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I am looking for a job change and I have been contacted by an employer. I had several rounds of interviews, I was offered a job and we began salary negotiations.

The offered salary did not suit me - I had clearly indicated one figure. We never agreed on a salary. They kept on negotiating but ultimately I turned them down. However, I was contacted the next day and the employer wanted to re-negotiate. After some discussions, they offered the amount I had originally requested.

Is there anything I should be worried about here?

I am confused because I declined the offer originally and the employer only agreed after re-negotiating.

I have not came across this scenario until now. Is this normal?

Edit (as answer was closed ) :-

How to take the decision in this scenario? how to safeguard self in this situation?

-- As replies suggest that if they agreed what your asking, go for it. But Caution is they soon can replace me with another day they find. As salary negations also went long after rejection only they came up agreeing. I am aware that they were checking with other (selected) candidates also.

-- Package what is asked and offered was lucrative so without giving thought/taking advice can't be rejected as well.

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    You got the offer you wanted, what's the problem? You showed them you don't need the job for anything less than X, and now they're quite certain of it and offered you X. You called their bluff.
    – rath
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 14:28
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    @rath It sounds like the OP wants to know whether this is a red flag. I think the question is, "Is the fact that they only offered what I was asking for after I declined a sign I shouldn't join this company?"
    – BSMP
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 17:31
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    @rath: The problem is this: are you taking on a company that has a habit of cutting corners?
    – Robert Harvey
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 20:36
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    @RobertHarvey I'd see it more as a company that doesn't always just pay whatever is asked, looks for a good deal. That's a company that doesn't spend money without good reason, a sign of a healthy financial policy.
    – jwenting
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 5:00
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    If you decide to not accept please say this: "I am sorry but that was my yesterday request. Today's request is 5% higher". They will most likely let you go but you will be avenged. If they still cover it, then you just got a 5% rise for free.
    – Mandrill
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 17:26

8 Answers 8

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Right now, it's a seller's market. If you have any skills at all, you are in the driver's seat.

So, yes, this is normal. They probably tried to low-ball the salary, saw you wouldn't take it, and came back for what you wanted because they realized that they're not going to get anything cheaper.

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    @JoeStrazzere Judging from OP's profile, yup, he's a developer.
    – kubanczyk
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 8:02
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    Just beware of resentment. I was in this position, and the person that hired me resented that I charged so much for my work. He was not a fan of me. I was a contractor though. I didn't deal with him much so it wasn't a huge problem but had he been more hands on it would have been a little unpleasant. They had to hire me because they were in a bind, I had a lot of leverage.
    – NibblyPig
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 9:19
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    What @SLC said. I've been in a similar position, except that negotiations did not end in a final rejection from my side, and the person I negotiated with and who was overruled by his boss did not forget about it.
    – Tom
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 11:52
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    @JoeStrazzere stackoverflow.com/q/41296932/5470596
    – YSC
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 12:26
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    "Right now, it's a seller's market" Depends where you are. Some countries have high unemployment, and for good reason.
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 16:53
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This is probably a situation where they needed additional approvals in order to offer you the salary you desired. They probably had in place a maximum salary for the position you applied for and you wanted more than that amount.

So somebody went to some higher level decision maker and said: "I really want this person, can we raise the salary"? They went to bat for you and did so in an effective way and they were able to influence this person who has higher authority. To me, that means something. Furthermore it only took a short time, that means even more.

Had they comeback in a week or so and offered you the amount you wished, I would see that as normal. Being that they got back to you so quickly, I would think long and hard about not taking their offer. It seems like it would be a terrific career move for you.

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  • @pete B :- yes, the process was a sudden. I.E. at night I declined offer with professionally and morning HR person called and asked for reason. After reason he went back and did some magic and late evening came back with number to negotiate. next day late evening HR called and agreed. I saw it is a caution.
    – Ax Cool
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 6:37
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    Same story here. HR negotiates and I refused. "I wont take the job under X". HR: "I cannot go as high". Next morning, CTO calls with a new offers... amount X. I will start next month. We will see :)
    – aloisdg
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 13:23
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    HR's job is to negotiate within their given number. They can be fired if they offered you above that. However, it's different if management stepped in. The speed of this showed it is a healthy company where collaboration and special circumstances can be processed effectively. I wouldn't count it against them. Of course any employer would want to pay less if they can, but they're not cheating you in this process.
    – Nelson
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 14:32
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Unfortunately this is normal but there is also one other thing to consider. If they gave you this much grief during the hiring process, will they be as "frugal" in the future, ie penny pinching on your merit increases and promotions?

