Do they?
I was a hiring manager for a long time. I WANT them to show me they believe they are worth more. Evennif I didn’t, I 100% can guarantee that once the company has made a decision on a candidate, they will move heaven and earth to close on that candidate. They really don’t want the other candidates because they’ve rationalized them away. And they definitely don’t want to start over.
So who is giving the pressure to "lowball a candidate"? And do HMs get bad feedback if they offer upper bound TC?
Recruiters want you to get paid as much as possible. Hiring managers are trying to talk you down. If they get upset, it’s because they have to do their job
Any tips for negotiation?
They expect you to.