Job Offers

I felt embarrassed presenting this job offer. The candidate wanted £60k. The client offered £58k. Here’s how £2k derailed the entire process. When I spoke with the client about the offer for an operations role, I already sensed where this was going. The candidate had been completely clear. £60k was the minimum required to make the move. The client had flexibility. They simply chose not to use it. Instead, they came in £2k under. I felt uncomfortable putting that offer forward. From the client’s perspective, it probably felt like a small win. In reality, it sent a much louder message: “𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 — 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯.” That message lands on day one. And it lingers. £2k over 12 months is roughly £166 a month. Compare that to the cost of damaged trust and a poor first impression — costs that don’t show up neatly on a spreadsheet. Yes, everyone wants to save money. But this isn’t about a bullet point on Excel. It’s about someone’s career. Their perception of your culture. Their motivation to go above and beyond once they join. Top candidates remember moments like this. They talk to other top candidates. They share stories at industry events. And suddenly, your attempt to save £2k becomes someone else’s warning sign. Your loss. Someone else’s great hire. And a reputation that’s harder to repair than it was to protect.

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐓𝐂 𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧-𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫? When evaluating a job offer, focusing on the CTC (Cost-to-Company) alone can be misleading. It’s important to understand how much you’ll actually take home after deductions and how non-cash components influence your overall compensation. Let’s break this down with an example and detailed calculations. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Assume a CTC of ₹15,00,000/year: Basic Salary (40% of CTC): ₹6,00,000 HRA (20% of CTC): ₹3,00,000 Special Allowances: ₹5,00,000 PF Contribution (Employer’s Share): ₹72,000 Gratuity: ₹28,860 𝐃𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲: PF Contribution (12% of Basic): ₹72,000 Income Tax (as per new regime of FY24): Approx. ₹1,16,200 (considering standard deduction and slab rates). Professional Tax: ₹2,400 (varies by state). 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞-𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: CTC = ₹15,00,000 Deductions (PF, Tax, etc.) = ₹1,90,600 In-Hand Salary (Net Pay) = ₹13,09,400/year = ~₹1,09,117/month 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Non-cash components like health insurance, ESOPs, wellness programs, travel reimbursements, and meal cards add value but don’t reflect in your take-home pay. Example: A ₹2,00,000 health insurance benefit might save you expenses on medical emergencies but doesn’t affect your monthly income. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: [1] Focus on In-Hand Salary: A higher in-hand salary gives you more financial freedom for monthly expenses, savings, and investments. [2] Evaluate Non-Cash Benefits: These can significantly reduce out-of-pocket expenses and should be factored into your decision. [3] Consider Long-Term Components: Gratuity and PF contributions are valuable for future security but won’t impact your immediate cash flow. [4] Understand Tax Efficiency: Check if the salary structure includes tax-saving allowances like HRA or LTA to optimize your take-home pay. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Negotiating a job offer isn’t just about the CTC number—it’s about understanding what truly benefits you both now and in the long term. Always analyze the in-hand salary, evaluate non-cash components, and consider your financial goals before making a decision. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞—𝐂𝐓𝐂 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧-𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲? Do share your thoughts in the comments 👇 Follow Priyank Ahuja for more.

Getting a job offer is exciting. But saying yes too fast can cost you more than you think. I’ve seen professionals accept higher salaries only to find themselves in roles that drain them, stall their growth, or leave them burned out within months. Before you say yes, ask these five questions: 1. What will my day-to-day actually look like? A fancy title means nothing if you’re stuck doing work that doesn’t light you up or develop you. 2. What does success look like in this role and how will it be measured? If the answer is vague, inconsistent, or unclear, you’re setting yourself up for frustration and surprise performance reviews. 3. Who will I be reporting to and what’s their leadership style? You’re not just accepting a job. You’re accepting a manager. Ask about expectations, feedback, and how they handle conflict. 4. Is there room to grow or is this a ceiling disguised as a promotion? Upward movement, stretch opportunities, cross-functional exposure—clarify what’s possible beyond the first year. 5. Do the company’s values align with mine in practice, not just on paper? Look at how they treat people, not what they put on their careers page. Ask about turnover, work-life balance, and internal mobility. The offer isn’t just about the salary. It’s about the full experience. Because if the role burns you out, undermines your value, or limits your growth that paycheck won’t feel as good three months in. Slow down. Ask better questions. Make sure the offer works for you, not just your resume.

