Job offer rescinded after trying to negotiate salary

[u/SeaKaleidoscope6298]

Applied for a Process Engineer role through a recruitment agency. I hold both a BSc and MSc in Chemical Engineering, with a year of work experience in a multinational manufacturing company. The job was advertised at £40k. Went through the interview process and got a verbal offer for £35k.

The role would require me to relocate up north to a very remote village, away from family and friends, so naturally I wanted to make sure the salary made sense for the move. I told the recruiter I’d be happy to accept if they could bring it closer to the advertised £40k. Recruiter said he informed the company and they’d get back to me. About a week later, they told me the company has decided not to proceed with me at all. No official written offer ever came - it was all verbal.

Feeling a bit blindsided, since I wasn’t trying to be unreasonable and I negotiated based on their own advertised salary.

Has anyone else had an offer pulled like this? Did I handle this wrong or was this just a bad employer fit from the start? I always believed the worst the company could say was no.

[u/hazelnut_coffay]

it’s supply and demand. if they’ve got 3 candidates who they’d be happy taking then there’s no incentive to give a higher salary. one of you will take the offer

[u/dannyinhouston → u/hazelnut_coffay]

I hire engineers and I’ll always try to get the best candidate regardless of the salary. Three choices are not widgets, if a company feels that way run away quickly.

[u/hazelnut_coffay → u/dannyinhouston]

if you’re referring to candidates w multiple years of experience then yes, i agree. a candidate w only 1 year of experience is similar to a new grad - a dime a dozen.

[u/LaTeChX → u/hazelnut_coffay]

On paper sure, in real life new grads vary widely in quality. But in the end HR is unlikely to approve anything since they share your mindset that people are nothing more than their resumes.