r/antiwork 1d ago

Rant 😡💢 "wE wiLL tAlk mOrE aBouT tHat In PeRsOn!"

This has happened to me twice this week. I ask any detailed information about a position before getting in a business suit and driving to an interview. These are general questions about hours, benefits, or weekends since I have another job.

The hiring manager blows me off entirely and says "we will discuss that in person.".

The one job was posted as "weekdays". This is good because I work weekends. I asked the hiring manager before my interview if it included days on the weekends because I can't do weekends. He wouldn't tell me.

He brings me in instead and tells me today it's 5-9 weekdays and "whenever they need me on the weekends". He says if I can't commit to that I can't work there.

If he had just told me that, I wouldn't have interviewed and wasted both our time.

Another job had no information about benefits. I had to go in, sit down, ask about benefits and basically say "Oh ok thanks bye" and leave.

Why waste everyone's time? Do these companies enjoy this?

2.8k Upvotes

83 comments sorted by

1.5k

u/Babylon-97531 1d ago

Because the Hiring people need to be seen talking to you by THEIR managers so THEY look good. They really do not care if you take the job or not... just how they look to others.

Hence the whole "RTO" business. Managers/owners don't have a time clock to worry about.

Just saying

623

u/Guyonabuffalo00 1d ago

And then they tell their boss “no one wants to work” instead of “I try to ambush candidates instead of providing information up front in a sad attempt to manipulate those that are desperate into letting me overstep boundaries.”

190

u/Babylon-97531 1d ago

Agree. And do we even start with "Ghost Jobs" and using them to destroy labor unions?

48

u/Spider_kitten13 1d ago

What are 'ghost jobs?'

156

u/BearBoy2341 1d ago

Jobs posted that aren't actually going to be filled. Just so the company can say they hiring and get tax bonuses.

72

u/Spider_kitten13 1d ago

I hate that. Thanks for explaining, but boy do I hate that

77

u/BearBoy2341 1d ago

You're welcome. It's just another way companies make fun of us. I hope this practice will get fixed soon. Essentially, it's fraud and tax evasion.

3

u/Coffee4AllFoodGroups 13h ago

Another kind of ghost job is one that still is never intended to be filled, but posts a salary to see how many people will apply. Then they can figure out how low they can pay people and still have applicants.

28

u/purseaholic 1d ago

Are you serious right now….holy shit. Is there no end to their villainy?

6

u/fractious77 17h ago

No, there is not. And now they are OPENLY buying elections

1

u/Cptcodfish 17h ago

They are called “ghost jobs.”

6

u/FossilFrothy 1d ago

tax bonuses

What are tax bonuses? How does a ghost job generate a tax “bonus”?

3

u/laurasaurus5 18h ago

Tax credit

2

u/BearBoy2341 16h ago

Yep, so my morning brain. Essentially a certain amount they don't get taxed on, or in turn money they can get from the govt just for saying they tried and couldn't find a hire

1

u/NobodyPlans2Fail 20h ago

What country are you in that has tax bonuses for hiring?

1

u/SWnic0_ 16h ago

What program exists that pays businesses for keeping an open job rec. I'm not familiar with that one.

4

u/Grocery_Open 16h ago

The business ppe loans during covid dont have to be paid back if they can "prove" that they cannot fill enough positions to go back to the workforce they had pre covid. Companies "prove" this by reposting the same openings every few months year round. This may be what they're referring to. If not, then I don't know either but I wouldn't put it past these assholes

1

u/SWnic0_ 16h ago edited 16h ago

Those ended like 4 years ago, didn't they?

Surely, loans aren't given today for these so-called "ghost jobs"

1

u/BearBoy2341 16h ago

Yeah that's what I had in mind. Getting money to support the business as they "can't" find any workers

•

u/brokenpa 44m ago

Are these mostly healthcare positions?

3

u/dariusSharlow 15h ago

I was actually told about 75% into the interview they weren’t looking to hire anyone because it wasn’t even open by the manager who was interviewing me.

