you are high maintenance and full of yourself

by Alison Green on August 12, 2008

A reader writes:

My interviewer asked me what my salary range was, so I researched and sent an email back. He replied stating that it was too high, so I sent him a email back just asking what an acceptable range would be. At that point, he sent back three paragraphs bashing me, stating that I was high maintenance and full of myself. How do I respond to that email??

By telling him that you’re sorry you couldn’t term to terms and wishing him the best of luck and then running far, far away, and counting your blessings that you didn’t end up working for him.

Even if you were off-base in your salary range, his response was totally unacceptable. Telling you that you’re high maintenance and full of yourself?! If he treats a job candidate like this, imagine how he treats employees who ask for a raise. Seriously, you do not want to work for this man.

The proper response when a candidate names a range that the employer feels is too high is: “That’s higher than the range we’ve budgeted for this position, which is ____, and which we settled on for the following reasons. Is our range prohibitive for you?”

This guy is an ass. Good riddance to him. And if you were inclined to post the full text of his email here, I think we would all enjoy seeing it.

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{ 8 comments }

{ 8 comments… read them below }

  1. Mandatory Vacation*

    I had a recruiter for a contracting firm tell me my rates were too high and I would have to charge less. I got two offers that day, and one later that week, all for that rate or higher- one of which was at the same large company the original recruiter subcontracted for.

    Normally I would give the courtesy of writing back, but her company had been spamming me and jerking me around for weeks, so I just ignored it. Doesn’t seem to have mattered, since they still send me job postings.

  2. HR Maven*

    This is crazy, out on a limb thought but I will post it anyway.

    Who was the person with whom you were corresponding? CEO? CFO? Where I work, many assistants have access to their supervisors email accounts. Are you certain that the person WROTE the email?

    Experience kicking in – had an assistant try and sabotage a VP on her way out by sending out some choice words to other VPs and Prez…

    If you are certain, GOOD RIDDANCE. :)

  5. Rachel - Employment File*

    “I sent him a email back just asking him what was an acceptable range.”

    Was there a tone to your email? It doesn’t justify the response but it might explain it.

  6. Jackie Cameron*

    I think Rachel is making a valuable point here. What we intend in an e-mail and what is taken always has the potential for a mis-match. There is no excuse for the guy’s escalation in the response to what – on the face of it – was a simple question for clarity but misunderstanding might be the explanation.

    Think the writer had a lucky escape though!

  7. HRTopher*

    Personally I always try to shoot high when people ask me what my salary range is. I feel that if the organization is a good fit then it will not have a negative impact. This guy sounds bit bitter, you will find something better.

  8. Anonymous*

    Original submitter – even if you have to redact names and confidential info, PLEASE post the “three paragraphs”… Seeing how crazy other people are helps remind me that the people I deal with aren’t that bad!

Comments are closed.