The user revealed that the approach paid off, as after some back-and-forth, the employer increased the offer by $12,000 to close the gap.
A job seeker has shared how using a high-stakes negotiating tactic landed them a salary bump of $12,000 (around 11.5 lakhs). In a Reddit post, the professional revealed the tactic involved holding firm on salary expectations and letting the employer make the next move, even when it felt uncomfortable. The candidate described it as “a game of chicken”, which in this case was refusing to lower the number first and waiting to see if the company would meet it or walk away. Discussing the “marathon hiring process”, the user revealed that it took nearly six weeks and four rounds of interviews, and when they got to the final call with the recruiter, they were already “exhausted and just wanted to see the numbers”.
“When she finally dropped the offer, it was a classic lowball move,’ the user wrote in the r/jobsearchhacks forum. “It was about fifteen percent lower than the range we discussed in the first screening call. Usually this is where people start stuttering or trying to justify why they deserve more but I decided to try something different this time. I just stayed completely silent.”
The user revealed that the approach paid off. After some back-and-forth, the employer increased the offer by $12,000 to close the gap.
“Companies spend thousands of dollars on these hiring cycles and the last thing a recruiter wants is to lose their top candidate over a few grand right at the finish line. They rely on you being desperate or polite. If you treat the offer call like a technical bug that needs a fix instead of a social interaction, you win,” the user wrote.
“Don’t explain yourself and don’t make excuses for why you need more money. Just shut up and let them realise they are about to lose a month of work because they wanted to save a few bucks on your salary. It is a game of chicken, and the person who talks first usually loses.”
The users must also consider that this kind of negotiation works best when the candidate has strong leverage, like competing offers, in-demand skills, or a critical role to fill. Without that, pushing too hard can risk the offer entirely.
Social media reaction
The story sparked debate online about negotiation norms, with some calling it a smart strategy and others issuing warnings, and alleging that it might backfire. “It is wild how the budget suddenly appears out of thin air once they realise you aren’t desperate. They bank on candidates being too polite to let a silence hang for more than two seconds,” one pointed out.
“The budget for hiring is always greater than the budget for retention. If they only offer a 2-3% increase during the salary negotiation, then they are low-balling. Without a promotion, your hiring salary is going to be your only time to negotiate for higher pay,” another user shared their perspective.