44

u/Ninja-Panda86 1d ago

I believe a CEO recently caught their HR team doing this. He applied to a position at his own company and quickly found out HR was avoiding work by denying every application

2

u/fractious77 17h ago

And? Did he fire them? Or give them bonuses and promotions?

4

u/Ninja-Panda86 17h ago

As I understand it, yes. The CEO cleaned the entire department out after that. 

1

u/fractious77 17h ago

Good for them. At least now I know for a fact that at least one ceo out there is good for something.

2

u/Ninja-Panda86 16h ago

Well. Try to remember he didn't do it for altruism. They were screwing him out of workers.

https://www.yourtango.com/self/manager-proves-hr-system-auto-rejecting-candidates-using-own-resume

2

u/fractious77 15h ago

Yeah, I assume that is the case, and yet he inadvertently did something positive both for prospective employees and for his current staff, who i assume has been working on a skeleton crew.

12

u/surebudd 1d ago

Well put

57

u/Toddw1968 1d ago edited 1d ago

Ahhh…while that is shtty of them it makes sense. They LOOK like they’re working. Like in “office space.”

Question: would it ever be worth going higher up the ladder to report this kind of crap behavior? “Hey mr ceo…i was going to schedule an interview but your hr person wont share any basic info such as…. I dont know why your hr dept wouldn’t want candidates to know this up front, but i am declining to interview and thats the reason why. I bet lots of other people are declining as well or are dropping out of the process after being forced to come to the office only to hear that the salary is less than what theyre making right now, which is a waste of everyone’s time, altho it does make your hr dept “look” busy.

3

u/forestsntrees 20h ago

I think it might benefit the company (if they care), and perhaps make the candidate feel better for having exercised some righteous anger, but I can't imagine wanting to work there afterwards.

259

u/Varnigma 1d ago

Sunk cost fallacy....they figure that most of the time people that took the time to come to the interview will accept the job since they've already spent time getting there.

102

u/ZookeepergameLoose79 1d ago

Fallacy indeed, and then surprise Pikachu face when we get up and leave

27

u/2003RandomUser 1d ago

So you accept the job and never show up. Lol

28

u/spidaminida 1d ago

Oh aye had that with a bank job once. 3 weeks into the 4 week training course they told us it was going to be a sales position with KPI's and targets and shit that makes me want to puke with anxiety, when the ad for the job clearly said they were hiring for personality and it wasn't a sales position.

Couldn't afford to back out ofc, ended up nearly having a nervous breakdown because the manager would browbeat us every morning because we were only number 2 in the area (out of like 40 odd branches). Sheer hell.

158

u/camelslikesand 1d ago edited 1d ago

At that point I waste as much of their time as possible. Then at the end I tell them what they said at the very beginning that put me off the job.

90

u/l0rdjagged 1d ago

They do not want to put details into writing since they might be held to it later

14

u/FactoryBuilder 1d ago

Yeah, that’s exactly why we want it in writing.

71

u/my_chaffed_legs 1d ago

If they don't want to answer your questions before the interview, then its most likely not gonna be the answer you're wanting to hear, so might as well just not go to those interviews where they won't answer questions beforehand.

9

u/Material_Tangelo_276 1d ago

But definitely still apply, and schedule the interview. Play the game.

69

u/bhgemini 1d ago

I've had two recruiters admit that they are coached that if they get you in, either them or the managers are so amazing at selling the company that you'll ignore pay, remote work, days, hours, work/life, and lack of benefits. They are delusional.

8

u/jdscott0111 16h ago

I had someone from HR try give me that line when they sent me a lowball offer to a candidate. I laughed at them to their face and told them to do better with comp and I wanted this person, so they better add $10k on top of whatever they come up with is fair market value. I’m the one who answers for my budget—not them. They had some skills my department desperately needed, and I would see a return on that investment, which I made sure was part of their incentive structure the next bonus cycle they were eligible for. They stayed with me for four years before they gave in to my encouragements to go get promoted. They’ve since been promoted twice and would be my boss had I stayed.

