Interview at Lowes....what would you think?

[cepmom]

A few weeks ago I posted about interviewing at Lowes Home Improvement. A woman I know from my DD's basketball works there and says she likes it. It is much closer to my house than my current retail job so I thought I'd give it a shot.

I filled out the application online and received a call literally within 20 minutes to come in for an interview. Had interview #1 and set up a time right there for interview #2. The day of interview #2 I got a call to schedule a second interview . I really wasn't sure where my kids were going to go that day (they were home on Feb vacation) so I just scheduled it for the following Monday. Apparantly the HR manager I interviewed with the first day never wrote me down for that 2nd interview that day.

Go for 2nd interview and I am told that they will be in touch. Several days later they call and want me to co me in for interview #3. I go in, interview again and the manager says he will "give it a thumbs up" and will pass it on to the store manager who is out of town at the moment and will return sometime between Wednesday and Friday. The HR manager says they will be in touch by Friday (last week).

Now at all these interviews, they ask me questions from a corporate questionairre...things like describe the best supervisor, describe the worst supervisor, what do you like and dislike about your current job, what experiences at your previous jobs will help you in this job etc. They have never once told me which department they would like me to work in, how much money they are offerieng, no info about benefits, paid time off, how many hours a week etc. Nothing at all except these random questions.

No call from anyone Friday, but last night I get a call from a woman that asks me if I can come in for orientation next Tuesday So I ask her if that means I have been offered a position and she was very confused. She says the manager signed off on it and I told her nobody ever called to offer me a position, I have no info about money, benefits etc. and she was very apologetic. I asked her to have the HR manager call me today about this. He has not called yet and it's 5:00.

At this point I don't think I even want to consider working there if this is how they operate. Am I off base or does this seem weird to anyone else??

 

[sanapunk]

Yikes, usually pay and benefits is something they discuss in the first interview. Heck, I wouldn't go on a second interview without knowing those! It would have saved you a lot of time and hassle if it wasn't what you wanted.

 

[HelenePA]

are you applying for FT or PT?

 

[cepmom]

Yikes, usually pay and benefits is something they discuss in the first interview. Heck, I wouldn't go on a second interview without knowing those! It would have saved you a lot of time and hassle if it wasn't what you wanted.

I agree...I should have asked at the first interview but I kept expecting that at the next interview or at the very least when I was offered a position. I won't make that mistake again

are you applying for FT or PT?

Part time

 

[HelenePA]

Honestly I dont think they told dh what he was getting paid until after he started, he's part time too. They should give you a packet of stuff with all the benifit stuff in it the first day or two. They also didn't know what "world" he was working in, I think he started in hardware, now he's in tool world. He loves it. LOVES it.. Part time pay is VERY good for around this area.

 

[kimluvswdw]

Maybe someone just got their wires crossed.

 

[cepmom]

Honestly I dont think they told dh what he was getting paid until after he started, he's part time too. They should give you a packet of stuff with all the benifit stuff in it the first day or two. They also didn't know what "world" he was working in, I think he started in hardware, now he's in tool world. He loves it. LOVES it.. Part time pay is VERY good for around this area.

well I'd be leaving my current job to work for them. I can't very well quit my current job unless I know what the benefits are like, how many hours they can expect to give me each week, how much money I will be getting paid etc. you know? I have earned time off and earned vacation time at my current job, pretty much guaranteed 25 - 28 hours a week, Sunday hours etc. I have heard that they pay well so that was another reason I applied but if they only want me for 15 hours week that isn't going to cut it.

I wonder if he will ever call me back.

 

[HelenePA]

dh was supposed to be working 10 hours a week(what he asked for). This week he has 32 remember this his is Part Time job he also has a 45hr a week job, I'm about ready to go insane.

 

[cepmom]

dh was supposed to be working 10 hours a week(what he asked for). This week he has 32 remember this his is Part Time job he also has a 45hr a week job, I'm about ready to go insane.

yikes! That's a lot of hours! DH and FIL own their own business...when FIL had quadruple bypass and was out of work for several months DH had to pick up the slack which meant working like 80 hour weeks. I thought I would lose my ever lovin mind

thanks for the input...I guess I will just wait to see if they call with an official offer.

