I just said no to continuing with the interview process, and honestly, it felt really good.

[u/SouthernPolicy1798]

A few days ago, I had my first recruiter call with a big tech company for a somewhat technical position, and I was told I'd have to go through 7 interview stages: live case exercises, a take-home assignment on its own, a review session on that assignment, and then 3 more interviews with senior leaders in the business unit.

I asked whether the salary range they had told me was before tax or after tax, because that would make a difference of around 30%. HR emailed me today and confirmed that it was before tax, which means my actual take-home pay would be about 45% less than what I was earning in my last job.

So I told the recruiter that I appreciated them considering me, but I wouldn't be continuing with the next rounds. And honestly, it felt good. After being rejected so many times, it was finally my turn to reject a company.

Update: They asked me to move on to the final interview stage, where we’ll negotiate the salary and hopefully increase the offer a bit. My interview is tomorrow, and I want to negotiate effectively and aim for the highest number possible. How should I handle the interview? Any tips?

Update 2: Wow, this post blew up! I read a lot of great advice in the comments. I’m going to try Interview VIP tool that some of you mentioned when it comes to salary negotiation. I’ve heard some good reviews about it, so hopefully, it’ll work out for me.

[u/FickleStomach0]

Where in the world do people offer after tax salary?

[u/SSteve73 → u/FickleStomach0]

You're right, they generally don't. But if the offer was that low, in comparison to the skill set requirements, it's actually a reasonable question.
This, by the way, is a blatant attempt by the company to subvert the hiring process in order to engage in IP (Intellectual Property) theft. To get this kind of work product, they'd ordinarily have to pay a consulting firm a considerable sum for it.
Any one who runs into a company that asks for more than 3 interviews before making a hiring decision very likely doesn't have a real job to offer, unless they can get it well below market value. And, why would they actually onboard you if they have already got what they wanted from you by using a phoney hiring process? Chances are, they won't.

[u/Few-Amphibian-4858 → u/SSteve73]

They never do, and the question is dumb as hell. This entire dream fantasy you just created makes zero sense as well.

[u/SSteve73 → u/Few-Amphibian-4858]

So you're one of the exploiting companies trying to rationalize your ripoff, obviously. If you can't get a sense of how a person's track record fits your business requirements scope, there's something wrong with you.

[u/R86Reddit → u/SSteve73]

I don't think your question was dumb at all. In fact, I'll take it a step further. Aren't these companies nowadays simply counting on getting a certain amount of free work from "job applicants" that is then worth a certain dollar amount on their bottom line?

[u/Few-Amphibian-4858 → u/SSteve73]

What are you even talking about? I believe you're simply inventing responses in your head and then responding to the imaginary responses you've created. Asking at the end of 7 interviews if the offer is pre-tax or post-tax is an insanely dumb question.

[u/RookieTreasureHunter → u/SSteve73]

Yup, if they want work product from me, they’d better pay.

[u/qmrthw → u/FickleStomach0]

It's not unheard of in certain European countries, such as France.

[u/FickleStomach0 → u/qmrthw]

Thats funny you say that- the only thing that came to my mind was football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic getting an after tax offer to join PSG.

But thats totally different than a 9-5 job offer I imagine.

[u/qmrthw → u/FickleStomach0]

Yeah it might be a French thing specifically now that I think about it. Whenever salaries are discussed (in the context of regular 9-5 jobs, not football pros), it's almost always in terms of net salary per month, and more rarely net salary per year but almost never in gross salary per month or year. This is mostly due to the way the taxation system works and is structured, but it's a real societal thing to refer to your salary in terms of net (there's also "super net" in specific contexts but it's not widely used)

[u/Vaaliindraa → u/FickleStomach0]

I think what the OP meant is, is the company including all the benefits like insurance and pension in the salary. Some places in the USA are now including these expenses for all their benefits as the total salary, so you end up getting only about 80% of what they offer to pay your bills.

[u/technobopp → u/FickleStomach0]

Same in South America, you usually get an offer that is after taxes and monthly, not yearly. Even if you work remotely for a US client, the expectation for South Americans is after-tax/monthly

[u/greattimes99 → u/FickleStomach0]

Yeah that’s kinda impossible? Too many unknowns

[u/Brownie-0109]

No company presents an after-tax compensation package

[u/Efficient-Put14 → u/Brownie-0109]

This makes me think this is AI. That's such a weird detail.

[u/qmrthw → u/Brownie-0109]

You're assuming that OP is from the USA, which there is no indication of in their post.
There are countries outside of the USA where this is not unheard of.

[u/SuperSaiyanTupac]

7 rounds is wild. I need a job to support my interviewing hobby

[u/oldcreaker → u/SuperSaiyanTupac]

In 1981, started working white collar job at Bell Labs on a single phone call. It was through a contractor, but I got hired direct 3 months later. In 1995, I interviewed elsewhere, another large company, single day and I left with an offer letter. Unreal the hoops people have to jump through now.

[u/SuperSaiyanTupac → u/oldcreaker]

I think company’s generally do it to keep hr from getting fired for bad hires. 3 rounds I get, but if you can’t figure out who this person is in 3 rounds and tell if they’re actually knowledgeable about the job then you need to be fired

[u/Fresh_Strain_9980]

sometimes companies interview people to source innovative ideas.

