Recruiters can be gas lighters too

“Let us review your performance and we will increase your salary after 3 months”

This is the line that every job applicant hates!

And trust us, we have all been here at least once.

Job applicants like you go through weeks of resume building, applications and interviews only for the recruiter to offer much less while coming up with the most stupid reasons.

This is called the classic “recruiter’s gaslighting 🔥”

In this issue, we’ll cover the following:

• What is gaslighting in salary interviews? (most people don’t even know this)🚨

• Tactics to turn the tables on the gaslighting recruiter💪

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Understand how Gaslighting works

Let’s understand this in the form of a typical salary conversation.

Company- Congratulations! We are going to make you an offer. $50,000 with benefits!

Candidate- But we discussed $60,000, which is the number I am comfortable with.

Company- but you aren’t even married and, of course, have no kids. You don’t need $60,000. Also, we are offering you some amazing benefits.

This is what gaslighting in an interview looks like.

Because the company has no right to:

• Decide how much money a person needs for their lifestyle

• Bring personal responsibilities into the conversation

• Stating company culture as a benefit 

If a company does any of this, it's the biggest red flag 🚩

Now, let’s see how you can tackle these gas lighters.

Tactics to Turn The Tables on a Gas Lighter

Let’s understand this again in the form of the same conversation.

Company- Congratulations! We are going to make you an offer. It’s $50,000 for a year + benefits.

Candidate- Firmly Thank you, but that is much less than I expected. 

Company- But, you aren’t even married and, of course, have no kids. You don’t need $60,000. We are even offering you some amazing benefits, plus our company's work culture is so good.

Candidate- "I really like the role, but I am quite surprised that you feel the need to discuss my personal life in this conversation. With my 6 years of experience, the baseline salary for this role in New York is $60,000. So, I am just expecting a fair figure. 

When you do this, usually, the company responds, “I understand. Let me speak to finance and get back to you.” 

So what really happened here?

1. You held your ground on the salary you should be paid fairly.

2. You didn’t let vague and trivial details like your personal life into deciding how much money you should make.

3. You made the recruiter realize that you cannot be gaslighted :)

Here are a few things to remember before jumping into salary negotiations

Call Out Manipulative Tactics

If you recognize gaslighting tactics being used against you, address them directly but calmly. 

For example, you could say, "I'm confused by the inconsistency in the salary offers we've discussed. Can you clarify the reasons for the discrepancy?"

By calling out the behavior, you assert your boundaries and demonstrate that you won't be manipulated.

Clarify Expectations in Writing

Follow up on verbal discussions with written communication to clarify important points, including salary offers, benefits, and expectations. 

This helps create a paper trail and reduces the risk of miscommunication or manipulation. If the recruiter attempts to backtrack on previously agreed-upon terms, you can refer back to the written documentation for clarity and accountability.

Know Your BATANA

BATNA stands for Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. Before entering salary negotiations, identify your BATNA – the alternative course of action you will take if the negotiation fails to meet your expectations.

Knowing your BATNA gives you leverage and confidence during negotiations, empowering you to walk away if the terms are unsatisfactory.

A note from the Founder of Recruit.net

See, you need to take control of your salary interviews and negotiate like a pro.

Remember to be calm and confident instead of being in a desperate energy. 

When looking for a job, we often hurry and agree to the company’s terms because we don’t want to lose that job but if you smartly negotiate you will get the job and the salary of your expectations.

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Hope you liked reading this issue of the newsletter

Best

Team Recruitment Letter