3 ms·

Are you suggesting they effectively treat the first six weeks of employment as little more than an "extended interview" and fire anybody who doesn't make their

by nilkn 13y ago

Are you suggesting they effectively treat the first six weeks of employment as little more than an "extended interview" and fire anybody who doesn't make their cultural fit in that time frame?

anonymous592053 13y ago
Yes.
masklinn 13y ago
That seems acceptable though it's really shitty if you end up not making the cut. FWIW most european countries allow 1-6 months probation periods (for non-temp jobs, temp jobs have either no probation or much shorter ones). During probation, either side can terminate the contract without most of the restrictive clauses applying, it's essentially a short period of "at-will" to check fit between the company and the new employee.
- officemonkey 13y ago
  New federal government employees also have to serve a 1-year "probation" where they can be let go for pretty much no reason. I've seen agencies exercise that right rarely, but it does happen.
  - fizzbar 13y ago
    I'd suspect that in more "mature" working environments the probation period is used more as a fail-safe mechanism, as opposed to being integral to the actual hiring process (which is what it sounds like at FB).
    - officemonkey 13y ago
      Treating new employees in this manner is okay if everyone's up front about it. Telling people "Welcome to Facebook," having them quit their old job, and have them relocate just so you can smoke 'em and throw out the trash might be efficient, but it sure isn't kind.
- pseut 13y ago
  It's one thing if it's made clear that there's a probationary period; I've worked in (non-tech) companies where that was the case, although very different than what's been portrayed above. If it's not clear that's the case, which seems to have been the case in these anecdotes, it would be pretty unacceptable.
- nilkn 13y ago
  I think it's only acceptable if it's made very clear before you accept or decline the job offer. Otherwise it seems like it's taking advantage of people. The main reason I view it that way is because Facebook hires a lot of fresh college graduates who don't necessarily have much (if any) money saved up. To work for Facebook, they're going to have to find a place to live in one of the most expensive areas of the United States. I think it is quite disrespectful to put young people with little money in a situation where they are signing extended leases only to be let go within six weeks. Granted, Facebook gives out pretty good signing bonuses, so that softens the impact a bit, but still if I knew that the first six weeks were effectively a probationary period I'd make a special effort to find a housing situation where I could pay on a monthly basis rather than entering a six- or twelve-month lease. Moreover, if I had a family, I'd definitely think twice before going into a sort of six week interview, no matter who the company was. I wouldn't want to put my family through the difficulties of moving there only for me to get let go soon after arriving.
  - masklinn 13y ago
    An excellent point, I failed to notice that issue and completely agree. In EU contracts with probation periods the probation is explicitly spelled out in the contract (since labor laws allow for it but by no means mandate it), and generally discussed/mentioned during the interviews stuff.

by nilkn 13y ago

Are you suggesting they effectively treat the first six weeks of employment as little more than an "extended interview" and fire anybody who doesn't make their cultural fit in that time frame?

anonymous592053 13y ago

Yes.

masklinn 13y ago

That seems acceptable though it's really shitty if you end up not making the cut. FWIW most european countries allow 1-6 months probation periods (for non-temp jobs, temp jobs have either no probation or much shorter ones). During probation, either side can terminate the contract without most of the restrictive clauses applying, it's essentially a short period of "at-will" to check fit between the company and the new employee.

officemonkey 13y ago
New federal government employees also have to serve a 1-year "probation" where they can be let go for pretty much no reason. I've seen agencies exercise that right rarely, but it does happen.
- fizzbar 13y ago
  I'd suspect that in more "mature" working environments the probation period is used more as a fail-safe mechanism, as opposed to being integral to the actual hiring process (which is what it sounds like at FB).
  - officemonkey 13y ago
    Treating new employees in this manner is okay if everyone's up front about it. Telling people "Welcome to Facebook," having them quit their old job, and have them relocate just so you can smoke 'em and throw out the trash might be efficient, but it sure isn't kind.
pseut 13y ago
It's one thing if it's made clear that there's a probationary period; I've worked in (non-tech) companies where that was the case, although very different than what's been portrayed above. If it's not clear that's the case, which seems to have been the case in these anecdotes, it would be pretty unacceptable.
nilkn 13y ago
I think it's only acceptable if it's made very clear before you accept or decline the job offer. Otherwise it seems like it's taking advantage of people. The main reason I view it that way is because Facebook hires a lot of fresh college graduates who don't necessarily have much (if any) money saved up. To work for Facebook, they're going to have to find a place to live in one of the most expensive areas of the United States. I think it is quite disrespectful to put young people with little money in a situation where they are signing extended leases only to be let go within six weeks. Granted, Facebook gives out pretty good signing bonuses, so that softens the impact a bit, but still if I knew that the first six weeks were effectively a probationary period I'd make a special effort to find a housing situation where I could pay on a monthly basis rather than entering a six- or twelve-month lease. Moreover, if I had a family, I'd definitely think twice before going into a sort of six week interview, no matter who the company was. I wouldn't want to put my family through the difficulties of moving there only for me to get let go soon after arriving.
- masklinn 13y ago
  An excellent point, I failed to notice that issue and completely agree. In EU contracts with probation periods the probation is explicitly spelled out in the contract (since labor laws allow for it but by no means mandate it), and generally discussed/mentioned during the interviews stuff.