They tried to rescind offer after I tried negotiating twice?

Anonymous

October 26,2023 at 4:15AM UTC

Welcome to Fairygodboss!

We’re the largest online career community helping women achieve their career goals. Gain access to articles, jobs, events, and a supportive network of women and allies. Membership is free, always.

They tried to rescind offer after I tried negotiating twice?

I am a ball of anxiety right now. After six months of looking for a job, I finally got an offer from a dream one. It's remote with a graphic designer title I've been aiming for. I tried to negotiate a higher salary, based off of industry standard of work experience and cost of living. They hard declined. I asked again for a range that was mentioned within the job description range or additional PTO. They then send a reply reiterating that is the budget and sorry this didn't work out and good luck in my endeavors. I immediately apologized for the misunderstanding and stated that I will accept offer as is.

I've been nothing but gracious in my emails. Even researching and asking my peers on how to write them. During the interviews, I connected with everyone so well and everyone was nice. Why the sudden scare tactic?? Is negotiating twice with different asks too much?? Has anyone experienced this?

Why women love us:

Daily articles on career topics
Jobs at companies dedicated to hiring more women
Advice and support from an authentic community
Events that help you level up in your career
Free membership, always

8 comments

Share your insight

Join an authentic community that helps women support each other at work. Share your professional experience or ask for advice — you can even post anonymously.

8 Comments

Join the conversation

AnonymousOctober 26,2023 at 11:03AM UTC
I think the second negotiation gave them the mindset that you would leave at the first "better" opportunity. My team is given the pay and benefits if hired up front. If they agree and come in for an interview, there is no room for negotiations.
AnonymousOctober 26,2023 at 2:25PM UTC
Take this as a sign that you probably dodged a bullet. There is nothing wrong with what you did, and you're probably avoiding a toxic workplace.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistOctober 26,2023 at 7:00PM UTC
I'm really sorry this has happened to you.
Can you please describe how compensation was discussed during the interview process - from the beginning to when you got to the offer stage.
REGARDING: "I tried to negotiate a higher salary, based off of industry standard of work experience and cost of living. "
While industry standards and COL info is good data to have, in the end those things don't really matter.
It's doesn't really matter what other companies pay for that position in that location - what matters is what the company you're interviewing with is willing to pay.
I have seen many people negotiate themselves right out of an offer and it's the reason that I recommend candidates start these conversations with some variation of "do we have any wiggle room" or "is there any room for negotiation here". Personally, I don't see the point of trying to negotiate if they have already made their best and final offer.
Regarding PTO - in every company I've worked for, PTO is company policy and the same for everyone.
In reality, in most companies, very few things are negotiable. Base salary, sign-on bonus and start date - but most of the rest of it is company policy.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
AnonymousOctober 27,2023 at 3:55PM UTC
It's not clear from your post if the offer they made was below the posted range and you were asking for something within the range, or if the offer was within the range and you asked for more within the same range. After they hard declined the first time, that was your indication that the offer as it stood was best and final. Unfortunate that you weren't able to secure an offer at the higher end of the posted range, but if the offer was within range, you needed to make your decision on whether or not to accept after the first "hard decline". They likely rescinded the offer because they believe you'll continue looking and will jump ship at the first opportunity. Yes, negotiating should be an expected part of the process, but it needs to be done in good faith. As gracious as you may have been, not accepting "no" as an answer didn't leave a good impression. I'm sorry this happened to you.
AnonymousNovember 1,2023 at 6:57PM UTC
yes, it happened to me once. It comes down to the recruiter actually some are really harsh and bad. Right now the market is tough so recruiters have plenty of people lined up to take the job at the marketed salary. Sorry it worked out that way for you. I would recommend negotiating over phone whenever you get a chance.
Amy Carissa OliverNovember 3,2023 at 12:52PM UTC
There are some gaps here, as other posters have stated. Was the salary offered below what was posted or within that range?
I also want to tell you that a company can rescind their offer to you at any point during negotiations just as you are free to decline the offer. It’s been mentioned you “dodged a bullet” or “gave them a mindset you’d leave” and I don’t agree with either of these things. I also disagree with your thinking that it was a scare tactic. The hiring and negotiation process is always a time when a business and a candidate are deciding whether it’s a good match.
The recruiter told you no (hard declined) when you tried to negotiate, and you tried again anyway. That was a calculated risk on your part and it didn’t turn out the way you had hoped. The company decided it wasn’t going to be a good fit. It’s unclear whether you ended up with the job.
Some tips for negotiating:
- Come in with options. “the salary is a bit lower than expected. Can we discuss this or some of the other benefits perks? I am really keen to come on board and to be focused entirely on this new opportunity.”
- If they decline one ask respectfully ask if there are other areas that are flexible. “I totally understand on the salary. Are there other areas we can discuss that make sense? Maybe working 2-3 extra vacation days per year or an increased PD fund?”
- Research a bit to know what you can ask for. I just instructed someone yesterday that “that company can’t negotiate your salary and they can’t give you relocation BUT they CAN give you a recruitment bonus.” If they’d have asked for relo they’d have simply been told no and the recruiter wouldn’t have told them about the bonus.
- and you can always ask about these things. “I understand that we can’t xyz. Is there anything we can do to come closer to my expectation?”
But critically remember that at any point they can back out, just like you can. Nothing they did is a red flag to me based on the information we have. It seems that they simply understood you didn’t want the job if they weren’t negotiating.
Rochelle TurnerNovember 8,2023 at 9:07PM UTC
I agree with most of what has been stated - the attempt to negotiate when they made it clear their offer was final was probably not the best choice.
Things to keep in mind for future - there are other areas that companies are willing to negotiate. I want to address a comment rather said few things are negotiable (including PTO) and I disagree. I was specifically able to negotiate greater PTO than the company standard. Additionally other recommendations including a recruitment or sign on bonus or personal development budget are great alternatives.
AnonymousMarch 6,2024 at 10:06PM UTC
What an embarrassing and disgusting reply. Telling someone "learn to shut your mouth and accept" on a women's forum?? Despicable.
This is exactly why the gender pay gap exists. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with negotiating, and this person dodged a bullet with this bad employer.