Would you bother continuing with interviews process?

[CE0194WN149]

I’m at second stage (out of potential 6 stage) interview for a huge tech company, great role annd step up and will mean at least a £10k wage increase.

But the company has just announced they’re switching from hybrid to full time in office starting from January which is hugely unappealing to me. Currently on a hybrid model which means either DH or I are both able to be at home every day of the week. My DC are older so no childcare as such but I just like catching up with them.

My current job also includes lots of meetings in LA (remotely) so being able to take later calls from home works for me and them. Current employer doesn’t seem to have any intention of making us go back into the office full time, they’re really flexible and I really like my team (for context they are another global company but not tech).

BUT a pay rise would be great, this is a really good opportunity and great company to have on my CV. Although I would obviously have to factor in commuting costs.

any advice would be much appreciated.

I'd email them and say what working arrangement would work for you (say, 2 in office 3 at home) and could they accommodate that. If not then don't proceed.

That’s a good idea if you think they’d be honest. A lot of hr depts will make vague noises about flexibility that they can’t or won’t contractually honour and even if you start out on the agreement you’ve made, they can decide to change it and then your life is fucked. You can always refuse to take the job if you don’t get it in your contract, but by then you’ve done SIX rounds of interviews.

The only way id bother is if you want a buy back from your current job (ie use an offer as leverage to bump your current package)

As others said... 6 stages is a red flag and the 10k isnt 10k when you look at it holistically

Good luck!

Also, I'd just add that this particular company aren't messing around when they talk about expected office days. When they moved from fully flexible to three days, they immediately started tracking badge-ins and sending out formal warnings to people who didn't meet the required number. If you aren't in because you're travelling for work, you have to keep records.

To play devil's advocate... it's not just £10k, is it. Surely there's potential for future increases, so in the first year or so it might be £10k minus tax and extra expenses, but then there might be another pay rise and/or promotion available in yr 2-3, or the opportunity to negotiate better terms - some fixed wfh, or compressing hours etc. I don't know the company though like some pp!

I once turned down a job because the offered salary was a few k below what I was on, and I felt I couldn't afford to take the hit at that time (was in an abusive relationship, needed every penny I could save to get out). I try not to dwell on it but had my circumstances been different, it might have been better to take that hit for the opportunities, both financial and career development. I'm on a decent salary now, nearly ten years later, but I would probably have achieved this level much earlier if I'd been willing/able to take that slight cut back then.

Amazon? Was just watching it on the news.

I'd pull out now. I wouldn't go back to full time from an office for any salary. 50/50 is my max.

In some ways, older children need you more.

That aside, it wouldn't be worth it for me.

I wouldn't unless I really needed the money. You could go through the selection process and if they offer tell them what your terms are ... or you could tell them now that if it is 100% back in office you wish to withdraw.

I would definitely pull out 6 rounds of interview is over top. For me 10, 000 wouldn't be enough to go back into the office full time.

I'd say it's down to the question of how much you value those wellbeing aspects of working at home. 10k (all in your pocket?) could be significant bonus for family life.

Personally, I would drop out. Amazon are well known for treating their professional/management staff like shit already- micromanagement to a crazy level, that kind of thing. I’d also consider that a lot of their existing employees will be looking to leave after that announcement, and the good ones will succeed- making it worse for those left behind and coming in, as there will be key skills and knowledge gaps and a pretty demotivating environment.

WFH at least a couple of days a week is really helpful with older DCs.
Sometimes they want to talk and it's really important if you can be there for them - obviously not to the detriment of your job, I'm thinking of a not very expressive DS here.

Assuming you are an excellent employee - we should not be rewarding these kind of companies with our time and attention, even for the interview. Treat this like a toddler tantrum. If we all did, companies like this would be forced to grow up eventually

I’d also be really wary of vague, non-contractual promises about flexibility on flexible working. It’s a safe bet that if you negotiate an exception to their general policy and take the job based on that, the pressure will be on the minute you start, and you’ll have to fight like hell to keep it, and fight again every time a new manager can in. It’s not worth the hassle.

Assuming this is Amazon given the news yesterday. No chance, I can't see them offering the flexibility you want and its isn't worth it.

Having interviewed for a 6 figure tech job with 5 stages + additional informal interviews, never again. I got to the end only for them to decide they were on a global hiring freeze, then started making redundancies a couple of months later.

From afar I think these tech companies look great places to work, but I'm not convinced they are.

Thanks all for your replies. Super helpful 😊

I'd continue with the process for experience regardless. It's not just you investing time in this process it's them-so if they want job after 6 interviews they probably really want you so imagine more flex to negotiate leads and flex working

I think for a lot of these companies, 6 rounds of interviews is pretty standard - it can be quite exhausting but you also get a good idea of who you're going to be working with, the culture etc.

I assume the company you're talking about is Amazon - yes, the probably will follow through with the 5 days in office requirement, however I do think this is something that we'll start to see a lot more of in the next couple of years unfortunately. More and more companies are enforcing at least 3 days a week in office, and I think there will be a gradual shift away from WFH / remote.

I'd definitely through the interview process- you have nothing to lose and it's all good practice at the end of the day!

Part of the same company, yes.

OP in your shoes if it is a 5 days office role I would check out other Tech firms. I have been hybrid/remote/own calendar for over 20 years.

I suspect the Amazon may back track on this decision when talent walks out of the door. Also the costs of running full offices.

Most decent companies are willing to offer flexibility in terms of either wfh or a hybrid working arrangement. I honestly think companies who aren't willing to be reasonable about this will struggle to recruit and retain good staff. I wouldn't touch the prospective new employer with a bargepole. The 10k increase won't be worth it after you factor in the commuting time / petrol costs / deductions for tax etc and the loss of quality time with your family. Flexibility is everything now and I would value that above a tiny pay increase.

I agree - it opens a wider pool of candidates. I'm currently in a hybrid role. I wouldn’t want to be permanently in the office in this role. I am waiting on interview results from another job which is all office, but it's within walking distance, so quite a different prospect.

The company I work for (another global company) doesn't seem to have any plans to send us back to the office fulltime, it doesn't seem to be on the horizon but who knows what will happen (fundamentally though we don't actually have the office space anymore if they did decide to do it ).

It would be a no from me. I work in Tech and I've never heard a good word about the culture at Amazon.

10k is not enough to compensate for a 5 day office based job. Do the next interview but ask if a remote contract is possible given your late calls to the West Coast.

If not then I'd part ways.

Interesting to hear the many negative view points. Does anyone have anything positive on working for them?