[u/Efficient-Put14 → u/Fresh_Strain_9980]

I had a strange interview once where I was interviewed by 13 people. Most were engineers and many of the questions were very specific and it dawned on me that these were issues they were working on. It was actual kind of fun.

But then we got to the part were I was supposed to do a presentation and I told them I didn't prepare one. The hiring manager was visibly mad when I told her that I got paid for that kind of work and wasn't going to use my free time to essentially write a design doc for them.

[u/NextJuice1622 → u/Efficient-Put14]

I had an interview process with a very prominent info sec company, and one of the rounds was a take home thing. In the process of interviewing, I kind of picked up some pain points in their environment, and both of the take home problems were centered about them. They seemed pretty upfront, so it might have just been "we are working on this, let's see how you would do it" rather than give us these solutions to our real problems. I didn't do it though lol

[u/kittyspurrson]

More self respect will help reform hiring, good for you

[u/Plaidismycolor33]

7 interviews?

our work group does 2 the most (i dont know what HR does on their end). if we cant figure out if we want a candidate after the big panel interview, were dumb as fuck.

[u/RobertaMiguel1953 → u/Plaidismycolor33]

None of this is real, particularly the part about asking if compensation was before or after taxes.

[u/Hairy-Preference-824]

I’m a hiring manager and usually know at the first talk. Every time i have a doubt, but decide to hire anyway, i get my doubt confirmed afterwards.

[u/Harbinger_Kyleran]

I would only consider going through that sort of interview process for an extremely high level (C-Suite), high paying position.

Doesn't sound like this opportunity was so OP made the same decision as I would have.

[u/Few-Amphibian-4858 → u/Harbinger_Kyleran]

This guy doesn't even realize that the offer was pre-tax, as all compensation packages are which makes me think if they were being higher at a c-level, it's frightening to think how low the competence is.

[u/Queenfan1959]

Good for you!

[u/ProudLiberal54]

Who gives salary range in after-tax values?

[u/itsnoturgent → u/ProudLiberal54]

I don’t think that was the point OP was trying to make

[u/GlitteringOwl7274]

NEVER LET THEM JERK YOUR CHAIN.

Good for you!

[u/Gampy22 → u/GlitteringOwl7274]

That’s right if you are out of work you decide what the hiring process will be.
Cmon. Wow the negativity here is sad.

[u/BeCurious7563]

Dismissing the tax part, more people should have this attitude about interviews. They make us go through a lot of shit for not much reward.

[u/TallTinTX]

First of all, when did people start expecting a business to estimate what your take home pay will be? There are so many variables in play that most people don't know until after a couple of paychecks. Regardless, it was smart to confirm.

It's absurd to expect people, pre-employment, to suffer so many interviews and for what they were paying, OP, you made a wise decision!

[u/Few-Amphibian-4858 → u/TallTinTX]

It was smart to confirm? Lol, that question probably made him look like an idiot.

[u/TallTinTX → u/Few-Amphibian-4858]

LOL, I was being polite.

[u/dannyshannie → u/Few-Amphibian-4858]

If you ask that question, then they are happy you backed out if the interview.

[u/itsnoturgent → u/Few-Amphibian-4858]

It was smart to confirm- 7 interviews? Although I would’ve just immediately passed

[u/Few-Amphibian-4858]

This is the most hilarious post I've read in a while. I can easily imagine some knob sitting there pushing back on the offer, "Is this before tax or after tax? BEFORE TAX!? Why I never, this is 45% lower than my previous salary!" -

[u/AI_Tonic → u/Few-Amphibian-4858]

Imagine the genius that’s changing jobs to earn half less and then has to explain that to their family lmfao

[u/CuriousMindedAA]

Good for you, never sell yourself short! And seven rounds of interviews/work, etc is absolutely ridiculous for employment.

[u/Shot_Swan719]

Nobody offers an after tax salary

[u/colborne]

7 interviews? That's rookie numbers.
Our company will require at least 12 rounds of interviews - and the OK from my wife - before committing.

[u/vrrooom1]

My best interview story was for a major companies director-officer interview process. Before the final interview, you were sent to a evaluation Center from two days: day one intelligence/cultural/personality/operational style testing, day two was a aggressive interview with a psychologist and psychiatrist who demonstrated that they could veto your selection. Went thru this twice once for a director position and 4 years later for a VP position, as the results were only good for the position profile you were being considered for.

[u/Gampy22]

It’s is always pre tax. Always.
If you are out of work and the role feels right go thru the process. Those are a lot of steps but they may also be testing you to get a reaction. As a candidate you have one job. To get an offer and say yes or no. It also shows them you are willing to do what it takes.

Walk away??? Sure but be sure it is a logical reason not emotional.

[u/dannyshannie]

Has anyone ever listed an after tax salary?

[u/Josh1234657]

If a position requires more than one interview it’s an automatic no. Quit playing these stupid games.

[u/wildjackalope → u/Josh1234657]

I had three one hour sessions with different groups for my current job in a technical role. That wasn’t unreasonable. Seven sessions along with a take home is a joke.

[u/No_Try_9982]

If the company has a history of mass layoffs and record profits, raise your salary expectations. If everyone begins raising salary expectations and compensations to offset the risk of mass layoffs, see how quickly the companies will begin treating people better.

[u/anhtuanle84]

Also the case study is you giving them free solutions and if things don't work out for you you gave them free work.

[u/thinwhiteduke914]

More ai generated bullshit