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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think employers want applicants to bend over backwards

201 replies

jobhunter25 · 14/03/2023 10:22

During the recruitment process? I'm currently searching for a new job and can't believe how many hoops some companies expect people to jump through, for shitty pay/benefits might I add. I left my last role around a month ago (unhappy for years, toxic environment) and luckily I had some savings I was able to live off but I'm now ready to get back into work. I've applied for around 15-20 jobs and I've realised that employers don't just invite candidates in for an interview if they like their C.V anymore. It's so long winded. For example, a role that I applied for (pay is between 18-22k btw) wanted me to take a 45 minute test, and if I passed they would call me for a pre-screen chat and if they thought I was suitable they'd invite me in for an interview. I actually emailed them back this morning saying I'd been offered another job as I really couldn't be arsed with the hassle, not for 22k anyway. I understand companies being more thorough with a high paying role though. AIBU?

OP posts:

Taptap2 · 14/03/2023 10:27

I agree especially as many of these roles are not getting a huge number of applicants any more as people need to earn more than that salary range. It’s not like it’s a risk employing the wrong person as usually there is a probation period where they can fire you for no reason with a weeks notice plus few employment rights under 2 years employment. I think it’s HR making work for themselves. I would make a great civil servant I just can’t face the recruitment process!

Mortimercat · 14/03/2023 10:33

I have been job hunting fairly recently and have not noticed this trend.

Thebestwaytoscareatory · 14/03/2023 10:58

I think it's more common in larger companies but either way it's a complete PITA.

I changed careers a few years ago and some of the recruitment processes were ridiculous. On several occassions it would include sending in an application + cover letter, followed by literacy, numeracy, and psychometric tests, a recorded video interview, a group day interview, and then a final panel interview.

All for entry level roles.

Train007 · 14/03/2023 11:03

Agree with you ! Cannot believe the hoops people have to go through to get as far as an interview and then a lot of companies don’t even tell people the outcome of their interview!! Bloody rude and demoralising…I know so many people that this has happened to. A very poor attitude IMHO .

AliceTheeCamel · 14/03/2023 11:04

I agree. The other thing is lots of vacancies have a massive long person specification with most of it listed as 'essential'. Then the salary is crap. Candidates that actually had even 2/3 of the 'essential skills' wouldn't do the job for that money!

nancy75 · 14/03/2023 11:05

What they want for their money is madness. I currently work school hours (not in a school) I earn a good hourly rate for the job I do. DD is going to uni in Sept so I'm going to condense my days at current job and am looking for something 2 days a week (more to fill my time than earn extra - but the extra would be nice)

I had an interview last week for a job that didn't show rate of pay, at the interview it was made pretty clear they wanted someone very experienced (I am) basically wanted the moon on a stick from their new person.

The rate of pay for this job was £10 an hour!

They offered me the job on the spot and I very nearly laughed when they told me to hourly rate (they know I currently earn more than double that.)

Original poster

jobhunter25 · 14/03/2023 11:17

Yep I agree, it's shocking and as another poster pointed out, seems to be for mainly entry level jobs. Companies paying peanuts and expecting applicants to sit tests, endless phone calls and then an interview if we're lucky. It's just too much. The job I applied for was a typical office/admin role, nothing special. They expected me to take a 45 minute literacy test. Why? They've seen my C.V and cover letter. Clearly I can read and write. Frustrating!

OP posts:

Original poster

jobhunter25 · 14/03/2023 11:19

We must be applying for different jobs @Mortimercat. Please let me know which ones so I don't have to take these stupid tests 🤣

OP posts:

Feuillemille23 · 14/03/2023 11:49

You're not wrong. Employer expectations are now absurd and lots of them seem to have no idea of how things have changed. It's like they exist in a bubble and they never seem to benchmark against other organizations either. Although to be fair expectations were also pretty unrealistic when I graduated and in the wake of 2008 etc... loads of hiring managers who have never done the jobs they're hiring for either or anything similar which doesn't help. I have had interviews where I've wondered why they didn't just set up a space with traffic cones and circus hoops as part of the process....

I don't think it's a coincidence either that HR (a very self important "professional group" in my experience) are allowed to call the shots so much now. Over the last twenty five years or so they've become more and more vociferous and more and more numerous... where I work they mostly have a higher opinion of themselves than the professionals people would generally associate with the type of workplace... I'd love to see a world where HR are properly regulated (no, CIPD doesn't count, it's not like they have to revalidate annually or anything and God knows no one ever inspects them)... I miss the days when it was just payroll and maybe recruitment and not this army of staff engagement and total reward officers and God knows what else.

