[toomuchtodo]

My brother recently tried Patrick's advice interviewing for a sysadmin position at a small family business in the Chicago suburbs. When he attempted to negotiate after they indicated they were offering him employment, his offer was rescinded and they thanked him for his time.

This part of Patrick's article is still great advice in that regard:

"This means you need what political scientists call a commitment strategy: you always, as a matter of policy, negotiate all offers. (In this wide world I’m sure you can find a company who still makes exploding offers, where you get one yay-or-nay and then the offer is gone. You have a simple recourse to them: refuse them and deal with people who are willing to be professionals. You’re not a peasant. Don’t act like one.)"

This I find to be a sticking point, and never forget: "You’re not a peasant. Don’t act like one."

[ryanSrich]

Sounds like a win for your brother in my opinion. That company was probably an awful place to work.

[toomuchtodo]

That was our consensus as well.

[Mandatum]

To be fair from a managers perspective this would act as a good filter, those who are willing to demand negotiation over those who aren't are more likely to want everything they can get in the current market (which is perfectly reasonable). You're more likely to get those who are inexperienced in the job market, or those who are so insecure/timid about their professional lives that they are willing to take what they can get.

Which is great for an employer who doesn't care about his/her workers/