I once left consulting for a role with more money. Bigger paycheck. Better title. More prestige. Or so I thought. Once I started, I massively regretted it: →Employee turnover was high. →The role wasn’t what was promised. →The senior leadership were sub-standard. And worst of all. I saw even less of my kids than before. Money matters. But so does everything else. Before you jump at a job offer, here’s how to avoid making the same mistake: 1️⃣ Get clear on your non-negotiables ↳What truly matters? Balance, growth, culture? ↳Weigh every opportunity against them. 2️⃣ Investigate the culture of the company ↳Talk to current and former employees. ↳Ask the hard questions about leadership, vision, and values. 3️⃣ Assess the future potential of the role ↳Does the role align with your long-term goals? ↳Is there a runway for your growth? 4️⃣ Consider the life Impact ↳Will you have time for family, health etc.? ↳Will the stress spill over into your personal life? 5️⃣ Trust your gut (but verify) ↳If something feels off, don’t ignore it. ↳Does the opportunity excite you or just feel “safe”? A great salary should support your life not consume it. Before your next move: ✔ Know yourself. ✔ Do your due diligence. Ask yourself and others the hard questions. Do you think money makes us blind-sighted? ----- ♻️ Repost to help your network with their career approach. ➕ Need help thinking through your next move? Send me a message with the word "CAREER" or book a career consultation. 

A common mistake I see when delivering an offer to candidates... In recruiting, we give out offers everyday so it can feel very routine and exciting for us. For candidates, this can be a decision that shapes their entire life and can come with a ton of mixed emotions. Think about this for yourself... Have you ever been in an interview process where things picked up quickly and all of the sudden, you are at the offer stage. You were so focused on completing each stage and putting your best foot forward that you didn't really take the time to consider all of the ramifications of changing jobs or considering multiple pathways at once. Recruiters tend to think that the moment of offer is going to be pure joy from the candidate (I made this mistake early on in my career), only to be surprised when you realize there can be 10 things that come up for the candidate that now have to be managed and worked through. Here are a few things I’ve learned to do differently: 1. Prep the candidate. I don't make promises. But I do find a moment in the process to say, “If you were to move forward to an offer, what are the things you’d need to consider in your decision?” That question alone opens the door for reflection. 2. Don’t lead with numbers. When I deliver an offer, I never jump straight into comp. I first ask: “Are there any open questions about the opportunity or role?” If there’s any vagueness or hesitation, we pause. No point delivering an offer until we’re aligned. 3. Give space to process. After I walk through the offer, I do ask if they've made a decision (a step I think is necessary as a recruiter) but I don't push after that. I answer questions. I follow up. But I respect that the weight of the moment takes time to sit with. 4. Ask how they make big decisions. I’ll often ask, “Who’s in your corner when you make big calls like this? Where do you go to think clearly?” This helps the candidate begin their decision-making process—and it helps me better support them, too. 5. Check in early and often. Sometimes I’ll say, “Hey, taking my recruiting hat off for a second—how are you feeling?” That small gesture can go a long way in building trust. We give out offers every day. But for the person on the other side of the table, this might be the biggest professional decision they’ve ever made. We should treat it that way. #hiring #recruiting #techrecruiting #techhiring

Two job offers: ₹6 LPA vs ₹4.5 LPA. I chose the lower one. Here's why it was the smartest decision. 💡 Here was the Story: Company A: ₹6 LPA in Bangalore. Sounded amazing! 🤩 Company B: ₹4.5 LPA in Pune. Seemed like settling for less. 😕 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐮𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫: Bangalore reality: ₹25K rent, ₹15K food, ₹5K transport = ₹45K expenses Take-home after tax: ₹42K. Savings: -₹3K (going in debt!) 😱 𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: ₹12K rent, ₹10K food, ₹3K transport = ₹25K expenses Take-home after tax: ₹32K. Savings: ₹7K monthly = ₹84K yearly! 💪 Plus, Pune job had better learning opportunities, work-life balance, and growth potential. Three years later, I'm earning ₹8.5 LPA with solid savings. My Bangalore friends? Still struggling with EMIs and zero savings. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝟐𝟎: Look beyond salary numbers. Real wealth = Income - Expenses. Factor in cost of living, growth opportunities, and quality of life. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞: When evaluating job offers, calculate your real take-home and savings potential. Make decisions based on net value, not gross salary! 📊 #JobSearch #SalaryNegotiation #CostOfLiving #FinancialPlanning #SEBIRegistered #CareerTips #Gen20Finance #SmartChoices #MoneyMindset #RealWealth