I could whinge about the fact that in some areas 23 year olds with no experience now seem to be waltzing into jobs with salaries it took me fifteen to eighteen years to reach but that's a whole different theme.... I have learned not to apply for jobs where no salary is stated though, it's a waste of time as it basically means "as low as we can get away with". Hope you find something soon.

Trinity65 · 14/03/2023 13:01

YANBU

Twizbe · 14/03/2023 13:33

I used to be a recruiter.

Usually these tests etc come in for high volume roles or those that get a lot of responses.

There's only so many hours in the day to interview people. We need something else to get the numbers down.

Your CV and cover letter is a document you'd expect people to have spell checked and taken time over. You can also get various people to check it for you.

Your literacy could be rubbish but not obvious from your CV. A literacy test would show that you actually have the writing skills needed for the job.

Twizbe · 14/03/2023 13:35

Oh and depending on the role / organisation etc blind screening CVs and pass or fail tests protect you for claims of unfairness. Used a lot for very high volume / high profile jobs

GiltEdges · 14/03/2023 13:40

It's pretty much the opposite of my experience recently, though different levels of job by the sounds of it. But even at the company where I work (large insurer), we're so desperate for staff at all levels that most people hired have made it through a cursory CV sift and a single interview 🤷‍♀️ It's very much a candidates market.

lieselotte · 14/03/2023 13:44

Twizbe · 14/03/2023 13:35

Oh and depending on the role / organisation etc blind screening CVs and pass or fail tests protect you for claims of unfairness. Used a lot for very high volume / high profile jobs

They don't because automated processing of personal data isn't fair, and has to be explainable. It's not a get out for lazy HR "professionals" who can't be bothered to look at a CV properly.

And you should interview before you give people tests.

Why? Well here is some news for employers: people are interviewing you, too. So do tests etc on the second interview, when they've had a chance to decide if they like the idea of working with you.

My own employer is just as bad for graduate entry roles, I simply can't believe the hoops people have to go through.

FadedRed · 14/03/2023 13:45

Some of it is to weed out the people who are pretty much forced to apply for anything vaguely in their field in order to satisfy the criteria for JSA claims.

blebbleb · 14/03/2023 13:46

I'd say if anything it's the opposite. Such a shortage of staff, they have their pick!

lieselotte · 14/03/2023 13:47

AliceTheeCamel · 14/03/2023 11:04

Yes. And then public sector roles say that they can't interview you unless you have everything in the "essential" range. Well don't put something in the essential range unless it is genuinely essential then!

Most of the time, things are essential and I really think they're not.

I saw something the other day - "document reviewer". A very low level entry level legal job. Arguably you don't need a law degree or legal background to do it, you are looking for certain clauses in contracts etc or looking for key words. (something which AI is doing increasingly effectively by the way). But the job ad said you had to have a law degree. Why? Any literate degree (language, English, history, politics etc) would do! A lot of the time recruiters don't know or understand what they need.

Octopusmittens · 14/03/2023 13:47

Are you applying for jobs as a freelance Limbo Dancer OP?

lieselotte · 14/03/2023 13:48

blebbleb · 14/03/2023 13:46

I'd say if anything it's the opposite. Such a shortage of staff, they have their pick!

You'd think, but not for entry level roles. They want perfection and experience (while being completely unwilling to provide it themselves).

LookingOldTheseDays · 14/03/2023 13:48

Thebestwaytoscareatory · 14/03/2023 10:58

I think it's more common in larger companies but either way it's a complete PITA.

All for entry level roles.

I think entry level roles are actually more likely to have this kind of process.

For an experienced hire, employers can use references, work portfolio, previous experience, professional quals, word of mouth (depends on the industry, but some sectors are small enough that this is used, especially in the regions) etc. to make hiring decisions.

For an entry level role they will have hundreds of keen new grads/school leavers, none of whom have enough experience to stand out on paper - so they have to test them in some way.

Papershade5 · 14/03/2023 13:50

I agree,, I have been helping someone apply fir a low paid driving job and in the essential criteria was IT literacy (not a huge issue for this person but still) and being able to use PowerPoint!! When will they be using PowerPoint whilst driving the van??

LlynTegid · 14/03/2023 14:01

I wonder if in addition to the JSA point, fear of being accused of a discriminatory process has driven some companies' process.

RoseApothacary · 14/03/2023 14:02

I’ve given up applying. Nobody seems to include salary, even some NHS jobs aren’t advertising the banding. I can’t be bothered jumping through all the application hoops only to find out that the salary is way below anything I’d accept for the type of role I’m looking for.

crazylegscrain · 14/03/2023 14:08

I understand why hirers do this for entry level roles because they dont have experience to speak of in depth

Why are you applying for entry level roles?

Are you working with agencies? T

crazylegscrain · 14/03/2023 14:08

But hirers seem to be out of touch with the job market

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