I recently went through a phone screening for a position at a tech company where I was asked about my expected salary. I provided a range that I thought was reasonable based on my experience and the industry standards. After the screening, I was excited to be scheduled for a second interview with the hiring manager, which made me think my salary expectations were aligned with theirs. However, today I received a call from a different HR representative who offered me the position, but the salary was significantly lower than the range I had provided. I was taken aback and expressed my concerns about the low offer. The HR rep mentioned he would discuss it with someone on Monday to see if there was room for negotiation. I never expected to be lowballed like this, especially after sharing my expectations upfront. It's frustrating because I was genuinely interested in the role, and I wouldn't have pursued it further if I had known their actual pay rate. It makes me wonder why they even asked for my expected salary in the first place.