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    Experienced job candidate tells off recruiter after getting offered $12/hour with no benefits: 'I told her she needed a reality check because her offer was a joke'

    It's always baffling when hiring managers feign surprise at candidates refusing their paltry offers.

    We understand that the job market is tough out there, but the assumption that countless individuals will accept any amount of pay under any conditions is ludicrous and outdated. Unfortunately, far too many recruiters and employers alike seem stuck in the past when it comes to meeting candidates where they are.

    This job candidate had years of experience under his belt, plus a degree and plenty of applicable specialized skills. He should have been taken far more seriously from the start of his interview process for a new position. However, clearly, the recruiter with whom the candidate was communicating was either ignorant herself or she vastly underestimated the candidate's ability to advocate for himself.

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    • A job candidate sits for an interview opposite a recruiter.
      via Unsplash+ (Ahmet Kurt)

      A job candidate sits for an interview opposite a recruiter.

      Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    • This candidate was hoping to snag a part-time position with a decent hourly rate that matched his skillset. He was also hoping to attain some employment benefits if he were to join the company. 

      After all, the recruiter spent so much time during their early talks explaining the wide range of benefits that were offered for full-time employees. It should not have been crazy for the applicant to assume that at least some of these benefits might be on the table for him as well. Otherwise, why would she go there at all?

    • I had to tell a recruiter that her offer was an insult and that she was living in a completely different world.

      I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but I feel like some hiring managers are living on a different planet than the rest. of us.
      via lenapaulmvv
    • They really need a reality check from the people they're trying to hire. When you're looking for someone with a degree and specific skills for a temporary, part-time job, don't act surprised when we consider an offer of $12 an hour an insult.
      via lenapaulmvv
    • The interview was a joke. The recruiter spent a full fifteen minutes talking about how much the company cares about 'our people' and the amazing work-life balance they have.
      via lenapaulmvv
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    • She listed all the great benefits they offer their team. The surprise? You have to be a full- time employee to get almost any of them.
      via lenapaulmvv
    • And since this was a temporary contract job, there was no chance for promotion or an increase in hours.
      via lenapaulmvv
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    • She told me they \might consider it for the 'perfect' person, but there were no real plans in place.
      via lenapaulmvv
    • The job itself wasn't easy either. It's right up my alley, as I've worked a similar role before, but 7 years ago the lowest pay for this role at my old company was $22 an hour.
      via lenapaulmvv
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    • A job candidate hands over a folder of documents to the recruiter.
      via Unsplash+ (Ahmet Kurt)

      A job candidate hands over a folder of documents to the recruiter.

      Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

    • And that was for a full- time job. According to a few of my old colleagues, the starting pay in that same department now is no less than $35 an hour, and most people there are making around $85k a year.
      via lenapaulmvv
    • So they want someone who is educated, reliable, dedicated, and detail-oriented, but in return, they don't want to give health insurance or pay enough to cover rent for a studio apartment in the city?
      via lenapaulmvv
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    • I might have been a bit blant, but I told her she needed a reality check because her offer was a joke.
      via lenapaulmvv

    • While it's unsurprising to see, it's deeply infuriating that this recruiter all of a sudden decided to play dumb when she was confronted with the question of benefits. Her choice to leave a dangling carrot for him was insane. 

      The idea that they might give in to these requests for the perfect person is highly unlikely, especially at a company where the hiring managers are already offering abysmal salaries and hourly rates. Thankfully, the candidate's wealth of experience meant that he had the confidence to know that he could find a much better opportunity elsewhere. 

      While we do not necessarily condone burning bridges, it is satisfying to think of the reaction across the recruiter's face when she was told directly that her offer was insulting. I would like to think that she learned her lesson, but I find that doubtful.

    • Honestly, she seemed so disconnected from how normal people live that I doubt they'll even find someone to fill the position.
      via lenapaulmvv
    • By the way, I didn't even apply for this job. Someone sent them my resume because of my experience, and they contacted me directly.
      via lenapaulmvv
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    • The job candidate takes notes in a small notebook while the recruiter speaks.
      via Unsplash+ (Ahmet Kurt)

      The job candidate takes notes in a small notebook while the recruiter speaks.

      Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

    • I was open to it until she surprised me with a salary that was less than half of what I could make if I just put up with my old toxic boss.
      via lenapaulmvv
    • Man, I could make double that working at Target right now! Is anyone else experiencing this?
      via lenapaulmvv
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    • I feel like so many companies are completely out of touch with reality. My particular pet peeve is misleading job descriptions that are so wrong they're actually deceptive.
      via lenapaulmvv
    • It's no longer valued or enough to have all the experience and education they advertised for - they also want you to "multitask" in other departments (for the same very low wage).
      via lenapaulmvv
    • These expectations weren't disclosed upfront; I learned them at the end of long interviews, multiple times.
      via lenapaulmvv
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    • So many of us are reporting the same thing. Wages are down, expectations are up, so many positions are part- time with no benefits.
      via lenapaulmvv
    • It's a totally changed landscape.
      via lenapaulmvv

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    salary employment issues recruiter hiring manager job candidate rejection interview money
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