Sometimes, all it takes is one person to see your worth even when you don’t see it yourself.
That was exactly what happened when a Malaysian HR professional, Farah, shared a heartwarming story online about how she once stepped in to adjust a candidate’s salary… right in front of her.
Candidate asked for RM2K despite strong background
According to Farah, she came across a resume that immediately stood out.
The candidate had solid educational qualifications and decent work experience. During the interview, she also performed well and left a good impression.
But there was one thing that didn’t add up, her expected salary.
She wrote RM2,000 in the application form. Even though she did well in the interview, she mentioned she hadn’t been getting callbacks from other companies,” Farah shared.
HR quietly changed it to RM2,800
Feeling that the candidate was undervaluing herself, Farah made a bold move.
Right there during the interview, she edited the expected salary from RM2,000 to RM2,800.
She looked at me, I looked at her… and I nodded to hint that it was okay,” Farah said.
When the application reached top management, they agreed to the revised amount without issue.
Farah then called the candidate to share the good news and unsurprisingly, she was overjoyed.
“As for me? I was even happier,” she added.
Other netizens share similar ‘boss from heaven’ moments
Farah’s story quickly resonated with many Malaysians, who began sharing their own experiences of employers who went the extra mile.
One netizen recalled an interview where the boss asked her to list all her monthly commitments before calculating a realistic salary.
“After seeing the total, he said, ‘How are you going to survive with that?’ and added an extra RM1,500. He told me to know my value. I still remember it till today.”
Another shared how they hired a fresh graduate with strong leadership potential, recommending a starting salary of RM4,000.
Within six months, the employee was promoted to Unit Head with a salary of RM7,000 and has since gone on to become a CEO.
“Boss from heaven,” says netizen
Meanwhile, another woman shared how she asked for just RM2,500 during her interview as she was still living with her parents.
Her boss was shocked.
“He said, ‘We’re offering you RM3,500 plus allowances. Wait for our offer letter.’”
She later described him as a “boss from heaven”.
HR says candidates often don’t know their own worth
Some HR professionals also chimed in, saying they’ve encountered many candidates who severely undervalue themselves.
“I’ve met candidates who were really solid, but when asked about expected salary, they put minimum wage,” one wrote.
“When we ask why, their answers are very humble like they’re not aware of their own value at all.”
In such cases, HR said they would step in to adjust the salary accordingly.
“Honestly, as HR, we also have to fight for the candidate’s potential wages. Sometimes they just don’t know their real market value.”
But not all HR are the same
However, not everyone shared the same experience.
One netizen pointed out that while HR used to offer salaries based on qualifications, some companies today try to push for the lowest possible pay despite high job requirements.
“In the end, no one wants to join,” they said.
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