Should applicants be paid for job interviews?
Companies should compensate for time and effort, says advocate
On the surface, the idea of paying people to interview for jobs sounds kind of weird, but I don’t think it’s the worst idea, honestly. We aren’t living in the old days anymore when it was a simple come in, talk for a while, maybe show off some skills and then either get the job or don’t proposition. Not every company is like this, but the things they talk about here are things I’ve heard about in real life. Candidates being expected to go in for two or three different interviews and even having to do homework ahead of time or in between. That’s always struck me as more than a little ridiculous, especially in cases where they call a bunch of people back knowing that they have no intention of hiring most of them. If there was a cost attached to wasting so much time, maybe it would encourage employers to be more selective and efficient. And if applicants knew that they would be getting something out of all the hours they’re being expected to put in, there’s more of an incentive for them to take the process seriously. Everybody wins.
Looking for a job can take as much time and effort as actually working, and that has some players in the job market calling for potential employees to be paid for their time.
Consider the amount of effort put into a job application: For every position you apply for, you have to update your resumé or portfolio, plus write a fresh cover letter.
Sometimes prospective workers are also asked to fill out lengthy questionnaires or complete assignments.And that’s before the interview process — which can involve hours of prep work, multiple meetings and time-consuming appointments.
While searching for work in 2019, Calgary resident Roslie Main was called in for 20 interviews. She estimates she spent more than 80 hours on them collectively, when preparation and travel time was factored in.