Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ask what the typical day is like with some detail. It is even better if you can ask that of an interviewer that is on the team vs to the hiring manager.
I am kinda tired of working 6-7 days a week almost every week. Alot of places expect some overtime but how do you find out if they expect too much overtime? I work at a warehouse, btw. Looking at a variety of jobs, some supply chain, some customer service. Is it common for companies to lie about that kind of stuff?
For something like warehousing, hourly wage type jobs, you can just ask the number of hours you are expected to work, how much OT.
People who work those jobs have families and kids and obligations, so whether they want to work the hours or not, they are set hours and they need to be known.
As far as exempt employees who work a 'typical 40 hour' week, that is a little bit more difficult.
If you don't have any experience in the field, it will be difficult to determine. In my field, we have billable hours so I can ask companies what the goals are and that gives me an 'idea'. Each field has a different way that they judge productivity.
Ask them straight up, but in a manner which makes it seem like you WANT to work OT. Such as "Would there be opportunity for overtime for me outside of the normal 40 hours?" Don't ask it like "I really can't/don't want to work OT, I really hope it's not required here." Flip it around.
Your suggestion isn't straight up.
"Do you require your employees to work overtime?" That's straight up.
The point is that if they think you want overtime they may open up about how much overtime is available or required, then you can use that to decline an offer. How truthful a party is often depends on whether they expect the truth to be well received.
Or, they can whine later about "but you said you wanted overtime and that's why we hired you, and now you're refusing to work 80 hour weeks."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Riley.
Your suggestion isn't straight up.
"Do you require your employees to work overtime?" That's straight up.
Sure, but the fear is that what the employer will hears is an unsaid "...because I don't want to work overtime." Hence the reason for wanting to find another way to say it that might not have that overtone.
I am kinda tired of working 6-7 days a week almost every week. Alot of places expect some overtime but how do you find out if they expect too much overtime? I work at a warehouse, btw. Looking at a variety of jobs, some supply chain, some customer service. Is it common for companies to lie about that kind of stuff?
It's about as common as a job prospect saying they are a go getter and hard working when they really aren't. Not trying to be facetious - but there isn't really sure way to root these things out. You're talking to another person, whether or not they are being straight and honest is pretty much case by case.
I guess the more you start doing these things, the more you can spot red flags. But even then it's really just a guess. And in some cases, they may be telling the truth. But something changed right before you start...
I am not sure "fast paced" always equates to lots of overtime.
I might also suggest being very clear if you are will to work some overtime but have a limit. For example, some jobs require extra hours at specific times of the month or year.
There are also some websites like Glass Door that offers reviews of companies. You might want to check them out.
As a side note, realize some HR or recruiters can be unaware of actual OT requirements for some jobs, especially in larger companies. Most of my professional career, I always pushed to do a final interview, just to catch some of these mis-understandings that HR can sometimes give prospective employees. Most of the jobs I hired for required some overtime, so I was careful in an interview to give a realistic view of the requirements for the specific job.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