How do companies end up with a 7 month, 10-step interview process?! It happens more easily than you might think! 1. Hiring teams are risk averse. The costs of a bad hire can delay a project for months while you have to exit them and start a whole new process, can lead to the loss of high performers who don't want to work with a difficult manager, etc. Hiring poorly can also lead a manager to lose their job if the team doesn't perform. This means that hiring teams may feel like they need more and more information to make a decision leading to extended processes leading to more interviews. And they want input from lots of people to help them feel more confident in the decision. And it can lead them to look for perfection and reject people along the way who could be great. 2. Hiring teams don't always know exactly what they want when they first open a role. This is especially true for more niche roles. They likely know the profile for a customer support or sales rep or recruiter role, and they know the process that helps them make good hires. But for your own digital advertising manager or director of finance, that you're hiring for the first time in a few years (or ever!)? The early interviews are often a benchmarking process: what skills are on the market? What are people in this kind of role doing at companies like ours? What profiles did our job posting attract? When a job is a backfill, an executive or leader may also be getting more exposure to the ins and outs of a role and team while covering the vacancy. This might lead them to realize something different is needed, or an internal candidate is actually ready to step up, or the role isn't scoped properly. And even as interviews progress, they may realize they aren't hearing enough about XYZ and decide to toss in another stage, or adapt the profile yet again. 3. Hiring Managers can be misaligned with job market trends and skills. We often forget that most people aren't hanging out on LinkedIn all day, and when they do, it's mostly to connect with colleagues and peers. Most aren't experts on the job market, they have no idea what conversations are happening around jobseekers, or if their asks are realistic. They may not realize that people are pushing back on lengthy projects and processes. They may not realize that cover letters have been getting a lot of backlash and simply request one because that's how hiring has always been done. **** So what can we recruiters do to help evolve these things? 1. It's our job to know the market and share insights around profiles, levels, talent availability, etc. 2. We can advise on ways to trim down a process and ensure there are rubrics that can help hiring teams feel more confident in their decisions. 3. We can be transparent with candidates around what to expect, when things may be ambiguous, why processes are changing - and filter that feedback back up to hiring teams. I've seen candidate feedback change processes many times!

Pauline, how to see and compare the whole salary package that’s offered by a potential employer? 🧐 After I posted about average increments in salary negotiations, someone on my LinkedIn asked me about this. So today, let’s go a bit technical ya? Usually, I use an excel spreadsheet to list everything down for my candidates. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟏: 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞 In the spreadsheet, I usually create a column for the current package and another for the new offer. You can start by listing the basic salary as this is the core part of any package. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟐: 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 Remember, basic salary is not everything. Add any other fixed allowance like transport, handphone, meal, or any other fixed allowances for both the current salary and new offer. These can make a different in the total pacakge. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟑: 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐏𝐅 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫 Take note of guaranteed bonus (13-month salary / contractual bonus) and the EPF contributions from the employer. Some employer contribute more than the standard rate, which is important to consider as it’s part of your guaranteed income. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟒: 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 After listing all the components, total them up to get the Guaranteed Income for both the current package and the new offer. This will give you a clear idea of what you’re guaranteed to receive. You can also calculate the percentage of increment here. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟓: 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 Performance bonus is important too. Some companies’ average performance bonuses pay out is 3-4 months, some 2-3 months, and others average 1 month. So, you may want to take this into consideration. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟔: 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 Remember to include additional benefits such as annual leave, insurance, outpatient benefits, etc. These non-monetary benefits are important to understand the full value of the offer This is the formula for Percentrage of Increment:
 [(𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟 (𝑅𝑀) - 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑃𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑘𝑔𝑒 (𝑅𝑀)) / 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑃𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒 (𝑅𝑀)] 𝑥 100% You’ll see the differences between the current and new packages clearly displayed in the final column, and this will help you make an informed decision based on the Total Gross Annual Income and other benefits offered. It may look a bit leceh to put it all down, but trust me, once you see the numbers, it’ll be easier to decide if the offer is really worth it. Happy analyzing! Remember, the numbers speak, and they can make all the difference in your next career move! 🤗 🌟 Pauline Cheang from Carli Resources #salarynegotiation #careertips #joboffer #careeradvice #negotiationtips

