What if Companies Paid to Interview You?
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Every time a new job board springs up, the release inevitably begins with the line "the problem with all other job sites is ___" and fills in the blank with anything from a lack of feedback, that they don't reach people who aren't actively looking or don't meet the candidates where they are. Add another one to the list: the best candidates don't put their resumes up on them, and--what else--a new job site hopes to address this, but in a completely unusual way. NotchUp makes companies pay to interview you. Before you go and set your price at one gazillion-million dollars and--surprisingly--get no interview offers, the site also provides a calculator that takes into account your current salary, title and experience and comes up with a suggested number. So why would a company pay to interview you? Because you're awesome, of course. But NotchUp is also banking on the idea that employers who post openings on job boards are flooded with applicants from unemployed, desperate workers and are willing to pay a little extra for candidates that are better matches. The concept harkens back to what recruiters call the "passive majority" which is the holy grail of recruiting. The best employees often don't want to leave their jobs because they are content where they are; they're content where they are because their jobs know how valuable they are and are willing to go to great lengths to keep them in the house. What's a recruiter to do? Says NotchUp: pay you for your time. And, hey, perhaps that extra $20 in your pocket might make you feel better if you don't ultimately get the job. |
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Comments (4)
Deb: I don't think candidates will just want an extra $20 in their pocket. I have been in recruiting for almost 40 years, the missing link is the communication between the recruiter and the candidate. There has to be human interaction in order to get a new hire on board.
My two cents.
Posted by Joe Sabrin | January 29, 2008 1:43 PM
Deb, a better title for your article would have been, "What if Companies Paid for Your Personal Information with No Restrictions on Its Use, and Gave You an Incentive to Rope in Your Friends Too?
You should check out NotchUp's extremely disfavorable (except to them) privacy policy. I'd quote from it here, but you have to join to get at it -- and unless you've been invited, joining entails providing a resume, so you're surrendering your information on (misplaced) trust. I was invited but I've deleted the invitation and now can't get back in without joining, so how about if you, as a journalist, do that extra bit of investigating and reporting?
Thanks,
Seth Grimes
Posted by Seth Grimes | January 30, 2008 5:14 AM
Deb, I did a quick search to see if anyone has reported on NotchUp's non-privacy policy. Here's a blog article that lays out the issues very well --
http://www.userglue.com/blog/2008/01/27/notchup-privacy-down/
Signing on to NotchUp is selling yourself really, really cheap.
Seth
Posted by Seth Grimes | January 30, 2008 5:19 AM
The question remains regarding how this process secures and ensures one's privacy? Assuming someone is not actively looking for a new job, they most certainly would not want their boss to think that they were doing so.
If their current employer becomes aware of such an interview, this could negatively affect them.
Plus, in paying me, do I as the passive candidate waive any rights related to my privacy for either the website or the interviewing company?
At least with standard job sites, they tell you up front that they make no promises. This one pays you, which provides financial consideration, which in some localities is a required element of contract law.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out, and if any litigations arise from it.
Posted by Rob J. | January 30, 2008 11:53 AM