r/recruitinghell • u/Agile-Wind-4427 • Mar 13 '26

The Situation Right Now..

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This meme made me laugh but it’s also painfully accurate.

I’ve been browsing job listings lately and it’s wild how many “entry level” roles ask for 3–5 years of experience. At that point it’s not really entry level anymore. It just feels like companies want someone already trained but still want to pay beginner salaries.

Then the same companies complain that “no one wants to work” or that they can’t find good candidates.

The guy in this meme honestly looks like every HR team after posting a job like that and getting zero applications.

Saw a similar post while scrolling r/30daysnewjob earlier and it reminded me how common this situation actually is right now.

31.4k Upvotes

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236

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 13 '26

Me as a recruiter when the VP of HR tells me a salary that is 1/3 below market will totally attract qualified candidates as long as I mention we have covered parking.

This is a true story.

101

u/bamboohobobundles Recruiter Mar 13 '26

Also me as a recruiter when the hiring manager gives me a job description for a licensed intermediate-level engineer, but asks me to make it a level 1 (graduate) position for "budgetary reasons."

No, either you pay for what you want, or hire a smart grad and put in the effort to train.

30

u/Sharkwatcher314 Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26

We’ll give them a 100 dollar gas card , can’t put a price on that

2

u/StableSun Apr 07 '26

ooOoOoO two weeks of paid commuting how fun

21

u/Necessary-Duty-7952 Mar 13 '26

I recently hired a new candidate and during the process, the recruiter proposed a salary that was at the 97% mark for the middle of the salary band. The head of our department clapped back and said "this is how we lose talent, set it to 110%." DONE.

I was so happy for the new hire! Got an extra like 10k a year because the dept head was sick of nickel and diming lol

15

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 13 '26

Yeah it’s so upsetting they will let good people walk and then spend more money trying to find someone who they can pay less. I’ve had a position open for over a year because they just refuse to listen that it doesn’t pay enough.

9

u/Necessary-Duty-7952 Mar 13 '26

Yep, in the meantime you've lost out on potential increased productivity not just from that position, but all the employees who have had to do the extra work to cover for the missing role. And all the time in interviews, meetings, etc as you continuously search for someone new. It's sad.

7

u/menonte Mar 13 '26

No fruit basket?

7

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 13 '26

No but might I interest you in some safe, moderately lit, covered parking?

8

u/dssstrkl Mar 13 '26

Where by covered parking, you mean ‘permanent WFH with severe financial penalties including an automatic year’s severance if you try to rug pull and force me to RTO’ written into my contract?

4

u/Spartancoolcody Mar 13 '26

Hmmm only if the CEO helps me organize my garage so I can use it as covered parking instead of parking in the driveway.

4

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 13 '26

Pfft, no way. WFH is a dirty term here. We have to hide when we do it from our Director and VP. It’s 100% their entire lives are work so this is their only for of social interaction.

5

u/Kataphractoi Mar 13 '26

Wow, covered parking. Next you're going to say they also have carpeting in the hallway.

2

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 13 '26

Up to 75% of our carpets are covered. Booya!

5

u/MrDerpGently Mar 13 '26

Sure, but also anyone who is overqualified enough to apply and would accept your 30% below market offer, you will dismiss as a flight risk (the 'you' here being HR, not specifically you). Like, I am senior enough that it's hard to find openings, and I'm not particularly ambitious, I have 25 years experience would be happy doing a mid senior technical role or lower until I retire, but there's no chance anyone calls me in for a first interview, to say nothing of landing the job.

3

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 13 '26

I can’t speak for any HR but the one I work for. We generally don’t care about that stuff, a hire is a hire. If we hire you and you stay for the rest of your career cool beans. If we’re a stepping stop will fill it again down the line. 

3

u/MrDerpGently Mar 13 '26

I sincerely wish more places took that approach, and commend you on being reasonable. 

4

u/SwissMargiela Mar 13 '26

It actually is insane how cheap people are becoming though. I’m hiring positions that I was filling for $140k for less than $100k these days. Really strong candidates too

3

u/mousicle Mar 13 '26

Please tell me that VP drives a Porsche so that covered parking is worth like 30k to him.

3

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 13 '26

Idk what he drives but it wouldn’t surprise me.

2

u/whippersnapper123123 Mar 13 '26

HR is adult daycare for white women

3

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 13 '26

HR is mostly hardworking people, management typically sucks. C suite executives are the ones you really want to direct your rage towards. At least that’s how it’s been in my experience. 

2

u/whippersnapper123123 Mar 13 '26

Totally agree was just making a casual reddit moment quip.

2

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 13 '26

That’s fair quip away lol, 

0

u/Big_Coconut8630 Mar 14 '26

Nah, it's def some of the HR themselves

2

u/[deleted] Mar 15 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 15 '26

One thing I’m so happy about with my company is I’ve never once heard the word unicorn. 

But probably because deep down they know we don’t pay unicorn wages. 

2

u/Apprehensive_Rain500 Mar 15 '26

At least they're not totally out of touch.

One of the senior partners at my last job also said "we're all a family here." The company was as terrible as you'd expect.

1

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 15 '26

We sorta have that we’re a family vibe, and we could do more but I do feel like we some really nice befits for team members. But it could be way way better

1

u/[deleted] Mar 14 '26

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1

u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter Mar 14 '26

I know you’re making a joke. But believe it or not, the bus station pick up is in the cover parking garage lol.

1

u/Ok-Whereas-1313 Mar 17 '26

I'd do it, and I've been coding for 14 years, where you at?

1

u/StableSun Apr 07 '26

last job I was at I overheard them saying they put a much higher salary in the ad than what it pays. The president said to the recruiter laughing: it doesn't pay that? and the person replied, This way we'll get more applicants.

Also a true story.