Insight on my job interview (Charlotte, Garner: salary, live in, assessment)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Any insight or stories from people who have been in this situation before would be great. I'll try to keep it brief as possible.
I applied for a social media job back at the end of last year. I received an email from the company's recruiter wanting to set up an initial phone interview. During our brief conversation, she asked me what I currently make, where I want to be in my next position and some other social media industry experience. She stated that next steps (if I were to make it to the next round) would be another phone interview with the hiring managers and then a visit to their office (2 1/2-3 hours away) for a half day of interviews.
It wasn't too long before the recruiter contacted me wanting me to skip the phone interview and come to the office to meet the person who would be my direct supervisor and their boss. I was a bit shocked that they just skipped the interview and the fact that it was short notice. I was able to get time off to travel to take the interview.
The interview lasted an hour - 30 minutes with on person and 30 minutes with the other. During those interviews, they told me the next step would be another visit to the office and then an assessment test to make sure I was qualified for the position.
Well, yesterday I got a call back from the recruiter saying the 2 people I interviewed with really liked me and were interested in moving forward. Here is where the "BUT" came in...
She stated that they had only budgeted for a salary range of 30-35k, which is about 10K less than I currently make. When she asked my thoughts I said "no way". I mean, really? 10K than what I make now?!
She then proceeded to ask if I would accept a lateral (as in, would I accept what I make now). I stated that that was much more doable than 10k less but I'd still have to think about it. She said that she would need to reconnect with the team but she definitely wanted to stay in touch.
Is this normal? And how often do companies come back with counter offers that are much more realistic?
It upsets me that she knew my salary requirement upfront and still continued with the interview process. Not to mention me having to take time off work, plus the $$ to drive to the location and back.
I thought all my ducks were in a row, especially since they bypassed most of the interview process and now I don't feel confident at all that they will come back with a better offer.
... I received an email from the company's recruiter ...
Is this recruiter a regular employee in their HR department, or an independent headhunter? If the latter, one imagines they get a larger fee if they hire you at a lower salary.
Quote:
Is this normal?
No, not unless this is a company for which normal equals sleazy. If they subject an applicant to such treatment what could you expect as an employee?
.
Salary isn't often discussed early in the screening/interviewing process. While you say you provided them your current salary, that's not the same as saying you identified a particular salary level as a requirement for considering the position. People look to change jobs for a variety of reasons, and sometimes do take a pay cut when jumping careers (especially if locating from more expensive places). It's unfortunate that you didn't discover you had a disconnect with this potential company until you were well into the interviewing process.
Is this recruiter a regular employee in their HR department, or an independent headhunter? If the latter, one imagines they get a larger fee if they hire you at a lower salary. No, not unless this is a company for which normal equals sleazy. If they subject an applicant to such treatment what could you expect as an employee?
.
She is recruiter for the company. I was very surprised that all of this occurred since this is a position with a very well-known brand.
Salary isn't often discussed early in the screening/interviewing process. While you say you provided them your current salary, that's not the same as saying you identified a particular salary level as a requirement for considering the position. People look to change jobs for a variety of reasons, and sometimes do take a pay cut when jumping careers (especially if locating from more expensive places). It's unfortunate that you didn't discover you had a disconnect with this potential company until you were well into the interviewing process.
I did tell her what my salary requirements were. I told her about where I was and where I wanted to be.
It's not hard for me to imagine circumstances in which this might happen. That doesn't make it right, but sometimes the hiring process involves a lot of different functions in a company, and not all the decisions are made by a single individual or function. It's possible the hiring manager thought he/she might be able to get approval to offer a candidate a particular salary but ultimately was shot down by their finance organization.
Not very surprising to me, but most times they won't waste your time when they are that far off with an interview. All offers are negotiable though, so they may just be trying to get a "deal"
Sounds cheesy; I wouldn't be in a hurry to work for them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