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    that's why you push for better salary and benefits up front. promises of future significant pay bumps are almost never fulfilled
    – Derek
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 17:48
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    @ Joe Just a caution.
    – alb
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 21:47
  • @alb:- Yes while on negotiations went for long from increasing very small amount one after other and not coming near to the number asked. So after declination, still they negotiated and came to number asked for. So will it be good to go here? I asked here to have broader view on this from experts before finalization
    – Ax Cool
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 6:34
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    But since he got a higher offer, he effectively "banked" a few years of pay rises right away (compared to the lower offer). And he know he can negotiate hardball to get what he wants...
    – vikingsteve
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 10:57
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    I don't see where they "gave him grief." I see that they offered him one salary and he requested a different one. When they didn't come up to his requirement, he politely declined. The next day they came back with the salary he wanted. Seems like a pretty straightforward salary negotiation to me.
    – JeffC
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 14:17
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after some discussions the number which I have asked previously they agreed on it.

Now the confusion is, Should I go with it or not

So after some negotiation, they agreed to pay you exactly what you asked for. Seems to me that you should accept.

Is it normal?

Negotiating is normal. Agreeing to your original number is a bit unusual. They must like you.

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  • No, they just couldn't find anyone within their budget expectation with a time constraint they had. In other words, OP's offer was actually a market value for his skills (or below) and employer's budget was below market and had to be adjusted accordingly. My salary expectation was already accepted without a word of negotiation at least twice, once with a negotiation that ended up with my original request and once with just marginal decrease from my side.
    – Ister
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 9:13
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    @Ister As explained in other comments, this would make sense if they came back after a week or so. The fact that they came back to OP after only a day seems to indicate they did like him.
    – Pierre Arlaud
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 10:17
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    HR said no, too much money. The hiring manager went to bat for this person saying "absolutely this is who we need". HR lost - this manager is fighting for this person and I would expect that to continue during evaluations. This isn't a red flag, it is a green flag! Good managers are hard to find.
    – Paul
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 12:54
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So the conversation, as I understand it is basically like this:

Them: "We want to offer $X salary"
You: "No, I can't work for less than $Y"
Them: (negotiates)
You: (firm)
Them: (negotiates)
You: "Ok, if I can't get $Y then sorry I'm not interested"
Them: "Ok we'll give you $Y"

What's the problem here? You got what you want, so take it!

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  • Hi @Ertai87 :- I am not able to see whether it's a problem or not. As On caution I am thinking that I have declined the offer over mail. Then suddenly next day new offer came. I agree may be hiring team wants something to show to stack holder that this candidate is good and we should take him but on the other hand if he really liked me and wanted to offer X amount, why they waited till my rejection mail?
    – Ax Cool
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 7:31
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    @AxCool Because if they could get you to sign on for less than X it would be a better deal for them.
    – Allan S. Hansen
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 9:05
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Yes, this is normal.

That's why it's called negotiating.

You negotiated, they negotiated, you won!

Crack open the bubbly and enjoy your new job. :)

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  • I bet you wouldn't have gotten three upvotes without using the word "bubbly." :)
    – Wildcard
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 20:32
  • @Wildcard 🍾🥂⬆👍
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 22:01
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There are two sides of the medal here.

On one side you actually stretched the budget they had so there is a slight risk of this impacting your situation in the future (e.g. if they eventually find someone with lower salary expectations and similar skill-set). It might also impact you chances to advance in the future.

On the other side the mere fact they have eventually accepted your original offer means they couldn't find anyone (good enough) within their budget so probably they underestimated the budget requirements and had to adjust it accordingly. Chances they will find someone seems low then.

It's also worth considering that once you're in the team replacing you is far more difficult than finding someone other during the hiring process. You already learn the company and within 2-3 month will be much more valuable worker than a fresh one from the market.

I would say it's safe to accept.

Is it normal? Yes, perfectly.

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Is there anything I should be worried about here?

Nope. Do you want to take the offer? If not, there is nothing to be worried. If yes, you got what you asked for, so there is nothing to be worried about. Or is there somtehing other than the salary that is bothering you? That may be the key to your dilemma; not the salary itself.

Is this normal? Yep, pretty much; but that depends on the market.

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