Late-stage CTC pushback: Dealbreaker or standard negotiation tactic?
Hi everyone, wanted to share a quick update/rant from my interview today.
This was the HR round, following two solid technical/managerial rounds with the hiring manager and skip manager. I was feeling really positive about this one, especially since I clearly shared my CTC expectations during the initial screening.
Today, when I restated my expected CTC and increment, the recruiter mentioned it was out of budget and that she’d need to check with the hiring manager. She added that they are "interviewing a few more candidates" and will get back in a few days.
My heart honestly sank. Why put a candidate through three full rounds if the compensation expectations shared in round one were a dealbreaker? It feels like a massive waste of everyone's time. I was really hopeful about this role converting, especially after so much effort.
Trying not to dwell on it too much—back to applying and preparing. Would love to hear if anyone else has dealt with this late-stage budget pushback recently.