Interview expenses

[condor]

It'll be difficult for me to cut a long story short ....but I'll try.
The crux of the matter is - After 3 interviews and a medical - I've been offerred a job with far less benefits and a far less salary than the one I'm currently in. More inconvenience re no parking and a 25 mile round trip etc.
And I'm massively pissed off because they've wasted my time!!!
My main complaint is that they refused to give a guide salary to a fellow candidate in the initial group interview - which , of course, if they had, would have seen nearly all of us walk out of there...But the interviewers' stern faces at the mention of money made the rest of us think ...not a good topic to mention.
Then followed a few days later a 1-1 interview where everything seemed to be right up my street and a similar role to what I was in ( off-licence manager) - told them it was unlikely I'd move home etc but I'd sort a parking space with a private arrangement.

The joke on me - was the initial bargaining rate was minimum wage !!!!!
Having dismissed that through shock - I got an update later by phone of £6.44/hour for the first 3 months then £7.58/hour maximum after that. Still way short of what I'm cureently earning.
What legal responsibilities do prospective employers have regarding job adverts? If they ask what you're currently earning and you tell them.....common sense would say you're not going to accept a role that is a massively lower level to the one you're in - and if it's the case....somewhere along the interview line it needs to be discussed!!!!!

Since I've been through this - and must have wasted approx £100 on this particular job - is there anyway I can claw some of it back? Perhaps a sting up their tail will stop them wasting anyone else's time.

[russ_e]

I got my train fair costs back before, though you should have seen their faces when i passed them the bill for first class

You have got nothing to lose just send them them bill
, what kind of job for £5/hour requires three interviews???

but saying that i had 6 interviews and 3 tests for a development job at captial one, when they rang and asked me to go back for another round of interviews i laughed!!

[JamieBeeston]

i'd say it's on you to just ask them outright.

the fact they pulled a stern face when money was discussed would instantly lead me to question why.

Chalk it down to experience i'm afraid.

J

[SamN01]

Yes unfortunatly this happens all too often. Just move on and try to forget about it. You are right in thinking if they where aware of your current salary you could expect them to better it (if only slightly) but obviously this was not the case time.

Their loss!

S

[superlightr]

condor said:

common sense would say you're not going to accept a role that is a massively lower level to the one you're in - and if it's the case....somewhere along the interview line it needs to be discussed!!!!!

So why didnt you discuss it with them before or during the interview?

As others have said, learn by it. It was an error on your part not to find out the wage before you did all the interviews/spent time/travelled etc. I would not look to blame them for YOUR oversight/unwillingness to discuss wages -

(dont take this the wrong way, Im sure you are a great bloke etc... and will get another offer to your liking) good luck...

ps whats wrong with min wages anyway??

[Tiggsy]

If the money was a deal breaker why on earth did you not raise it early on????? Unless you work for free money is ALWAYS on th etable for discussion (stern face or not)

[deva link]

condor said:

The joke on me - was the initial bargaining rate was minimum wage !!!!!
Having dismissed that through shock - I got an update later by phone of £6.44/hour for the first 3 months then £7.58/hour maximum after that. Still way short of what I'm cureently earning.

It seems bizarre that the company would waste its own time like this - did they do anything to justify the low pay? Is there a big bonus / profit share potential??

condor said:

What legal responsibilities do prospective employers have regarding job adverts?

I'm not aware they have any legal responsibilities.

You could just send them a bill, then, if they don't pay, use https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index It'll cost you (I think) £30, but might be fun. However, if your industry is close knit, then this might scupper your chances of future employment!

[condor]

superlightr said:

condor said:

common sense would say you're not going to accept a role that is a massively lower level to the one you're in - and if it's the case....somewhere along the interview line it needs to be discussed!!!!!

So why didnt you discuss it with them before or during the interview?
As others have said, learn by it. It was an error on your part not to find out the wage before you did all the interviews/spent time/travelled etc. I would not look to blame them for YOUR
oversight/unwillingness to discuss wages -

(dont take this the wrong way, Im sure you are a great bloke etc... and will get another offer to your liking) good luck...

ps whats wrong with min wages anyway??

Fair point - I didn't bring the money issue up mainly because it wasn't the main issue....I just expected it to be higher than what I was currently earning in a similar role, due to the higher turnover of a supermarket compared to an off licence.
I was told in the 1-1 interview that I'd be trained on the checkouts but not expected to work them ( other than in an emergency) - however...when I was offerred the position it was working on the checkouts at minimum wage from asap till after Christmas.
A totally different scenario to what had been discussed in the 1-1 scenario.

The problem with minimum wage is that for a 39 hour week it wouldn't even pay my basic bills - ie mortgage, council tax, utilities etc.

[condor]

deva said:

It seems bizarre that the company would waste its own time like this - did they do anything to justify the low pay? Is there a big bonus / profit share potential??

You're quite right it is - and I'll be writing to them tomorrow with my dissapointment, expectations and how, in my view, it should have been done better.

The 1-1 interview implied a department manager in the wine/spirits/beer department of a top supermarket. The advert was for a wine specialist ( which is what I am) - 1-1 interview said they would likely support me through the Master of wine exams .....where could I have thought that no....you're on checkout duty for a minimum of 3 months !!!



edited because I didn't really answer the question - there's a yearly bonus paid in March ( last year was 14% of salary) - final salary pension scheme - good company to work for as it's the largest partnership scheme in the UK .
I'm surprised at how poor their interview competance is...perhaps so many people want to join them, that they don't really have to bother too hard.

Edited by condor on Monday 7th August 21:28

[deva link]

condor said:

edited because I didn't really answer the question - there's a yearly bonus paid in March ( last year was 14% of salary) - final salary pension scheme - good company to work for as it's the largest partnership scheme in the UK .
I'm surprised at how poor their interview competance is...perhaps so many people want to join them, that they don't really have to bother too hard.

Ah - Waitrose. Funny that, I was going to ask if it was one of those jobs like working for the Queen, where it's more of an honour. I think John Lewis Partnerships is the same!

[superlightr]

condor said:

deva said:

It seems bizarre that the company would waste its own time like this - did they do anything to justify the low pay? Is there a big bonus / profit share potential??

You're quite right it is - and I'll be writing to them tomorrow with my dissapointment, expectations and how, in my view, it should have been done better.

The 1-1 interview implied a department manager in the wine/spirits/beer department of a top supermarket. The advert was for a wine specialist ( which is what I am) - 1-1 interview said they would likely support me through the Master of wine exams .....where could I have thought that no....you're on checkout duty for a minimum of 3 months !!!



edited because I didn't really answer the question - there's a yearly bonus paid in March ( last year was 14% of salary) - final salary pension scheme - good company to work for as it's the largest partnership scheme in the UK .
I'm surprised at how poor their interview competance is...perhaps so many people want to join them, that they don't really have to bother too hard.

Edited by condor on Monday 7th August 21:28

Interesting - thanks for expanding. Is it like the police where you have to be a bobby on the beat for x time, ie on the tills then onto the 'real' job? Does sound like they have changed their job requirement.

Perhaps it would be worth while sending in a copy of their original ad and the subsequent change in roles - does sound like they have mislead you/changed their requirements. Although I still wouldnt bother with a claim for anything, and perhaps not even write to them. to be honest its not going to get any positive results and may get negative ones.

As a boss we want to tell staff what the salary is before the interview so as to not to waste our time, nor the applicant if its not suitable.

good luck with the job hunt