Recruiter Approaches Candidate and Asks For Expected Salary, Angered By Honest Response

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Jun 21, 2022 12:00 PM EDT

Interviews can be incredibly nerve-wracking experiences, especially since there is usually such a power imbalance between the two parties. Often the interviewee is the one who is desperate to find a role; interviewers know this and use it to their advantage.

A recruiter contacted this 'gig worker' on a job searching platform. They aren't really looking all that hard for anything but are keeping their "eyes open" just in case something more stable comes along. So when the recruiter approached him, he decided to entertain the proposal. When he asked about pay, the recruiter flipped the question back on him and asked what his "expected salary" would be. When he answered and answered truthfully, the recruiter took offense. Obviously, it wasn't what they expected.

The thread was posted to r/antiwork by the 'gig worker,' Redditor u/Main-Yogurtcloset-82. They posted the topic to the popular subreddit to share their story.

Commenters were quick to condemn the recruiter's audacity and shared their own recruitment horror stories.