46

u/cyrusthemarginal 1d ago

they get paid by the buttcheek

9

u/laughinghardatyou 1d ago

More like between the butt cheeks!

32

u/Raregolddragon 1d ago

O I had one of those a few years. I was in a spiteful mood at that point so I took the job and just never started the weekend work. Did the normal weekdays just never went in on weekend. Manger got mad and I thew the recruiter under the bus saying they never said anything about working weekends.

28

u/PartyMirror 1d ago

Because they’ll say one thing in person that will get you to say yes to a job offer and then when they go back on the promise it’s not in writing for your records

56

u/CatchMeIfYouCan09 1d ago

'And i really look forward to learning all about the role; however in an effort to maximize productivity and efficiency, there are a few points i need to clarify prior to going any further in the interview process. Just as i can appreciate your diligence in the phone screening process to clarify qualifications the company has outlined; i too need to clarify some information on my end and honestly, it's a great skill a candidate can bring to the team of maximizing the acquiring of information and accurately analyzing said information efficiently and effectively."

17

u/Kopiczek 1d ago

You should waste their time instead. Get an offer and then tell them you can’t do weekends. Maybe that will teach them

15

u/DukeRedWulf 1d ago

If you ask a question and they won't answer - odds are it's because the answer would be bad..

3

u/Bitmush- 17h ago

A court can instruct a jury to interpret a refusal to answer as if the answer was very much not in the interest of the person not answering.

30

u/Square-Ebb1846 1d ago

Consider saying bare minimums on the phone yourself and letting them tell you not to come in. For example, “I cannot work weekends. Is that a problem? If so, I’d rather not waste your time in an interview.”

Yeah, more employers will turn you away for having standards, but if you have the ability to choose then choose an employer who is ok with you advocating for yourself.

13

u/LCK53 1d ago

Some people just enjoy power. Those displays are an ego stroke for them.

“I have a weekend job I’ve held for. Years. I’m committed to it and will be keeping it. I need to ask explicitly what the hours and duties are before committing to an interview.” If they decline thank them for their time and tell them they are not what you’re looking for.

11

u/LilyHex 1d ago

A lot, and I mean a lot, of job positions are actually more or less fake placeholders for specific clients they're looking to hire, but they make it a public offer so they can't say they were discriminating in the hire, basically.

Literally watched someone do this shit multiple times for his company. They wanted a specific person on their team(s) and they'd put out job listing almost just FOR that person, and largely ignore others, only interviewing a few who might be qualified to compete at a lower price than the person they're trying to get.

It's vile.

But "no one wants to work anymore"...

11

u/fairytale180 20h ago

I'm in Hr...so many candidates are starting to push back on this bill that it's starting to work. I'm seeing more and more pay ranges being published. N "No details about the job? No details about schedule? No details about travel requirements? No published pay range you can tell me in advance? Thanks but I'm not interested in wasting my time interviewing if I don't know it will work for me." Start pushing back, especially if you're a passive candidate/not desperate.

9

u/sfcfrankcastle 1d ago

If a company won’t share that Information up front, then that’s all you need to know about them. Transparency is paramount!

6

u/Misa7_2006 21h ago

Because if they told a prospective hire everything over the phone, they would never have anyone show up for an interview.

6

u/exeterdragon 1d ago

I always ask about benefits and they can never tell me anything. Never have a pamphlet, never give me any clue. Drives me insane how low effort recruiters are, I went to school for HR so I know the bare minimum they should be doing. I hate interviews that feel like I could be doing a better job on the other side of the table.

3

u/Bitmush- 17h ago

“And do you have any questions for us about the job ?” “ god no - you work in HR. You’re the last people I would ask about a real job…”

4

u/exeterdragon 17h ago

100% but I'd rather talk to someone who might at least conduct a fair, ethical interview than someone who has no idea what they're doing. My last interview was with the manager of the potential department and the opening questions were "what are you proud of? Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses?" I had to ask all of the questions about what the role actually was.

10

u/Ok_Exchange_9646 1d ago

Yes they do enjoy it, plus sunken cost fallacy.

