(MENAFN- Live Mint) A hiring account shared by Gaurav Kheterpal, founder and CEO of Vanshiv Technologies, has gained significant traction online, igniting discussions around workplace professionalism and last-minute salary negotiations. Posting on X, Kheterpal described how a prospective employee-scheduled to join his firm on Monday-emailed just days before onboarding, asking the company to match a competing offer that was“nearly ₹2 lakh higher.”

Kheterpal said his team promptly reiterated that the candidate was free to join on the previously agreed package and clarified that the offer would be withdrawn if he was no longer interested. According to him, the candidate soon responded that he would“join the other company”, after which Vanshiv Technologies cancelled the offer.

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The matter took an unexpected turn when the founder of the other organisation, who Kheterpal personally knew, contacted him. The candidate had allegedly presented Vanshiv Technologies' offer letter to the second company as leverage for a salary increase.

“He played the same trick at the other company showing our offer letter & asking them to bump it up,” Kheterpal wrote, adding that the second company reached out after recognising the situation. He said his firm informed them that they were no longer proceeding with the hire and left the decision to the other employer. That firm ultimately rescinded its offer as well, reportedly displeased with the candidate's repeated renegotiations.

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Kheterpal added that the candidate later attempted to rejoin his company on the original salary, but the offer was no longer open. Concluding his post, he remarked,“Only if such candidates realised that they can always get a 'job' which pays them more, but they can't build a 'career' with such bargaining skills.”

Strong social media reactions

The post has triggered a wave of commentary online. One user noted,“Honestly, he played it badly. Negotiation is fine but flipping offers like poker cards kills trust he didn't lose a job he lost credibility and that's much harder to earn back.”

Another reaction said,“this kind of negotiations has become a matter of pride amongst engineers now, just like any marketplace. And it works for them, no doubt, but it eradicates the sanctity of workplace. Leaving a place for better opportunity is not wrong, but this is different.”

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A third user added,“Unfortunately such "skills" have long been branded as being smart. I see people giving interviews of companies they're sure of not joining for the sake of "experience". A little of ethics and empathy and both sides could be at peace.”

A separate comment suggested creating a shared reference system for employers, saying,“I would really like to have some database where such candidates are marked with some red flag for this kind of behaviour... and every employer can refer this database in future before releasing offers.”

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