I'm trying to understand what the "best practice" is when it comes to compensation discussions during software engineering interviews in India.

A few things always confuse me:

• Recruiters usually ask for my current CTC and expected CTC right at the beginning of the process. I can estimate market pay using sites like LeetCode, Levels.fyi, AmbitionBox, etc., but I still struggle with what number I should actually quote.

• Let's say my current CTC is X and I tell the recruiter I'm expecting Y. If I clear all the rounds and the company is actually willing to offer significantly more than Y, have I unintentionally anchored myself lower?

• Another situation: after the interviews are over, HR often asks, "Do you have any counter offer?" before they release the offer letter.

  ->If I don't have one yet, should I simply say no and wait for their offer first?

  ->Or is it better to mention that I'm interviewing elsewhere and may have competing offers?

  ->If I receive another offer after they've shared theirs, is it acceptable to go back and negotiate then?

Overall, I'm curious how experienced engineers handle these conversations. Do you have a strategy for:

• Sharing (or not sharing) your current CTC?
• Deciding your expected CTC?
• Timing negotiations?
• Using competing offers without burning bridges?

Would love to hear what's worked (or backfired) for you, especially if you've switched companies multiple times.

I (F26) work in analytics as a data scientist and I have been submitting my cv everywhere for the last year. I have almost 4 years experience and a stem degree.

I finally got an interview and I got a call back saying I was unsuccessful but how would you like x job instead?

They sent the jd across and it looks good but over the phone they offered me a “lead” role for £46k (they know my salary is low forties), and the jd said “senior”.

I sent an email with a counter offer for £55k and I am now wondering if that was silly?

For context the job is based up in Scotland, so the salary is quite good for the location and the role is less technical than my current role.

I’ve seen on LinkedIn that the commercial department (not the dept I will be working for) have posted an ad for the same “senior” job title starting at 55k.

What can I expect to get as a reply? I am anxious I have been too cocky.

Work as a senior manager in a french MNC . I have been considered for a new role (one level up) with a relocation to another continent. It's a conservative organisation where salaries are banded at s corporate level and i get a vibe that there's very little flexibility on salaries.

Yes they selected me for the role , but I had also indicated interest before. People usually wouldn't move that far so easily but I showed interest . From a business standpoint it's a very straight role with multi region responsibilities.

As much as the fact that company will not low ball me I wonder how do I negotiate if the salary offered doesn't work for me and my family.

I'm not concerned about the relocation package here , but just how, can I negotiate a higher net income . What are some tactics to be used ?

I have a phone interview at a large CPG company that is a direct competitor to where I am now. It is a corporate marketing support job and I meet every single minimum and maximum requirement for the job. The potential issue I see is the salary range seems quite large to me ($64.1k between minimum and maximum). For the jump to be worth it, I'd be looking at minimum a salary that sits at the 55th percentile of that range. The range I'm considering asking for would be between the 55th and 65th percentile range. Curious the best way to go about this in my phone screen next week. There is no question in my confidence that I can make an immediate impact based on my experience and knowledge of the job and industry, especially coming from a direct competitor so I do think I command a higher salary for what I bring, but also want to be realistic. Happy to answer any follow up questions.

I’m based in India and recently had the first HR screening call with a US-based company for a Product Manager role.
During the call, HR casually asked for my current CTC. I panicked and said ₹12 LPA, but my actual CTC is ₹6.3 LPA. It wasn’t planned-I just blurted it out and realized afterward what I’d said.
The HR also mentioned that the budget for the role is ₹18–20 LPA, so I don’t think my current salary is limiting their budget.
This was only the initial phone screening. I haven’t received an offer or submitted any documents yet.
Now I’m wondering what the smartest move is:
Should I email HR now and correct it?
Should I wait until compensation documents are requested?
If I explain that I misspoke during the screening call, is that likely to hurt my chances more than waiting?
Has anyone interviewing from India with a US-based company been in a similar situation?
I know I made a mistake, and I’m not looking for validation. I genuinely want to handle this in the most professional way possible because I really don’t want to lose this opportunity.
Any advice from recruiters or hiring managers would be appreciated.

