I've been on both sides of the hiring process and to get a solid candidate into advanced stages of the interview process isn't trivial. Time is always an issue - time to screen resumes, engineering time for phone screens, for online interviews, engineering time for onsite interviews all the while continuing to release new features.
While the pool of candidates is virtually infinite, time isn't.
And so for a solid engineering candidate, that works to your advantage. So yes, push back on discounted salary requirements.
Or reach a middle-ground - offer a short term contract up front to ensure "you're a good fit for each other" and so that you can properly demonstrate your skillet. And then kill every task you're assigned.
I've been on both sides of the hiring process and to get a solid candidate into advanced stages of the interview process isn't trivial. Time is always an issue - time to screen resumes, engineering time for phone screens, for online interviews, engineering time for onsite interviews all the while continuing to release new features.
While the pool of candidates is virtually infinite, time isn't.
And so for a solid engineering candidate, that works to your advantage. So yes, push back on discounted salary requirements.
Or reach a middle-ground - offer a short term contract up front to ensure "you're a good fit for each other" and so that you can properly demonstrate your skillet. And then kill every task you're assigned.
Protect your value.