A Gurgaon-based real estate firm owner has reignited the salary expectation debate with a viral post criticizing tech professionals for demanding what he calls “unjustifiable hikes.”
The controversy began when the entrepreneur, identified as Bhandari, shared on X that a tech candidate asked for a 137.7% jump—from ₹8 lakh to ₹19 lakh per annum—without clearly articulating their value proposition.
The backlash was swift, with many calling his stance outdated and reflective of toxic recruiter culture. But Bhandari has doubled down. “Since my last post on a techie asking for a 137.7% hike ruffled many feathers, I am sharing another example,” he wrote. This time, it was a female candidate asking for a 100% hike—from ₹12 lakh to ₹24 lakh—citing her child’s international school fees as justification.
“There are numerous such examples we come across ever so often,” he added. “Candidates asking for the moon without being able to articulate why they deserve it.”
He went further, claiming the post-COVID salary boom in the IT sector has skewed expectations. “The sense of entitlement amongst those this post triggered is astonishing,” he wrote. “Most are in for a rude awakening.”
His core argument: salary hikes must be based on merit, not personal need. “Every business is a for-profit entity. Jobs exist because the business turns a profit. Unless you work for a loss-making PE/VC-funded startup,” he added, warning job seekers to justify the value they bring when asking for large jumps.
The internet, however, had other ideas. One user wrote, “If you’ve decided to hire someone, what they currently earn is immaterial. You have a budget and an assessment process. Make your best offer and move on.”
Another called out “colonial-era thinking,” arguing that “companies who value their employees pay based on skills and the budget for the role—not on last CTC.”
The debate underscores a deeper cultural tension in India’s hiring practices—between a legacy of cost-to-company thinking and a growing demand for skill-based compensation and transparency.
