'Aise din mere kab aayenge': Netizens as candidate seeking ₹1.3 crore rejects ₹96 LPA offer

A recent job offer rejection in the Indian tech sector has ignited discussion on social media. Engineer-turned-recruiter Juned Khatri shared on X that a candidate for a Head of Engineering role turned down an offer of ₹96 lakh per annum, seeking a fixed salary of ₹1.3 crore.

Despite efforts to find a compromise, the candidate, with 17 years of experience, declined the offer. The candidate reportedly rejected the offer due to a gap between employer budgets and candidate expectations.

Khatri wrote, "Hurts to reject this one candidate, he is at 1.3cr and the budget for the role is 96L. Tried talking a mid ground on both ends, didn't work," reflecting the challenge in reaching an agreement.

The salary figures quickly drew attention online. Several users made light-hearted offers for the position, with one saying, "Aise din mere kab aayenge?"

"Me and my whole friend circle (group of 5) will come together in 96," a user wrote jocularly. 

Some users even offered to take the role at lower pay, such as "I can do it for 40 lakh," and "I will do it for 90. I have 15 years of engineering experience."

Another user added, "Bhai mujhe le lo 90L mein. Jo bhi hoga seekh lunga mai (Bro hire me at ₹90 LPA. Whatever the job is, I will learn).

Some even questioned the recruiter on why he thought the candidate would join the company at a lower offer.

A user wrote: "Why would he come at a lower comp?" To this, Khatri answered: "One of the reason is - better to have a job than having no job."

Replying to another social media user, Khatri wrote: "You'd be surprised to see the number of candidates I have who are willing to come down from their current pay. This has a lot to do with the situation at their current organisation and the job market."