What should I do if the HR of the company behaves this way?

Question

So I got a call from a junior HR of a reputed company regarding a job opportunity that required my skills, they asked about my current CTC(cost-to-company) and my expectations. I gave them a number x and told them it's a fixed and non-negotiable number.

They called me back after a day and scheduled two rounds of telephonic interviews and then scheduled a couple of rounds of face-to-face interviews the following week. After clearing all the technical rounds I had an in-person discussion with the senior HR of the company. He told me that my expectations are a bit on the higher side and whether it's negotiable from my side. I again told him that since I would be moving to a different city where the cost of living is too high I am not ready for negotiation and anything less than x is not acceptable. He also noted down my current CTC and CTC from my previous organization. After taking note he said that they will have a talk internally with the team and get back to me.

After a week the same junior HR that contacted me first told me to send various documents in order to release the offer letter. The list of documents included scanned copies of all my personal details including degree certificates, mark sheets, identity card, Aadhar(SSN equivalent in India), PAN card, offer letter from my current organization, offer letter from the previous organization, salary slips from my current and previous organizations, etc. We can say that the list included all my personal and confidential data.

It took me a couple of days to send them all the documents including filled and signed "About Me" form. Soon after I sent them the documents the senior HR called me and told me that they won't be able to give me the X figure CTC rather they would offer me Y which was way less than X.

On hearing this I felt betrayed and got highly disappointed. From Day 1 I was clear about my expectations and wasn't ready for any negotiation on the salary part. I contacted the HR but he didn't pay heed to my questions and frustration. Why didn't they tell me this before collecting my personal and confidential data? I never came across anything like this in my past.

What should I do in this case? Whom should I complain about this behavior of the HR? I am in complete anger and losing my mind over this. Please help!

Answer 1

Why didn't they tell me this before collecting my personal and confidential data?

Can't tell for sure, but perhaps this was some sort of miscommunication within that recruiting company or HR department.

Chances are that the Junior HR person was just following a procedure someone told them to execute, and that someone acted before waiting for the internal confirmation. (in other words, someone most likely screwed this up)

What should I do in this case? Whom should I complain about this behavior of the HR?

I suggest you move on, and continue job-hunting. Pursuing a complaint or similar will only take valuable time you could use to land an offer.

The good thing is that as a consequence you already have several documentation prepared and ready, and that is a good thing as it will speed things up when another company requires such documents.

Answer 2

You should consider this a fairly inexpensive lesson in protecting your personal information. (Keep in mind, I'm not in India, so adapt my advice as closely to the Indian paradigm as possible).

I agree with @DarkCygnus that you should be moving on and continuing to job hunt. What should you do on top of these things is to never give out your salary (or Cost-To-Company) because it is none of their business. You set your price, they can take it or leave it. Never provide payslips of any kind to a current employer from a previous employer. It's none of their business.

You also don't need to give them any information just to get an offer letter. If they refuse to provide you with one, they're playing you to lower your wages. They're investing you in to the process so you feel like you're giving up more than just a mediocre job opportunity.

Once you've got a signed employment contract, then you can give them the tax and personal identification information that they'll require in order to register you with the government for taxes, etc.

Answer 3

Chalk it up to experience end move on. You can do nothing. Do not dwell on this, or make yourself upset. It is done.

Btw, it sounds like you had a narrow escape. Do you really want to work for accompany that operates like that?

Answer 4

Simply tell them again that you need X amount due to relocation etc.

It's a negotiation.

You should not have given them a number and refused to negotiate with them btw.!

It's much better to give X+Z and once they negotiate (and most will,even if you're cheaper than what they expected) you guide them towards X in the usually one or two rounds of the numbers game.

This is important so that both parties are satisfied, they got a good price, even won by lowering your request when in fact you still got what you really wanted.