Post by Zeeshan Ahmed

A candidate just cost himself a job offer this week. Not because he was unqualified. Because he doubled his number after the interview. Here is what happened. We agreed the salary. We agreed the budget. He saw the JD. He said yes to everything before walking in. Then he sat in front of the client. Heard the scope. And came back saying the role is bigger than the JD so he deserves twice the salary. The client liked him. The client could not match the new number. The budget was fixed weeks ago. Now nobody wins. The client lost a candidate they wanted to hire. We look bad to the client like we did not screen properly. The candidate thinks we hid details from him. And the offer is gone. Here is the truth nobody told this candidate. If the role in the interview sounds bigger than the JD, raise it in the interview. Or right after. Have a conversation. Do not wait for the offer stage and double your number. That is not negotiation. That is an ultimatum. In the Gulf the recruiter community is small. We talk. This story will follow him to the next interview and the one after that. The number you agree before the interview is the number. If you want to push higher, bring data. Market rates. Your last salary. What the role pays elsewhere. Not a feeling that you deserve more. You probably do deserve more. But the way you ask for it is what gets you the job or loses it.