In the current context, companies seem to be in an advantageous position in the hiring process, as workers have lost bargaining power due to the economic recession and recent layoffs. This situation is evidenced by the fact that, unlike a few months ago, companies are offering lower salaries and taking longer to fill vacant positions.
In the specific case of the technology sector, recruiters point out that the situation has changed significantly in recent months. A few months ago, for example, if a candidate for a developer position asked for a high salary, companies were willing to turn a blind eye and do whatever it took to hire him or her. However, this is no longer the case.
According to Nikita Gupta, head of big tech recruiting and founder of a job search company called Careerflow.ai, companies that are still hiring now take weeks or even months to fill positions and want to make sure they hire for the lowest possible price. In fact, many of them are adopting a “take it or leave it” attitude, reflecting the perception that they have the upper hand in the negotiation.
This change in attitude on the part of companies has its origins in the economic crisis that the pandemic has generated. Many of them have been forced to lay off workers or cut wages to survive. Now, some companies are taking advantage of the situation to clean up their accounts and regain control. Workers, meanwhile, are worried about losing their jobs and are unable to demand certain conditions, which puts them at a negotiating disadvantage.
Heather Colvin, who screens candidates for technical positions in small and medium-sized companies across the United States, says the recent tech layoffs are in part an acknowledgment by many large companies that they not only overhired but that their workers’ salaries were far above what they could actually afford.