Pay is not a game.
Pay should not have some secret super sensitive approach to it, where if you miss one step it's game over.
Pay shouldn't be something held over a candidate's head, and argued amongst leaders AFTER the role is posted. If an organization knows it has a need, they should know the budget they can afford. In-house negotiation after the fact is redundant.
Salary Transparency NEEDS to be standard across all industries. The opposite is old head toxic thinking, that only adds to anxiety, frustration, and an enlongated process for Candidates, Recruiters, and Hiring Managers alike.
It's a win-win. We are all in different stages of our career. You being offered something after 5-6 interviews over 3 weeks, that DOES NOT fit your lifestyle is bullshit. This can all be fixed by just being extremely transparent.
Edit: Oh and if we happen to be working together, best believe I can and WILL be extremely open with salary communication.