| This is the position of 99% of employers. Employers (as one would no doubt discover if you looked outside of the echo chamber) are as practical as they are selective. On the other hand, why would anyone want to work for a company that's not selective in their hiring? Limiting yourself to the top .25% of available employees is a rather stupid way to do business. Being flexible does not mean you are open to everyone, just that you are will to accept, say, the top 5% of employees. if the company won't negotiate your offer, that probably indicates they're full of B-players and you're dodging a bullet. The company IS negotiating. You are the one who isn't. Negotiation, by definition, is not the act of simply stating your demands as an ultimatum. If you figure this is a practical way to live life, by all means, continue down this path. I'm pretty confident in saying though that after 15 years in business with more negotiations of all sorts than I can count in my past, whenever I've come across a person with your view point, I simply walk. Dealing with someone that can't find win-win is, in 100% of cases, more trouble than they can ever be worth. (As an aside, you see this a lot more with B2B deals than you do with hiring. Most people applying for work are a little more reasonable to simply demand a salary. The only time you normally see this is if the person in question is being poached/recruited, which is a different equation) Getting 100% of what you initially want is a great goal and a reason to celebrate. Expecting this outcome all of the time is a recipe for failure. |