An offer letter isn’t the finish line. It’s just one moment in a long candidate journey. A friend once interviewed with a well-known media brand. It was a gloomy day in July—peak Mumbai rains. She took a 3-hour local train ride to reach their office, almost soaked to the bone. No umbrella could’ve saved her. She waited. And waited. The interviewer didn’t show up. No message. No apology. Just a casual “rains, you know?” She got the offer later. But the feeling stuck. If this is how they treat someone before joining, what would it be like after? Now compare that to another company she was speaking to: When her toddler fell sick, the interview was rescheduled with zero fuss. On the new date, she was welcomed with lunch, warm conversations and office tour. She lived quite far and asked if she would get an Uber from their location. Without hesitation, they arranged a car ride home. The hiring manager? A brilliant sales guy. When she said she’d need about two weeks to confirm the offer, he smiled and said, “You’d really take that much time?” It was subtle. Warm. Persuasive. She felt wanted. Another company she met along the way had a hiring team that stayed in touch throughout—updates after every round, casual check-ins, even an invite to a virtual HR celebration. No radio silence. No ambiguity. None of this was elaborate or expensive. It just made her feel seen, respected, and valued. We often ask, “Why did the candidate drop out?” Maybe the better question is—“What could we have done to make them stay?” Some simple things go a long way: • Keep the conversation going—even when you don’t have a decision yet. • Let hiring managers build early rapport. • Acknowledge personal situations—be human. • Give them a feel of your culture before they even step in. • Stay close after the offer—especially during notice periods. People don’t walk away just for better pay. They walk away when they don’t feel like they belong. What’s a small gesture you’ve seen that left a big impression on a candidate/ you? #CandidateExperience #HiringMatters #EmployerBranding #OfferDropouts #HRLeadership #TalentAcquisition #HumanTouch Images from google

Negotiated the salary, the role looks good on paper, the team seems sharp, and still, something doesn’t sit right. 🤔 You feel “I just don’t know if this is the right place for me.” And when you think about it more, it’s clear that what you’re struggling with isn’t the role or the pay. It’s the culture. But here’s the tricky part: we ask “How’s the culture at this company?” as if it’s universal. It’s not. Culture is personal. → What one person finds inspiring, another might find suffocating. → What looks like “ownership” to someone might feel like a lack of support to someone else. → What feels like “fast-paced” for one person might be chaotic for another. So when you ask someone, “How’s the culture?” the answer you get is about them, not you. That’s why the better question is: Do the values and ways of working here match how I want to work and live? And to find that out, you need to ask deeper, more personal questions when you’re evaluating an offer: → Can I be myself here without pretending or performing every day? → How do people handle stress or failure? Do they talk about it? → What kind of people get rewarded here, and for what kind of behaviour? → What kind of conversations happen in meetings? Is it safe to disagree? These aren’t things you’ll find in a Glassdoor review or a recruiter’s pitch. 😶 →You find it by asking current employees how they feel on a rough day at work. →You find it by paying attention to what’s not being said in interviews. →You find it by checking in with how you feel after each conversation. It’s not always a clean, logical process; sometimes it’s just a quiet “this doesn’t feel right.” And that’s valid. That’s enough. 💯 If you’re in that stage right now, wondering whether to say yes, don’t just look at the offer letter. → Look at how it makes you feel. → Look at what your day-to-day might feel like six months in. And trust that it’s okay to walk away from a good-on-paper offer if it doesn’t feel like home. Because culture isn’t a line in the JD. It’s what shows up when things go wrong. And you deserve to be in a place where, even on your worst days, you feel safe. It’s okay to take your time. You don’t need to justify that feeling to anyone. ✨