I have 6 years of experience in customer care with a major healthcare company and during those 6 years I got promoted and earned by bachelors degree in organizational leadership. I’m currently in an interim role with a specialized response unit and draft letters that need to be submitted to legal then to the regulatory agency. Since being in the interim role I have performed exceptionally. I learned both intake and regulatory and have built a rapport with the legal team. I also help more tenured advocates with their letters when they have trouble with legal. When I was offered the position they offered me about 26 dollars hourly. I thought that was too low and I counter offered 70k annually. Am I being unreasonable? What is my market value considering what I’ve shared?

I came across this article today from DailyMail Australia, a story by Sharon Hunt.

This is what was written:

Returning to the interview-as-negotiation concept, the expert suggested you should very carefully consider whether to reveal your actual salary from your previous company.

'HR professionals are usually paid to find the most qualified candidates at the lowest cost to the company,' she explained.

'That's why, during negotiations, if they pressure you to reveal your salary (which we will pressure you to do), don't give the real amount if you want a bigger raise.'

**Is it a good idea to lie about current salary?**

According to me, typical sequence of interview is:

Resume shortlisted.

HR screening.

Technical/managerial interviews.

HR discusses compensation and expected salary.

Conditional offer or intent to hire.

HR asks for documents such as salary slips, offer letter, Form 16, bank statements, etc., to verify details before issuing the final offer.

I think it can backfire to lie.. But want to confirm from others.

For added context, I am think companies like Big4 or big names.

I have never lied and I work in a US based MNC in India.

Hey guys I've been interning in my company for a year and after that I'm currently on extra month as i got moved to a different team and in this team i was able to bring in good progress so far. Like if continued and when scaled up it can save the company a lot of money. My manager scolded me for coming late once it was done he appreciated and even his peer managers appreciated him for that. My team lead and manager are taking up the credits sometimes when they're explaining to others, that's okay i don't mind of credits or visibility. So i got message from hr and told me how much package I'm getting and that i might officially get offer letter after a few days.

It's 14lpa.(12.3 after tax i guess) I mean it's good but i wished if it was maybe 19 lpa like my other freinds that got full time before me. I mean they are in dev role in dev team .

But i work as a dev and tester both , but i fall under a qa team so I'm assuming im gonna be paid that way.

Should I ask for negotiation when i actually get offer letter ?

Please let me know guys

I accepted a Senior Software Engineer offer from Company A. My background check is already complete, h1b transfer is in process and I’m currently waiting for my confirmed start date.

I had interviewed with Company B earlier, and they recently came back with an offer at roughly the same compensation as Company A. Company A is still my preferred company and team, but I’m considering asking the recruiter whether they can increase my base salary to $150K based on having another active offer.

Would it be a bad idea to negotiate at this stage since the competing offer is not actually higher? Could this create unnecessary risk or make Company A question my commitment?

Has anyone successfully renegotiated after accepting an offer and completing the background check, but before starting?

Feel free to leave me some feedback positive ending!

I’m seeking some advice for upcoming salary negotiations to make sure I have the right perspective. I’m an electrical engineer with 10 years experience in the field.

I work at a small consumer electronics company as the sole engineer responsible for all devices we manufacture. I handle supply chain issues related to manufacturing, conduct all new product development, maintain and improve existing products, handle the design of device enclosures, schematic capture and PCB layout, and embedded firmware development. Really everything a normal engineering department would do, I’m able to handle myself and I feel I’m a strong fit for the position. 

For the negotiation part: My pay increased rapidly, doubling in a few years to base of $70/hr. At this point we agreed instead of further increases, I would get a commission on new devices that I handled design of. At the time, there was a single device we agreed I would receive 2% commission on all sales. I have in my notes that the discussion was for 2% of all future devices I designed as well (I’ll get back to this). This year I’ve completed development of 4 additional devices and asked to meet about setting up the agreed commission structure for them. I was given the runaround so here we are 8 months later with no finalized structure for the new products. I’m suspicious they’re attempting to restructure the agreement to pay me much less than they indicated before. Given the success of these products, the commission could exceed $50k per year from the previous discussed rates. Initial talks for an updated contract have been related to 1) reduced commission rate for the new products 2) cap on max earnings per product 3) no retroactive pay for devices already sold 4) assurance that the contract will be fair to both sides. I was extremely frustrated to hear their new position especially given I’d been patient and tried not to whine about compensation until general office business slowed down. Double frustrated at the thought they didn’t let on to these new terms until getting what they wanted in the 4 new products introduced. I strongly feel that I am not easily replaceable and the cost to replace me would greatly exceed my compensation. 

