What consequence might arise if a company refuses to negotiate at all during the compensation discussion process?

It can sometimes serve as a red flag regarding how they value employees post-hiring

While a candidate must be prepared to walk away if the final offer is genuinely unacceptable, the employer's reaction to the negotiation attempt itself carries informational weight. If a company declines to negotiate even on minor items, this rigidity can be interpreted as a warning sign. Job forum advice often suggests that an employer's unwillingness to engage in constructive negotiation—which is framed as a business discussion—might hint at how they will treat employee input and compensation adjustments after the hiring is complete. If the salary remains above the candidate's lowest acceptable threshold, they might still choose to accept based on positive non-monetary factors like culture or growth, but the refusal to negotiate remains a noteworthy data point regarding post-hiring valuation.