A group of IITian founders has gone viral online after revealing that they offered a job candidate a salary far higher than what he had asked for, and social media users are calling it a rare example of fair hiring in India’s startup world.

The founders, who run an Instagram page called IIT Ke 4 Launde, shared the story in a video that quickly caught attention online.

“Candidate asked for 35k/month, but we offered 50k/month because for that role we had approved 50k,” the founders wrote in the post.

Candidate expected a small raise, got much more

According to the founders, the engineering candidate was already earning around Rs 30,000 per month in his previous role. During salary discussions, he asked for Rs 35,000, a modest increase from his existing pay.

However, the startup had already set aside a budget of Rs 50,000 for the position and decided to offer the full amount instead of negotiating lower.
One of the founders explained in the video that they believed the role itself carried a certain value, regardless of how little the candidate demanded.
“I have accepted that budget. According to me, that work has value,” he said.
He added that if the company had the ability to remove financial stress for an employee, it should do so.

“If I can solve that problem for you, where you don’t have to think whether it is Rs 30,000 or Rs 35,000, then I should solve that problem for you,” he explained.

‘Rehiring costs are much higher’

Another founder said the company’s approach was based on long-term thinking rather than short-term savings.

“People don’t realise this, but the guy has been with us for the last three years,” he said in the video.

He pointed out that losing a good employee midway and hiring again would have ended up costing the company far more in time, effort and training.

“We always prefer quality over cost optimisation,” he added.

Social media users call them ‘dream recruiters’

The video quickly sparked reactions online, with many users praising the founders for treating employees fairly.

One user commented: “Dream recruiters.”

Another wrote: “Being an HR, I totally support this, but my company would never allow it.”

A third joked: “My HR says it’s AI.”

The story has struck a chord online at a time when conversations around salaries, employee retention and workplace culture are becoming increasingly common across India’s startup ecosystem.

Disclaimer: This article is based on claims made in a social media post/video. The Economic Times has not independently verified the statements or details shared in the post and does not guarantee their accuracy. The views expressed belong to the individuals featured and do not necessarily reflect those of ET.com. Readers are advised to exercise discretion.