He finished the second interview and the hiring manager told him to expect good news from HR. The next morning, HR called with an offer: 35.2% below his current salary, for a role that was fully remote rather than hybrid.
He named a floor — still below what he was already earning — and asked for it. The talent acquisition manager said the increase would be impossible. He asked to speak with the hiring manager about the package. He was told the hiring manager would not be the right person, because she did not know the full benefits package. The benefits, as far as he could work out, were not extensive.
The recruiter then explained the arithmetic. The company was large. It hires in Southeast Asia. The band, she said, is deliberately made much lower. Perhaps, she added, there might be an increment later on.
She said she would recap the offer in writing. The email never arrived.
The role was, by his account, his dream job, and he had got along with the team. What he could not work out was who had decided the number, or whether anyone at the company could be asked.