Worker Told After 6 Rounds Of Interviews That The Job Is Now In-Office & He'll Have To Relocate
What a waste of time...
MAYA LAB | Shutterstock A worker took to Reddit to share what he described as "the most infuriating interview experience." After 6 rounds of interviews and even a project, he was told the position was no longer remote and it would require him to relocate.
We all know the job market is a mess and that employers hold all the cards right now, but this kind of bait-and-switch tactic isn't just demoralizing; it's unethical. The time he invested in the interview process had value, and they basically stole from him and his family.
A worker was told after 6 rounds of interviews that the job is no longer remote.
The man explained that a recruiter from a software company contacted him about a job that was supposed to be mostly remote. The role required him to go to the company only twice a month, which worked for him since he lived four hours away.
MAYA LAB / Shutterstock
Not only did he go through six rounds of interviews, but the company also gave him a take-home project that took five hours. At that point, he became hesitant and said he couldn’t spend all that time on an unpaid project for a job that wasn't guaranteed. In response, the department VP called him and assured him that they were very interested and that he was a top candidate. “It was all a lie,” he said.
The important call finally came, and the hiring manager delivered the news: he would have to relocate because they had decided the job now required being in-office. “I calmly explained that the salary wasn’t even close to what would make me move my entire family,” he said, “and reminded them that they were the ones who contacted me and knew full well where I lived.”
He added that his current location and professional network would actually be an essential asset to the company. The company said it would look into it. A few days later, the recruiter called him back, saying the company had decided they needed someone in the office four days a week. After all the time he had invested, it was clear the company had never seriously considered him for the job.
Job interviews should not mean free labor.
It has become increasingly popular for employers to ask candidates to do projects during the hiring process, according to Alison Green, the advice columnist for Slate's "Ask a Manager." She explained, "This can be anything from writing a press release for a communications job to coding a webpage for a web development job."
Although it may seem nice on paper, as employers get to see the candidate's skills, it actually means the prospective employee is working for free. How is that fair?
If you're someone trying to get a job and are presented with a test project that will take several hours to complete, you have options. First, you can simply walk away. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to take that chance, especially in the current job market, where getting an interview is close to impossible. A second option, Green argued, is to tell them you can't do extensive work. You could inform the company that, because of your current job, if you have one, you can't spend more than an hour on a hiring project.
The worker sadly learned the hard way just how cutthroat the hiring process has become. It seems quite unfair for a company to lead someone on, get them to do work, and then change what the position will require afterward. Hopefully, it serves as a lesson to those who are looking for jobs: always set boundaries during when it comes to your time, even if you desperately need the job.
Matt Machado is a writer studying journalism at the University of Central Florida. He covers relationships, psychology, celebrities, pop culture, and human interest topics.
