CEO Suggests Job Seekers Pay An Application Fee In Order To Apply
As if the job market wasn't bad enough...
Drazen Zigic | Shutterstock A CEO has come under fire for suggesting a significant change to the job application process, which involves spending money on the position before being hired. Yup, you heard that right. He doesn't want to make it easier for applicants. He wants to make it more exclusive.
Mike Cee, the founder and CEO of a U.S. cannabis company, claimed that job seekers shouldn't be allowed to apply for a job position without having to fork over some cash in the process, much to the disbelief of others who read his controversial LinkedIn post.
A CEO suggested that job seekers pay an application fee in order to apply.
In a since-deleted LinkedIn post that was shared on Reddit, Cee asked if it was "insensitive" of him to suggest that job seekers should pay a fee for a job application. If you're asking yourself if this is a serious question, you're not alone.
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"Am I insensitive to the world if I think people should pay a small fee ($20?) to apply for a job, as a means to prevent an overwhelming quantity of under-qualified or mismatched submissions?" Cee questioned. Following heavy backlash, with many people directly responding to his post, labeling it a "terrible idea" and suggesting that people would likely never apply to a company asking for a fee, Cee attempted to clarify his opinion.
"This is a thoughtful exercise," he insisted. "The fee will guarantee an in-person interview, but not the job. The fee could be $1, and is not a means for generating income for the company."
In an attempt to defend his position, the CEO only seemed to dig himself into a deeper hole.
Needless to say, digging his heels in on his point wasn't met with a good response. Let's just put more pressure on financially strapped, stressed-out job seekers who are throwing their resumes at basically any job available because they can't even get a bite, despite impressive resumes, degrees, and a portfolio of experience.
There should be no reason why a company needs to profit off desperation, but that's exactly what this is. It's incredibly out of touch. As one commenter sarcastically noted, "The best way to know if a candidate is a good one is if they can afford to pay for an interview. [Expletive] resumes or experience. If they’re not rich, then why are they even walking around?" Another stated the obvious, "Wouldn't that just incentivize companies to post fake jobs and never hire for them?"
It's even more concerning when you look at the fact that job seekers are often tasked with drawn-out application processes that include working on projects and tasks for free as a way to prove themselves. It's greedy and classist.
Most Americans are in extremely precarious financial situations.
According to a Mind over Money survey by Capital One and The Decision Lab, more than three in four Americans (77%) report feeling anxious about their financial situation, 58% feel that finances control their lives, and 52% have difficulty controlling their money-related worries. Americans are even worried about their financial future, which includes: not having enough money to retire (68%), keeping up with the cost of living (56%), and managing debt levels (45%).
The impact of that kind of financial stress takes a toll on people. Respondents to the survey admitted to feeling fatigued (43%), finding it difficult to concentrate at work (42%), and having trouble sleeping (41%). So, to want to start charging job seekers for job applications, even if it's just $1, is a literal slap in the face.
If finding a job becomes cost-prohibitive, only the wealthy will be able to even apply. Charging an application fee does not eliminate underqualified candidates. It eliminates candidates who cannot afford to apply. It's as simple as that.
Most working people are barely keeping their heads above water, so what makes a CEO like Cee believe that people can actually afford, or will even want to, give companies their money for a job when it should always be the other way around?
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
