// Round 08 · 15–20 min · 10 credits
Salary negotiation.
The final boss. Rehearse the offer call: anchoring, counter-offers, and asking for more without flinching.
Most engineers never practise the conversation that is worth the most money. The offer call is short, uncomfortable, and has real stakes, which is exactly why it’s worth rehearsing. Hardmode plays a recruiter delivering an offer for the role you are interviewing for, then responds to your counter the way recruiters do: with pushback, silence, and “let me check with the team.”
Scope
What this round covers
- Responding to the first offer without accepting or rejecting on the spot
- Making a counter with a clear number and a reason
- Negotiating equity, sign-on, level, start date, and remote terms, not just base
- Handling pressure tactics and exploding deadlines calmly
Session
How the session runs
01 —
Set the scenario
Tell it the offer you have (or expect) and any competing offers. Your inputs stay private.
02 —
The call
A recruiter presents the offer and reacts to what you say, including pushback.
03 —
Replay
Run it again with a different strategy and compare how each conversation went.
Personalised
Fitted to you
Your CV
Sets a realistic scenario for your experience and the role. Optional, and you can switch it off for any session.
Your difficulty
- Easy: A friendly interviewer who wants you to do well.
- Medium: A fair, professional interviewer. What most interviews feel like.
- Hard: A proper grilling, like a big-tech bar-raiser loop.
Review
What your feedback covers
- Moments where you held your position well
- Where to ask for something in return before conceding
- Stronger ways to state your number and your reasons
Detailed and supportive at every difficulty · No score, no verdict
Prep
Tips before you start
- Never negotiate against yourself. Make them respond to your number.
- Have a reason for your counter: market data, a competing offer, or scope.
- Know your walk-away point before the call.
// Next round
The rest of the loop
// Player 1
Get ready for hard mode.
Paste the job you want. Run the loop until the real one feels like a rematch.
20 free credits · No card required