I recently had applied to a position where the salary range was provided. Aced the interviews and received an offer but it was lower than the salary range provide in the posting. I tried to negotiate, even mentioned the posting but they wouldn't budge. I have the weekend to decide. I am not desperate so I am planning on saying NO, as the comp is just 2% higher but growth opportunities are definitely higher. Looking for input on how to deal with this without burning a bridge.

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Making an offer that's lower than the salary range they posted themselves is a sign of bad faith that's nearly impossible to overlook. It says something about them. If you're not desperate, walk away and don't worry about it. If your first dealings with the company are marked by that kind of bad faith it's just a grim omen.

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There’s no burning a bridge here. You have every right to decline an offer. Everyone does. Just like every company has every right to say no to a candidate.

Also, I would definitely question them on why their offered salary is lower than the posted range. Curious to hear their answer on that. But regardless, I personally wouldn’t take the offer. That’s a huge red flag that they would offer lower than what they posted. Looks like a bait and switch. If THEY decide to burn a bridge just because you politely decline an offer, then good riddance. Honestly, you don’t need that kind of bridge anyway. Won’t benefit your career.

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I think you answered your own question. You tell them that you are jazzed to work with them but the bait and switch is a problem.

To be clear, did the posting explicitly mention a range, or was it a third-party guesstimate like Glassdoor pulls out its butt?

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I personally think it's a red flag that they aren't honoring the job listing that they themselves posted. I would also wonder what kind of bait and switch they might be doing in other aspects of the job. Have you looked up employee reviews on Glassdoor to see how people feel about the company? Honesty is huge for me and I would not like to be misled like that, personally.

Good ol' bait and switch. Good call not taking that job, I can only imagine how unprofessional they would be to work for. You are a stronger person than I am for wanting to leave that bridge intact. Just be direct but polite, it's all you can do. Thank them for the offer and say after careful thought, the compensation doesn’t align with your expectations based on the role and posted range. Emphasize your appreciation for the process and interest in the company, and leave the door open by saying you’d love to stay in touch for future roles.

The fact they offered lower than what they listed in the posting speaks volumes. You have no obligation to accept that and I wouldn't worry that doing so would be construed as burning a bridge. They weren't willing to pay what you needed to make a move, simple as that. Shouldn't cause any hard feelings.

I think it’s a red flag they are not honoring the description and would take that into account when thinking about long term opportunities / what the role would look like

What else are they lying about? Decline and tell them why!

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