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New wage code...what is in it for us?
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Hi! Excited we have a space finally :)
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I’ve seen a few companies do this as a way to test how someone would do in the actual role working with the team. Factually speaking, this would be the best way to interview because it is no longer hypothetical. However it is a bit of a departure from the norm
No! I stupidly did this 12 years ago for a nonprofit company in Seattle. I participated in a brainstorming activity on the first day. They liked an idea I had for tracking their fleet vehicles and had me create the spreadsheet and templates on the second day. They "decided to go in a different direction"....using my design and template and plan.
I had a friend of a friend that worked there and shared with me about the new fleet vehicle policy and tracker a few weeks later.
a Division of Dartmouth Hitchcock did the same to me. I lost a lot of respect for the organization.
5 hours in interview are you a secret service agent?
Lol nope, just an HR Generalist lol
This is not normal and is a red flag.
I find this odd! I understand they want to see you in practice but isn’t that why probationary periods exist?
To spin it positively though, how terrible would it be if you resigned your job, entered the probationary period, then didn’t make it out? This is an opportunity to avoid that and learn more about the place you might want to join
You can't work for compensation without having employment authorization verified first. If you complete an I-9, you're an employee. Also.. how are they paying you for the half days without telling you how much you'll be paid for them? I'm pretty sure in some states that's illegal.
Unusual and highly suspect. Research the financials on the organization. At this point you should have already discussed at least a salary range. If you have other leads, follow them and dump these people. It sounds like they are trying to get some free consulting out of you.
3 interviews for the equivalent of 1 working day? hard pass
No
Gives you a chance to interview them and see if they fit you.
Unpopular opinion... This gives you a chance to also see how the company is and what your coworkers will be like before you fully commit. At least they are paying you to do the work. I'd do this rather than work on a case study for free.
I'm also not sure i agree that you are an employee if they pay you like many of the HR pros here have said. It's not that simple. Independent contractors are also paid and not employees. Either way, employment at will, doesn't really matter...
I would definitely consider this as a red flag and a chance for you to move on to the next company. Good luck!
If they are paying you, then you are an employee
Rising Star
This is strange. I’m guessing it’s safe to assume you are currently unemployed. Wondering how this request works for candidates who are currently employed and interviewing.
In any case, the phone screen, zoom, and on site is not unusual as I’m assuming each interview was with different individuals. The request to come onsite to work before an offer is extended is very unusual. I have seen requests for candidates to do presentations or complete a small task before offer but to report to work, absolutely not.
Is it possible they want you to job preview but not actually work? I’m not sure what they think they’ll be able to evaluate in this scenario.
No, no a thousand times no. It is a HUGE red flag that they haven’t told you what the position pays yet. I tell all my candidates on the very first phone call. I would not continue with this process. They are taking advantage of you at this point.
Run. Far and fast. If they can’t make a hiring decision after FIVE HOURS of interviewing, it’s not a team you want to be on.
No that’s a lot.
Chief
Hard pass.
Nope
I would run as fast as I can if I were you. That is too much work for so little in my opinion. You're basically doing work of an employee without being hired.
I'm going to side with the minority here because I've asked for working interviews (without pay) so I could observe departments in action. I mean when I was a candidate, not as the interviewer or hiring manager. Two 1/2 days seems a bit much, but it will be a great chance for you to get a solid sense of the office dynamics, systems, etc. before you make a decision.
When I hired for jobs involving child care or teaching, we asked candidates to come in for part of the program day so we could observe how they interact with students and (more importantly) give them a realistic preview of what they're getting into.
It's probably a good idea to understand their expectations, and set your boundaries, in advance so you're not doing major project work or something for which you should be paid as a consultant. I would not do the working interview until they settle the salary question, though. I wouldn't have even gone this far into interviews without salary being established, but it's a major flag to me that they don't know what they can pay you, yet want you to put in this much time and effort.
Didn’t read all of the posts but I imagine this is more of a job preview rather than an assessment of how you work. If not, I would be concerned about this process as I would think this leadership model would lead to other questionable processes you will encounter should you join
I was told it was an opportunity to see how they work, and they could see how I work as well before anything is offered. I respectfully declined to move forward with that process due to several factors: this whole working 2 half-days before I even start, they haven’t told me a salary range, and I found out they do not perform background screenings on new employees.