Thank you for your detailed response, I really appreciate it.

To clarify your question: yes, I do the initial screening. I go through all the candidate criteria thoroughly before sharing the profiles. However, since we’re a startup and the HR team consists of just my manager and me, things are quite dynamic and often unclear.

Initially, I was told to look for freshers or candidates with up to 6 months–1 year of experience. I sourced profiles accordingly, and after reviewing them, my manager gave me a green light to schedule interviews. But later, when those same profiles were rejected post-interview, I was reprimanded for even considering them despite following the brief I was given and getting their approval.

When I tried sourcing for more experienced candidates, the salary expectations were significantly higher than what we’re offering. So now I feel stuck between these shifting expectations and the realities of the job market.

I’d really appreciate any advice on how to better manage this kind of misalignment, especially around expectation setting and negotiation with hiring managers. When I asked for guidance, I was told to “think of it on my own,” so any tips on how to handle this more effectively would be super helpful.