing that they got a job after graduation. However, the interviewer gave the strangest reply, saying, "That's in line with our range, but the problem is, you already gave your number, and you can't take that back. I can tell this won't work out, so we're going to be pursuing other candidates at this time. Thank you so much for coming."

The individual was deeply frustrated with the employer's guessing game when it came to salary. They also mentioned how interviewers in the previous rounds, including the lady who turned them down, were sure they would perform at the job. People in the comment section were just as shocked by the interviewer's behavior and put down their suggestions. u/JesusOnaBlueBike said, "So $16/hour is their number for BA in Finance? I would say you dodged a bullet. That's starting pay for retail in a major market." u/zingingcutie35 pointed out, "They make you do that because if you're willing to work for even less than what they can pay you, they want to pay you less."

This particular incident serves as one of many red flags that candidates can look for when attending interviews. Reddit user u/Snoo-87328 shared a story about how they attended an interview where the interviewer came in extremely late. The individual shared that they arrived at the spot five minutes early and saw many other candidates who had been waiting for a long time. The interview was supposed to happen at 13:30 but took place at 14:45.

Such a glaring lack of punctuality proved to be a big red flag for the individual, so they wished the employer luck with the remaining applicants and left the office. They also mentioned how the scenario would be much different if a candidate had been late for a job interview. To make matters worse, there was no communication or apology from the hiring team about the delay. Such incidents highlight how candidates should be alert when applying and interviewing for jobs.