A
female
age
41-50,
anonymous
writes:This isnt a relationship question but im hoping someone can help.My niece who is 19 and currently an office temp wants to get in to hairdressing. She saw that a well known salon in our town was looking to hire trainees so she applied - sent her cv and got an interview. The strange thing was that this "interview" needed for her to be there from 9am- 5pm. So she took a day off work (which she wasn't paid for) and went along.When she arrived she met the manager and there were 2 other girls who were also applying 1 was also 19 and the other 18. Now in the "interview" none of them were asked any questions about themselves. The manager basically spoke for about 1 hour on how their training works and went on about how successful the business is and what they offer.Then each of them got assigned to do stuff- my niece was assigned to stay upstairs and put the dirty towels to be washed in the washing machine and then fold and put away the clean ones. She did that from 10.30- 1pm when she took a lunch break and then after for another 2 hours. The other 2 girls got to go down to the salon and sweep up hair and fold foils and meet the rest of the team (neither of the other 2 girls had any hairdressing experience either).At 4pm the manager took my niece down to the salon to join the other 2 for the last hour. Neither of the other girls were asked to do the laundry.When 5pm came the manager had completely disappeared so my niece hung around for 20 minutes for someone to find her as she wanted to thank her and say bye but was told she'd gone home as she was getting a quote for a new kitchen! My niece then spoke to one of the senior members of the team who said they'd be in touch.She got a letter 2 weeks later saying she'd been unsuccessful so my niece called up to get some feedback- she was told the manger was busy but would call her back but didn't. My niece then sent an email and didn't get a response and then went in to the salon to be told someone would be in touch and they never were.I believe that the salon were clearly short staffed therefore needed someone to work for them for free that day! They have been completely unprofessional for not getting back to her for feedback and then just leaving without talking to my niece-it would have taken 2 minutes!Is this a normal procedure for a hairdressing interview? I'm tempted to look in to this further as I do not agree with how things were done. My niece is very hardworking, friendly person.I want to make it clear that Im not angry that she didn't get the job-there were clearly other people better suited so that isn't the issue, the issue is with how things were done and she felt used.Ironically she had another interview with another salon last week and said it was a completely different experience. It lasted just over 1 hour and was to 1. she wasn't expected to fold and wash towels and the manager was asking her questions about herself and also explained about how the salon works etc.... Reply to this Question
Share |
Fancy yourself as an agony aunt? Add your answer to this question! A
female
reader, Ciar  +, writes (6 April 2014):
 I don't know what the laws are in your jurisdiction, but I'm with the others that some employers have used training or demonstration of skills as free labour.
This happened to my daughter a few years ago. In fact she worked two days, I believe it was. Although she didn't get paid, she did learn something from the process.
Your case seems like an obvious scam, as the candidates were not asked questions about themselves and were put to work doing menial tasks, for which little to know training would be required. What numbskull can't put dirty towels in a machine and fold clean ones? She was definitely used as free labour.
A
male
reader, methuselah +, writes (5 April 2014):
Hi,
I think you need to put this down to experience and forget about them and move on. Personally, I think it is a disgrace and a scam, but your niece is better off not working for them. Awful procedure.
When I started with my job, they had an induction day 2 weeks before I was due to start and they paid me for the day's induction. Also, feedback can be a bit of a waste of time with your niece's situation. I wouldn't take any belief in what they said anyway after the way they treated her.
...............................
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (5 April 2014): My daughter had a similar experience going for a job as a waitress in a local restaurant/bar. She'd already had 2 years of bar work experience working part-time whilst she studied at University. The guy made her work a 7 hour evening shift during which time she completely re-stocked his whole bar, cleaned his floors, washed dishes and waited on a few customers. She is super-polite, well-mannered and well-spoken, very pretty and generally there would be no reason not to give her such a job. At the end of the evening he told her she'd been unsuccessful and sent her home. I was livid. No pay, no break, not even the offer of a free drink or refreshment at the end or during. He closed down a few months later due to lack of custom because the way he was running the place was just not working. In your case, there must be some regulating authority for hairdressers in the UK. I'd report the incident in writing to that authority. Unless she may ever want to work with them in future that is.
...............................
A
male
reader, CMMP  +, writes (5 April 2014):
When you need a demonstration of skills its acceptable. But they were clearly used as entry level jobs don't require a demonstration, and a full days worth at that. I'd call your labor people, whatever they're called in England.
...............................
A
female
reader, So_Very_Confused +, writes (5 April 2014):
 here in the states that's illegal. you have to pay them if they work even if it's just one day.
...............................
