Techie's response to recruiter's 'warrior' jargon goes viral: The Elon Musk-y twist to a salary query

The incident highlights a growing frustration with the use of corporate jargon to deflect from direct and open conversations about compensation.

By  Storyboard18| Sep 3, 2025 6:20 PM

A software professional's attempt to get a straightforward answer about salary expectations from a recruiter went viral after the recruiter responded with vague corporate buzzwords instead of a number.

The professional, Yashraj Shukla, asked about the salary for the role and was told that compensation would depend on whether he could deliver "10x impact." The recruiter also told him they were "building a team of warriors, not employees," and that discussing salary at that stage was a sign of not being a good fit.

The conversation culminated in a humorous exchange where Shukla asked the recruiter, on a scale of 'E to the Lon,' "how Musk" they were, to which the recruiter simply replied "E."

The exchange, which was shared on social media, drew criticism from many who felt that the recruiter's language was a way to avoid pay transparency. Commenters noted the irony of seeking "warriors" without offering a "10x salary" in return. The incident highlights a growing frustration with the use of corporate jargon to deflect from direct and open conversations about compensation.

First Published onSep 3, 2025 6:19 PM

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