The company had good Glassdoor reviews. The role looked promising. The candidate logged into the interview feeling optimistic.
The hiring manager opened with a single question: "What do you think about staying late without extra pay?"
When the candidate asked whether extra hours were compensated, the manager explained that the team "cares about the mission, so we don't really count the extra hours too much." Translation: overtime is expected, unpaid, and unrecorded. It was the very first question. Not a second date, not a post-offer negotiation — the icebreaker.
The candidate stood up. "I appreciate your time, but I don't feel like this is the right fit," he said, and walked out.
Reddit's r/Career_Advice lit up with more than 5,000 upvotes. Commenters were unanimous: the manager had done him a favour. Most companies wait until week three to reveal they expect free labour. This one led with it.
A Ciphr survey found that 49% of UK employees work unpaid overtime weekly, and only 23% of those who do are ever paid for it. The difference here is that this candidate found out before he'd even shaken hands.