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (5 April 2014): My husband had a long time ago interviews like that. He is a bench jeweler. He sat at the bench all day and worked. He didn't ask about how much this store pays, and when he finished his day, a manager said that he likes how my husband works and wants to hire him. But when he said how much he pays, my husband just laughed, it was ridiculous. Then he went to have another job interview at a different store and he told manager right away how much he wants. The manager agreed, and he worked all day also, after which he was hired and this day was completely paid. Now many years later we have our own store. When we desided to have an employee we put few through the same interview, as we can't hire someone to fix jewelry without seeing his actual skills. We interviewed 3 people. 2 were ok, the last was excellent and he is still with us. The first two were paid less that we pay now our employee, but not the minimum wage, much higher. What happened in your case with you niece looks like what you described, they were short handed, which is frankly hard to believe that people would do such a thing. May be itis their common practice who knows. May be they do it on a regular basis. The first thing that would be suspicious for me is why they put her to fold towels. This has nothing to do with the job she wants to eventually do. Yes, may be in a process of her training she will be asked to do random things like that, as part of the team, but it was absolutely unnessesary to make her fold towels the first day. What can they possibly determine by watching her folding towels? And then they told her, she was not qualified?! To do what? Folding towels? Second, the way the manager dismissed your niece. It was highly unprofessional and honestly, very rude. That showed that the manager had absolutely no intention to hire her from the very beginning. At least have some decency to talk to a person aft she worked for you for free all day!If I were you I would definitely talk to someone who knows employment laws. I don't know how it is in England, but in US we have very strict employment laws. Overall this situation with your niece obviously stinks. Good luck!
...............................
A
female
reader, Honeypie +, writes (5 April 2014):
 Personally, it sounds awfully like taking advantage of people for 8 hours.
I get that as a trainee, they hair dresser wants to see what kind of a person you are, one that get on with her chores, duties or one that doesn't.
But basically asking them to "work" for free for a full 8 hours I find deplorable and it would NOT be a place I'd want to work.
...............................
A
female
reader, CindyCares  +, writes (5 April 2014):
Short trial work is not illegal in UK, in fact it is rather usual nowadays.
BUT, the employer must pay the job applicant minimum wage. Failure to do so entails a hefty fine.
( Unless it's just work shadowing, i.e.following around another employee who shows how to do stuff ).
As for the kind of tasks she was asked to perform, I don't think it's strange. Your niece has no previous hairstyling experience and was applying as a trainee, i.e. as someone who ,in time, will learn to do hair. Trainees can't expect to start "doing hair " right off the bat, and in the meantime their tasks will include routine cleaning and maintenance operations, like sweeping floors, tidyng up staff, etc.
...............................
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (5 April 2014): I posted this. This was misconstrued by admin as she knew she wasnt getting paid for the day of her interview.. The point i was making was that she had to take a day off from her temp job - in an office unpaid to have a so called interview for the whole day where she did laundry.
...............................
A
female
reader, Flower89  +, writes (5 April 2014):
 I think most vocational jobs interview like that now tbh, when I was a trainee Nursery Nurse, I had a one 2 one interview with the head teacher and then asked to go into the play room and the Head Teacher observed my interaction with the children to see how interested I was in the children and the job. They were going to be paying to put me through my SVQ so I can't blaim them for making sure I was the correct candidate. It might be the same idea.
...............................
A
female
reader, chigirl  +, writes (5 April 2014):
 Yes, this sounds like a scam in my ears too. I've never heard of such a thing before. Although, it's not a scam if your niece KNEW she was going to be there all day without being paid. Then she agreed to the terms, even if the terms are BS.
Next time, if she is asked to come to such an "interview", she should establish the ground rules in advance: will she get paid, what will she be asked to do etc.
...............................
A
male
reader, Xearo  +, writes (5 April 2014):
In any job, even if the job market is scarce, if you are asked to do a "demo" work, the work will focus instantly on the requirement of the job. For example if you can weld, you will be asked to weld for a number of hours. If you can do hair, you will be asked to show this skill as well. You will not be given random tasks.
Also, if there is a day's work, you MUST be paid for that day (unless you completely mess up). This is the first I have ever heard of such a scam for job interviews. If I were you I would follow up on this and have these people tested against the law.
...............................
A
reader, anonymous, writes (5 April 2014): I am aware of salons performing an interview like this, with the full day no pay, however, the people that have had interviews like this have been doing what the other two girls were doing and not what your niece was doing, normally they want to see how capable you working with customers or near them and then when you get the job that's when they ask you to do towels etc.It sounds very much like you said 'short staffed and wanted free workers'. In my experience, the type of interview you get and the way you are treated is literally based on the manager. If your niece still wants feedback, she needs to go in and if they say the manager is busy, she needs to sit down and say, fine I'll wait. If she shows that she is persistent and not leaving without answers then the manager will give the information that your niece wants.
...............................
|