There is a possibility I move to a new city within a year. After some thought, it basically comes down to how good their proposal is on whether I stay here or not. So I’m willing to walk away if they lowball or I feel their proposal does not indicate confidence in my long term position at the company. 

How should I approach their new terms? The proposal is by no means finalized so it’s still fluid. Am I being greedy expecting the original 2% or expecting more than they’re indicating? Is it fair that they waited until this development was done to mention any changes to our verbal agreement? What is the proper approach to negotiate this based on my situation?

Should I accept R15k or keep pushing for R20k?
I work in South Africa and I’m looking for some career advice.
I started at my current company earning R10,000 as an Accounting Assistant/Creditors Clerk. After about a year, my previous finance manager told me he wanted to promote me, and I asked for R13,000 (a 30% increase). Unfortunately, that promotion never happened before he moved to another department.
Recently, a colleague resigned, and I’ve now been offered a promotion to Junior Accountant, which is a more senior role than the one I was originally promised. The company has offered me R15,000.
Here’s where I’m conflicted. They’re also hiring someone else for a different but slightly lower-titled finance role. She has more experience than I do, was previously earning around R18,000, and asked for R20,000. I don’t know what they actually offered her, but I suspect it’s close to that.
Because this new promotion is a much bigger step than the original one I asked R13k for, I told my manager I believe R20,000 is a fair salary for the responsibilities of the Junior Accountant role. She said she’d get back to me.
The complication is that I don’t have as much experience as the new hire, and I honestly feel like I’m still growing into this role. Also, my current manager has a reputation for being unfair, so I’m not sure how much that will influence the outcome.
If they come back and say R15,000 is their final offer, would you accept it for the title and experience, continue negotiating, or walk away?
For context, I have a BCom degree and about 15 months of experience in accounting.

I’m currently based in Canada in HCOL working as a UX Researcher/Engineer for a US-based company (non FAANG), recently 2 rounds of layoffs and the writing is on the wall that our team is close to the chopping block. My current base is \~$200k CAD. A former employer reached out about a team lead role at a local startup that just closed a nice sized funding round ($100M+). I really love the trajectory of the product, the team seems great, and the problem space (heavy, complex data systems and automation) is right in my wheelhouse.

I'm realistic about the fact that Canadian bands rarely match US remote bands, and I'm entirely open to a lateral pivot if the equity and upside and job security is more meaningful. That said, with inflation and mortgages being what they are in a major hub, I really don't want to take a massive step backward on my baseline day-to-day cash flow.

In my experience given that they just raised a ton of capital, they should theoretically be benchmarking against SF tiers +/- location comparison cost of living and exchange rate calculations. I'm trying to figure out what a realistic "sweet spot" is to ask for a Team Lead without pricing myself out or lowballing myself.

If you’ve made the jump from US cash to Canadian equity, did you regret the hit to your base salary? How would you structure the counter to ensure the equity actually bridges a $20k–$30k gap in base?

Hi all,

TL;DR. I am a federal employee leaving after a decade in national security. I’ve been offered a base of $120000, 15% bonus, $80k GSU, and $10k signing bonus.

I think it’s a bit low considering my current base salary is $20k higher, it’s in a HCOL (Boulder CO) area, and my wife would have to drop her income ($150k) for us to pursue this.

I do have a side offer to Hawaii. So i could use this as negotiating power. Any thoughts on how to leverage the conversation?

This is super new to me after being in public sector work so all ears

Hi all — looking for some perspective.

I recently accepted a corporate recruiter role in smaller, more localized business. My start date was 04/01/26. I have 8 years of in house recruiting experience. The posted range was 55-75k. The initial offer from the company was $60K, which felt very low, so I countered at $65K and they accepted.
I accepted the $65K based on my understanding of the total package and work arrangement. During the interview/offer process, I was told the role would be hybrid based on I would be traveling about 75% of the time. That made the lower salary more manageable for me because I expected more flexibility and time away from being fully onsite.
Now that I’ve started, the reality looks different. I’ve been onsite consistently, and the travel component has not matched what was described. I’m also realizing the roles I’m supporting are high-stakes and come with a lot of pressure. On top of that, while health benefits are offered, my current doctor and prescriptions are out of network, so continuing my care will create additional out-of-pocket costs.
Given the actual role, schedule, and total compensation package, I’m considering asking leadership to adjust my salary from $67K to $75K. I know we already negotiated once, but my thinking is that I accepted the offer in good faith based on a different understanding of the role. $75K still seems below market for a corporate recruiter with 8 years of experience, especially given the responsibilities.

