Are "working interviews" really working?

Are "working interviews" really working?

Even during extreme labor shortages, some companies are going through excruciating levels to hire talent. The concept of 'working interviews' is one such example. 


The point of "working interviews" is to let employers see prospective employees in action, demonstrating their skills instead of describing them. One candidate looking for employment said that they applied for a job and for the next two months went through seven rounds of interviews, after which they were asked to complete an assignment of four different hypothetical scenarios. The candidate was paid $500 a week for this while the job listing was still open and hiring on the job site. Initially, candidates believed that the employers kept stringing them along because they didn't know what they were looking for but this sentiment has changed now. On the contrary, jobseekers believe employers know exactly what they want; someone they can get work out of without having to go through the hassle of hiring, onboarding, and paying benefits and payroll tax. 


Declan Leonard, a partner at the business law firm Berenzweig Leonard says, working interviews are legal as long as the participants are getting paid and the pay is equal to or greater than minimum wage. Having said that, Leonard warns that you cannot get away with it on a prolonged basis, especially if the applicant ends up performing more or less the same amount of work as a full-time employee. This could violate Labor Department rules. Moreover working interviews can undermine the employer, as mentioned earlier, having to give multiple interviews and completing tasks with no clear agenda makes the employees seem indecisive. It could also put the employer's confidential information at risk because unless the applicant has signed some sort of NDA, they have no obligation to protect any confidential information they might come across during the interview process. 

Source: The Washington Post

You might also like

For several reasons, the IT sector is appealing to job seekers. ...Read more

Despite the opposition of restaurant owners who worried it would raise customers' bills, California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a nation-leading law providing more than 500,000 fast food employees additional authority and rights. ...Read more

Demands for improved pay and workplace environments are coming from workers in California to New York. ...Read more

New graduates from institutions in Nigeria and other African nations have been made aware of job prospects by Microsoft. ...Read more

A mattress company is searching for a role where napping while working is not only acceptable but also required. 'Casper Sleepers' are being hired by Casper, a New York-based business established in 2014. ...Read more

Articles

Just as the candidates need the right jobs to secure their future, the companies also need the righ ...Read more

From the peak of the pandemic in 2020 through the Great Resignation wave, unionization has been a ...Read more

Before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, about 7 million people in the US alone were working rem ...Read more

If you love being on the road, if you love driving with the wind rushing through your hair, if your ...Read more