[cookiecaper]

You're exploiting the naivety of your candidates by pretending that their initial offer is "about what you were thinking", even though it was really much lower. You should pay a fair salary even if your candidates are naive about what actually constitutes a fair salary. You're screwing over the people whose salaries you control by encouraging/allowing them to take a much worse offer just because they didn't know any better. Why is this good?

[bdclimber14]

I see what you're saying, but let me reiterate, I've only done this on the receiving end as an applicant, candidate, potential employee. Saying "about what I was thinking" is something I say when I would take a job for $500, but they offer $2,000. Am I screwing over an employer by encouraging and allowing them to pay me that much?