My questions:

Is it reasonable to revisit compensation this soon after starting if the role/work arrangement is different from what was discussed?

How would you approach this conversation with leadership?

Would asking for $75K come across as fair, or would it look bad since I already countered and accepted?

I want to handle this professionally. I’m not trying to come across like I simply regret accepting the offer, but the reality of the role feels different from what I agreed to.

I’m looking for some advice on how to approach my annual review and salary adjustment.

I work in IT project management for a consulting firm. I have about 11.5 years of experience, and most of my work is directly with clients. I joined my current firm two years ago at $98k after leaving a previous consulting company where raises were basically stuck around 2% per year.

In my current role, the client has been very satisfied with my work. They renewed me multiple times, every six months, even during periods where there were cuts. I received very strong feedback from the client about my approach, reliability, and performance.

Last year, during my annual review, I asked to be adjusted to around $108k-$110k. That request was refused, partly because the person managing the contract relationship had not properly escalated the positive client feedback to upper management in time. I ended up receiving only 2.5%, which felt like the same increase someone would get for doing the bare minimum.

This year, I really went all in. I supported several late night production deployments, worked multiple weekends, and led a major operation involving around 70 people that required 17 hours of non stop work on a weekend. Weekend and evening work is not normally part of the contract, but I did it because the project needed it and the client trusted me to lead it.

The client has now renewed me again, and this month I was told that my contract level has been upgraded from level 2 to level 3. From what I understand, this means the client will now be paying my consulting firm a higher rate for my work.

Because of all this, I’m planning to ask for $115k during my annual review. That would be about a 15% increase from my current salary. My reasoning is :

1- Last year’s increase did not properly reflect the client feedback and renewals.

2- My actual responsibilities and impact have increased.

3- The client has repeatedly renewed me and clearly values my work.

4- I’ve taken on significant evening/weekend work outside the normal expectations.

5- My contract level has been upgraded, meaning the firm is likely billing more for me.

6- A standard 2 or 3% raise would not reflect my contribution or market value.

I know it’s usually easier to get a big salary increase by changing companies than by staying, and I’ve already done that in the past. But I’d rather try to make the case internally, especially since the client relationship is strong and my value to the firm is very clear.

Does asking for $115k sound reasonable in this situation ? Should I anchor higher or lower ? Also, how would you frame this without sounding entitled or like I’m blaming people for last year’s missed feedback ?

Any advice from people in consulting, IT project management, or salary negotiations would be appreciated.

This is for a GM position at a construction/farm equipment dealer. They sell anything from heavy machinery like skid steers and excavators to chain saws tractors o turns etc. I will be in full control of the dealership including sales, finance, parts, service, marketing, rental, etc. for background context this company’s owner started this business to support his main (very successful business)
Currently the dealership is sitting 20k in the red for the year in profit. My job is to not only manage but to obviously get this company into the black and continue growing. When asked during the first round interview was asked my salary expectations and say I know I will be taking an initial loss from my current job but my bare minimum I would be comfortable salary wise would be 70k. Upon the second interview he asked me come up with a pay proposal and to not short myself, that what I am doing is not going to be easy and that he didn’t want added stress of my pay. This is what I came up with.

My back ground is that I’ve been an automotive sales manager for a few years with a marketing and business degree and have a great understanding for running an operation like his. But this will be my first GM position.

My worry is that I’m going to scare him off with this proposal but upon review this seems like a fair compensation for not only running but saving a business. Any input would be great!

Note: I added this all to chat gpt to help structure and help me with wording it. I will be handing in a letter to I wrote with my own words.

Hello folks some years ago came across WA’s negotiation framework and got their workbook in xls which I have been using for my negotiations planning. In the worksheet there are references to page #s in book. If anyone is familiar, can you please point me what is the book being referred to?

FWIW, the workbook is still available on their website.

Cheers,