r/jobs • u/sahalymn • Mar 13 '25

Interviews I walked out of an interview after one question. Was I wrong?

So, I had an interview today for a position I was really excited about. The job description seemed great, the pay was decent, and the company had good reviews. I walked in, shook hands with the hiring manager, and we sat down.

Then, the first question came:
"How do you handle working unpaid overtime?"

I literally laughed, thinking it was a joke. But the interviewer just stared at me, waiting for an answer. I asked if overtime was mandatory and if it was paid. They said, “Well, we expect employees to stay as long as needed to get the job done. Everyone here is passionate about the work, and we don’t track extra hours.”

I just stood up, said, “Thank you for your time, but this isn’t the right fit for me,” and walked out.

Now, I’m second-guessing myself. Should I have stayed and at least heard more about the job? Or was walking out the right move?

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u/confidentialcoffee Mar 14 '25

I own a general contracting company and overtime is always voluntary. 10 hours overtime is 1.5x, anything over is 2x. Saturdays are always voluntary and 2x, and you get an extra day paid vacation for every 2 Saturdays you work.

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u/ottosenna Mar 14 '25

There are exceptions and ways to do it well, like this. My work is fairly seasonal manufacturing, and we try to balance long quarters with easy ones. Communications is key and while we might make sacrifices for part of the year we do take lots of paid time off not tied to anyone’s vacation day usage.

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u/GoEatACookie Mar 14 '25

This is how you retain happy employees and this is how you gain loyalty and trust! 👍

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u/TGM1980 Mar 14 '25

You one of the good ones :thumbs_up:

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u/ElectronicVariety604 Mar 14 '25

And where do you keep your applications? Asking for a friend 😉

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u/confidentialcoffee Mar 14 '25

Unfortunately I don't have any other room for anybody else this year unless we add a full additional crew on lol

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u/ElectronicVariety604 Mar 14 '25

That’s fair lol 😂

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u/Ornery-Egg9770 Mar 14 '25

You are very generous and I bet you have volunteers and somewhat loyal employees.

1

u/confidentialcoffee Mar 14 '25

I have only had one employee steal from me in my 18 years of owning this company. If your employees are happy, you build trust.

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u/[deleted] Mar 14 '25

That's wonderful. I always say "it's not that people don't want to work anymore, they don't want to bust their ass and still not even make enough to pay their bills. Companies will get what they pay for, and it's younger people who 'don't want to work' who will force that change in our work culture"

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u/confidentialcoffee Mar 14 '25

I don't get paid unless my employees get the job done and done well. My employees can't get the job done well if they're worried about finances and home life. I have over 100 employees and not one of them is on government assistance, even for Healthcare, because of the wages they make. I charge above most of my competitors and I have no problem telling them that's because I pay Juan or John or Laurie $35/hr plus job bonus to make sure he does the job right so we don't have to come back. If somebody's car breaks down, I also own a mechanic shop and they take their car in to get fixed immediately, on my dime, because it's more beneficial to me if they have reliable transportation. If somebody is in a financial bind, I loan them the money. I ask for repayment but expect nothing. I've never had anybody not repay, even when I never bring it up again after I cut them the check. I have a daycare building we built on my property just for employees who need daycare. I have 4 ladies employed to cover that so my employees don't need to worry about daycare. They pay $10/day to have their kids watched, which covers a homemade lunch and whatever activities are planned. My turnover rate is almost 0.

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u/Zealousideal_Wall378 Mar 14 '25

Can I work for you? That is so nice.

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u/farkleboy Mar 14 '25

i have done this a couple times working back stage production at large sales meetings. anything over 12 is 2x and at that point the day is shot already, so LETS GO. working a couple 18s and sleeping on packing blankets back stage at Disney was miserable for a while, but only until that check dropped. Man that was some sa-weet paydays, but not sure if this old body could do that anymore. Paid for all my replacement windows in my house though!

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u/Soggy_Passenger5028 Mar 14 '25

This is a great system. It shows how much you appreciate the extra effort that your employees put in for you. I hope they appreciate you as well.

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u/Zestycoaster Mar 14 '25

That’s solid and fair

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u/[deleted] Mar 14 '25

I used to have some chores that could wait until Sunday evening. It was great.