A startup founder is drawing widespread praise online after offering an engineering candidate a significantly higher salary than what he had requested, in a move that has sparked conversation around hiring practices and employee value.
The incident, shared via a now-viral video on social media, shows the candidate, who was previously earning ₹30,000 per month, asking for a modest increase of ₹5,000, taking his expected salary to ₹35,000. However, the company chose to offer ₹50,000 instead, aligning with the pre-approved budget for the role.
The founder explained on Instagram that while the candidate had asked for ₹35,000 per month, the company offered ₹50,000 because that was the approved compensation for the position. In the video, one of the founders detailed that during the hiring process, the candidate requested ₹35,000 despite earning around ₹30,000 in his previous role, but the organisation decided to adhere to its internal valuation of the job and extended the full budgeted salary.
A few days after joining, the candidate questioned why he had been offered more than he had asked for, prompting the founder to respond that the budget had already been accepted internally and that the role carried a defined value, which the company was willing to honour. He added that if the company could eliminate concerns around incremental salary differences for the employee, it should do so.
Another founder joined the discussion, stating that the employee has now been with the company for three years and highlighting that the cost of rehiring would have been significantly higher had he left earlier. He further explained that the company prioritises quality over cost optimisation in its hiring philosophy.
The video has triggered a wave of reactions on social media, with many users praising the approach. Some described the founders as ideal recruiters, while others expressed support for the practice but noted that their own organisations would not permit such decisions. Several users reacted with humour, suggesting the scenario appeared too good to be true and joking that their HR departments would dismiss it as an AI-generated video.
Others highlighted that spending within an approved budget to secure talent is a practical approach, while some users expressed aspirational sentiments about working under similar leadership.
First Published on May 24, 2026, 1:00:09 IST
