We should all be able to agree that it's harder to get a job than ever before.
Out are the days of being able to land a job the same day by walking into a workplace with a firm handshake and paper copy of our resumes, and in are the days of too many applicants, too few positions, and far too high of standards and degree requirements for entry-level jobs. *Le sigh*
But while we might concur that it's hard to land a job, we can't seem to come to an agreement about what is acceptable to expect in a job interview or sample work.
In what is now a viral thread on X (Twitter) about sample work and knowing our worth, a recruiter issued a complaint.
The X user had recently conducted an interview that presumably went very well—well enough for them to reach out to the applicant to say as much, and to also request that they complete a sample test for the job.
But the applicant, who they clarified was Gen Z, did not see this as a valuable use of their time, since they weren't sure they'd get the job.
The employer posted:
"Me: Really enjoyed the call. Please see attached financial modeling test."
"Gen Z applicant: This looks like a lot of work. Without knowing where I stand in the process, I'm not comfortable spending 90 minutes in Excel."
"Me: ...Well...I can tell you where you stand now."
As the responses poured in, the employer specified that their issue was the lack of willingness to communicate what the applicant needed, and instead jumping straight to an "I'm unwilling to do this" attitude.
If the applicant had, for instance, asked to be paid for the sample test, the employer would have been happy to pay them, and more than likely would have offered them the job.
The employer specified:
"A response I would have actually enjoyed would have been, 'I'm good at this and [don't] work for free. Give me $1000, and I'll break this deal down in amazing detail.'"
"Would have gladly paid and probably hired."
Despite the employer's presumed willingness to discuss payment, many X users understood the applicant's reservations.
Because he values his time?
The kid isn't wrong just because we accepted this type of behavior from the Boomer employers our whole lives.
— Matt Eshelman (@TheMattEsh) April 23, 2024
Applicant is right. Unless you offered to compensate for that 90 minutes. He has no idea how many applicants remain in the process. He probably has interviews with other businesses. Effort vs reward definitely not there for this. Good for him.
— Adam (@Adam_Is_Pneuma) April 23, 2024
To be fair, a lot of places are just using applicants for free labor. The job doesn't exist. The "test" is the only work they need done.
— Travis Parker (@c137tparker) April 23, 2024
It seems odd to me when places ask for an assessment. Do applicants not have portfolios?
Or maybe the problem is that portfolios take too much time to look through and assess. Fair enough, but then I wonder why everyone is told to make them.
— Travis Parker (@c137tparker) April 23, 2024
I don’t mind doing work for free to show what I can do. But last time I did this, the company ghosted me after I spent a weekend on a take home. So I don’t mind this stance. If you don’t like me protecting my time now, you’re not going to like me working for you anyways.
— Nathan Drake (@nathandrake) April 23, 2024
But other X users who also had hiring experience sided with the employer's concerns.
What job process do you expect to get through that won't require a few hours? If it was an assessment that could be expected to take a week of work then I'd expect to know I was at the last stages, but 90 - 180 minutes is reasonable even for an early process assessment.
— BAT (@BATMongoose) April 23, 2024
Having made applicants do intense case studies when I was at a boutique I bank, I’ll tell you they’re 100% worth it. I don’t care if it’s a lot of your time. It’s unreal how hard it is to find good people. I’ve watched people that present themselves so well fall flat when asked…
— Open Source (@EgweneAlVer) April 23, 2024
It also shows character. It also means this work doesn’t excite them as much. Chances are they’ll be dragging their feet after being hired. I’d do what I do for free all day long because it brings joy. When I do make money, it takes care of me to not worry about 1-2 hours of work…
— Starseed (@Starseed1756671) April 24, 2024
Couldn’t have given you a better signal.
We require applicants to do a 1 hour graphic design test.
If people raise concerns about doing an unpaid test, it is the best feeling the world because I know we dodged a bullet.
— SMM Guy (@SMMAgencyGuy) April 23, 2024
I agree with the employer. Financial analysts are highly competent- in return these positions are highly sought of. The employer needs to be able to assess whether the candidate is a good fit. This position isn’t for someone needing on the job training and shouldn’t be treated as…
— Meghan Cox (@MeghanCox) April 30, 2024
While it might be disheartening for employers to see more reluctance from younger potential hires to invest time before getting hired or to perform free labor, the job market is so over-saturated, it's hard to guess what will be a valuable investment of time and what won't be.
While some of these investments will lead to being hired or at least making a really good connection, most of these will lead to another candidate being chosen, being ghosted, or even having ideas repurposed by the team's staff, so it's sort of no wonder that potential candidates are getting shy about sharing their ideas and offering up their time with no guarantees of reciprocation.
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