5

u/IndependentPede 1d ago

Corporate personnel love to waste time. Whether it's to have meetings that could've been an email or bending over backwards for a client to keep up appearances or begging everyone to come into the office because the CEO is going to be there....I could go on.

12

u/cyrusthemarginal 1d ago

they get paid by the buttcheek

8

u/Superg0id 1d ago

Next time, excuse yourself to "go to the bathroom".

Instead of going to the bathroom, head out to reception and tell them you were sent out to request the Hiring Managers boss join them in the meeting, and that you need to wait here to escort them in.

If there's any uncertainty, play dumb, as if it's some weird employment interview task.

Then when they get there, lay into the Hiring Manager about their unprofessionallism.

4

u/HappyNerdyLotus 1d ago

HR justifying their existence.

3

u/Cautious-Researcher3 1d ago

Waste their time back!

3

u/Mradulicious 1d ago

I would suggest post an interview review about these companies on platforms like glass door

3

u/CareerCoachMarcy 19h ago

We sure WON’T be discussing this in person because I’m not coming all the way there to find out it’s not a good fit for me. The nerve.

2

u/FeetStuffIdk 1d ago

Some of them get a hard on by being a bully. I'm sorry you are going through this 😭💕🙏

2

u/ForexGuy93 1d ago

Stop taking interviews if they don't answer your pre-qualification questions. Simple.

2

u/ProProcrast1985 23h ago

Yes. Yes, they do enjoy this.

The offer is becoming (in most cases), such a joke that they need to "not answer these questions," or they won't have anyone interested.

That won't look good on them. And they know this.

They also know most people are hopping jobs to get a raise.

It's better to have 100 interviews and no-one being hired to play the "nobody wants to work anymore" game.

2

u/NotAGeeNus 23h ago

People have limited resources. Requiring people to waste those resources is a way to make them more desperate. They think desperate people are more likely to take what they're given and not complain.

2

u/K_e_n_n_y 19h ago

I hope you also told them this.

2

u/moisanbar 18h ago

They say the same thing to porn actresses when they ask questions about the bookings.

….watch any doc about porn to see how that ends up.

2

u/Bitmush- 17h ago

I think the precise descriptions of future activities that are inquired about, but not answered at the time, would be remarkably similar in both situations.

2

u/XISCifi 16h ago

I dont want to watch a documentary about porn. Please elaborate.

2

u/Marvel_plant 17h ago

The hiring department is trying to hit their dumb KPIs. It looks better on paper if they get you to come in for an interview rather than lose all the candidates at the first phone call

2

u/bLazeni 14h ago

Companies are looking for people who are desperate for the job and willing to commit more than they should expect. If they really were looking for quality candidates, they wouldn’t care about providing that information.

2

u/youareceo 13h ago

"I'm sorry, because your posting was misleading; and, you refuse to answer a basic, direct question about this, this interview is over and I am leaving now.

Best of luck in all your endeavors."

Turn around, open the door and walk out toward the exit. Don't even wait for an escort. Fuck them.

If they try to pull some shit like your trespassing or unescorted in secure areas, just tell anyone who comes in your way that you were trying to leave and they are trying to keep you there.

FUCK them 100%

2

u/crazymike02 23h ago

Omg working 2 jobs, the US is wild

1

u/LadyGodiva243 7h ago

Imagine having no idea about salary. Not even a range, nothing. That's how it is in my country, and it sucks. It wastes everybody's time! Imagine applying for a job and then finding out in the interview that they offer for a full time job what they should pay for a part time job. They could filter out applicants if only they just gave that information, but it seems they want to work extra for no reason

1

u/TacticalSpeed13 1h ago

Every time a company has done something like that to me, it means the pay is garbage and the company is garbage as well. I automatically decline wasting my time with the company like that. If they refuse to be upfront about basic things like compensation and job duties then God knows what's going to happen if you actually take the job

0

u/Zander10101 22h ago

It's a barometer for your professionalism.

-14

u/TheUnworsihpedEvil 1d ago

What i don't understand is how many of you forget groceries in the car or leave out in general, so weird to me...