weird experience
I had an interview last week. It went very well, and the interviewer set up an appointment for me with H.R. to fill out the paperwork. I drove to HR the next day. It was on the other side of town, not in the same place where interviewer was. The HR lady was not there, although my name was at the security gate so I WAS expected at 1pm. The receptionist called her on her cell, and she said that she thought my appt was at 2pm. She asked if I would wait until then. I didn't like this, but I need a job. So I waited. I had another meeting at 3pm, so I was feeling the pressure. When she arrived, I told her I didn't have much time that I had to be someplace at 3p. She said,no problem, we'll just fill out the paperwork. It was all done in a very rushed manner, at the reception area, not at her office. Finally, I just had to ask what was the pay. No one had said anything to me. She asked me "What did you make in your previous job?" I said, "I have a job now (which is clearly on my resume), and I make $$250 a day." Then she said appeared confused, and she said, "We pay $150 a day for your position." I said, "You pay $150 a day for someone with my experience and backgkround?" She said, "We all have experience." I could tell she was flustered, felt not in control. Then I asked her, " Have you seen my resume?" she said, "No." Then I said, "so you don't know that I have twenty years of experience in this industry ...." I was really pissed, but didn't show it. I just calmly left. They have not called me which I expected. But I am really mad that this HR person was so not prepared for me, and quoted me a salary not even knowing my skill and experience level. . Ok a few things strike me strange here. 1. "Filling out paperwork" doesn't mean that you have a job. Most companies require paperwork at the earlier end of the process. 2. You give your salary in how much you make a day? Are you a consultant? I've never seen anyone else give their salary that way. It is either, I make $31 an hour or I make $65K a year. 3. Why are you discussing the salary with the HR person and not the hiring manager? If you wanted to know the salary before proceeding, why didn't you ask the person you just interviewed with? Most times people wait until they've got an offer in hand to discuss unless there's some reason to think that you're widely out of sync. 4. You need a job but you have a job?
Just all seems a bit wonky to me.
Tess
it's not wonky, just different. I freelance. My rate is $250/day or $31/hour. Things are a bit different when you freelance, at least in my industry, which is television. You interview with the hiring manager, sometimes they give you a test, if they like you, they hire you, but you have to fill out the paperwork at HR in order to be paid. Since it's freelance, they figure if I don't work out, they can just stop calling me. I did as the interviewer about the salary when I interviewed, and he told me that the HR lady would tell me that. But when I asked her, before she told me $150/day, she told me the interviewer should have told me. I said, NO, he didn't. He told me YOU would tell me. Then she said $150/day, not even having seen my resume. They didn't care about your resume, they pay $150 a day. Ok, so you are a consultant. Freelance, same thing. In that case, you sell a product (yourself). Think of it this way, you're selling a loaf of bread for $250 a day. They pay $150 for a loaf of bread. They aren't going to care that your $250 loaf comes with icing and nuts and a creamy filling. They just want a basic loaf of sandwich bread. They can get that for $150. That's that. In a lot of companies they would have "hired" you through their purchasing department, not HR. It isn't hiring and it isn't a salary per se, it is buying your product. You probably shouldn't be approaching this as "interviewing" but more as a sales call. You should be telling them what your fee is as part of that sales call, not waiting for them to make you an offer that's half your rate.
Tess I appreciate the situation and why you'd be annoyed, but what's your question? Paul W. Barada The Negotiation Expert | |
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