Oh, You Want Money? Well, You Can't Work for Us, Then

Since when did it become inappropriate to ask about salary and benefits at a job interview? Did I miss that memo?

Why Does the World Seem to Be Getting Crazier Each Day? Here's an Example for You

This is on my mind, because I just read this news article yesterday where a woman was denied a second job interview at a food delivery company called SkipTheDishes in Winnipeg, Canada, because she dared to ask about salary and benefits. How crazy is that?

You can read the whole article here, but the gist is that she was offered a second interview. When she got home, she realized she forgot to ask what the pay and benefits of the position would be. That's pretty important information, right? 

You would want to know that before you bothered going in for a second interview somewhere. I know I would. It's important to know the job is going to offer you the things you need to, you know, pay your bills and eat and such.

But this woman apparently asked a forbidden question when she sent an email inquiring about these things to her interviewer. She received a simply wacko email back informing her that her values did not align with the company's, and so she would not be getting that second interview after all.

Stupid Corporate Culture Strikes Again

What company values did she offend by her questions? Apparently, the company wants people to work for them who are only concerned about providing an excellent delivery experience for their customers, and to whom financial compensation is not an important consideration (or even a consideration at all).

The hiring manager told her the company looks for employees who value "hard work and perseverance in pursuit of company goals as opposed to focusing on compensation." 

What alternative universe does this hiring manager exist in? I mean, I'm sure her salary and benefits are pretty good, and among the top reasons she took the job. Sure, she may like what she does, but what good is that if it isn't paying the bills and supporting your family? 

Yet, underlings, who are presumably going to be paid less than her, are expected to not care about their compensation package at all? They're meant to just come in and do the job out of the goodness of their hearts?

That's called volunteer work, and it's a wonderful thing. But, it's not why people apply for jobs. They do that because they need the money and benefits the job offers. If they can get a job that pays well that they also like, that's an added bonus.

Ask, Ask, and Ask Again, Without Shame

I've been to job interviews before where salary and benefits weren't mentioned in the job ad. If they weren't brought up during the interview, I always asked about them during the "do you have any questions for us?" phase of that initial meeting. Yes, you're always supposed to emphasize how you can help benefit the company at an interview, but everyone knows that's not really why you're there. 

Sure, it's awkward to bring up money, even at a job interview, but you aren't there to help build someone else's business while getting no compensation in return. 

No one I ever asked about salary and benefits ever acted like it was an unreasonable question. I'd like to think it's because they realize it is a perfectly reasonable question, perhaps the most reasonable one of all when it comes to getting a job.

Honestly, I wouldn't want to work somewhere where the corporate culture frowned on new hires wanting to know how much they will be paid and any benefits they will receive. That's a huge red flag that this is not a company that cares about you.

There are always other jobs out there, and with the Internet, you can even make your own. Don't work for douchebags because you think you don't have other options. You do. You have tons of them, more so now than ever before, thanks to this big, beautiful online world in which we spend so much of our time.

Walk away from that kind of company, and do not look back. There are much better things for you out there.

The Good Side of the Story, if There is Such

The good news is that the story of what happened to this woman went viral and generated some bad publicity for a fairly new company that is just finding its footing in the food delivery world of Canada. The president of the company contacted her to apologize and offer her that second interview. He also said company interviewers would be re-trained as to how to conduct interviews and how to treat candidates. And, he mentioned the actions of the one interviewer didn't reflect their company values.

But, would he have done all of this without the bad publicity? It's sad, but probably not. You would hope the woman could complain to him and get results from that alone. In this day and age, though, often the only way we have to make companies of any size do the right thing is to give them bad internet publicity. They hate that, because they know it whips up virtual online mobs who will boycott them. They don't do the right thing just because it's the right thing.

I know from experience that you can talk to customer service on the phone at a variety of companies and get nowhere. But, as soon as you complain about them on social media (and especially if you already have a decent following), they are bending over backwards to give you what you want, and their competitors are offering to do it for you at a better price and with better perks. 

I've done this a few times, and it's always the same. I even tell the customer service people on the phone that since they won't help me or be decent, I'm putting it on social media. They don't care, but once you tag the company on social media, their social media team DEFINITELY cares.

Your Opinions, Please

So, what do you think? Do we live in a world where you HAVE to generate negative publicity for a company to get them to do the right thing? Is it the only way to keep corporations honest and responsible?

And, would you ever take a job if they didn't tell you the pay and benefits beforehand? Would you ask at an interview if it wasn't brought up by the person interviewing you? Do you even think asking about pay and benefits is proper?

I think it's proper and reasonable. I'm concerned we're living in a world where some companies are starting to think you should work for them only for the joy of knowing you're enriching the company, without giving a second thought as to what the company can do for you.

Why else do you need a job?

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