 

[piglet too]

Have you heard anything yet today? I know that the HR person at my store tended to get swamped and could not always make the phone calls each day. She was one HR person for over 300 employees at my store, so that is a lot of work. (not to mention that they are the one who sets up all the training and everything that goes with a new hire. ie drug testing in itself takes up a lot of time.)

ETA ~ I would call and try to talk to the HR person, if they are not in, ask to speak to the store manager or the MOD (manager on duty) and see if they can get the info for you.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Usually at the end of an interview, they give you an opportunity to ask questions. In any job I've had, that's when I asked about pay and hours and benefits and things like that. I don't think that information was ever offered to me without me asking first.

 

[cepmom]

Usually at the end of an interview, they give you an opportunity to ask questions. In any job I've had, that's when I asked about pay and hours and benefits and things like that. I don't think that information was ever offered to me without me asking first.

I was not really given an opportunity to ask questions...they just ask their questions and say we will be in touch. Not that I couldn't have asked anyway, I just thought that info would be coming at the next interview. I will keep this in mind though for the next time I interview. In the past 18 years I've only had 3 jobs so I guess I'm a little out of practice!

 

[cepmom]

Have you heard anything yet today? I know that the HR person at my store tended to get swamped and could not always make the phone calls each day. She was one HR person for over 300 employees at my store, so that is a lot of work. (not to mention that they are the one who sets up all the training and everything that goes with a new hire. ie drug testing in itself takes up a lot of time.)

ETA ~ I would call and try to talk to the HR person, if they are not in, ask to speak to the store manager or the MOD (manager on duty) and see if they can get the info for you.

nothing so far. I may call later but I'm not really sure if I want to work there anymore. This whole thing kind of turned me off but thanks for your input!

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Can I give you another bit of advice? As soon as you find out what you'll be making and how many hours you'll be working, get it in WRITING! My DH just left his old job for a new job. He was guarenteed verbally at least 30 hours. A week ago his new boss took him aside and apologized and said that he will only be getting about 25. Well, today, when he forced his boss to sit down with him and do the math, he figured out that the boss could only actually afford to give him 18 hours since the other lady working at his job is guarenteed 40. (And she's been there forever.)

I was so angry at him for not straightening all this out BEFORE he took the job. Some bosses are just slimy and make promises that they don't intend to keep.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Interesting.

My DH applied for a job in management with Lowe's. They sent him to be drug tested THAT DAY and wanted a commitment from him within 48 hours. He had been in his job for 17 years, so there were a lot of things to consider! Lowe's couldn't really tell him how many hours he would be working (they thought about 60, and after the grand opening was over and they were fully staffed it would be less, maybe) and they really were trying to rush him into a decision. The money was better, but not THAT much better. And we would have had to pay for COBRA for 90 days while we waited to be eligible for insurance through Lowe's. He turned it down.

Having said that, a friend's DH works there full time and loves it.

It does sound like they are very disorganized, and that would make me nervous.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

OP, did you end up taking the job at Lowe's? How's it going?

 

[cepmom]

OP, did you end up taking the job at Lowe's? How's it going?

no, I turned it down. The HR guy never did call so I called him on Monday (about 1 week after the girl called to set up orientation) I told him I had been waiting to hear back for 2 weeks and he said, "oh yeah, you have the job but you need a drug test so when can you come in for that?" So I proceded to tell him I know nothng about the position, the money, hours benefits etc and he says "if you want to come in we can talk about it" I told him I would rather get the info right now on the phone and turns out he could only guarantee 10 hours per week. I need at least 20 hours, preferably 26 - 28 but he said no so I turned it down. I also told him I thought that the whole thing was handled unprofessionally

Today I got a postcard in the mail from Lowes that said they received my application and could not offer me a position at the moment. Mailed from the store I interviewed at, the day after my conversation with the HR guy Yeah okay...except that I turned down your offer!

It's better in the long run I guess, because I really would rather get out of retail anyway. Thanks for asking!

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

At least he was honest about what he could offer you. We've just been through a little ordeal here with DH and I'm still a little upset.

I hope you find the kind of work you are looking for. It does sound like they were unprofessional. Sometimes, though, it's up to the employee to check-up after the interview. Next time, if you don't hear back by when they say, give them a call right away. Also, you can ask those questions during an interview. I encourage you too. This job thing shouldn't be so hard, should it?

 

[cepmom]

At least he was honest about what he could offer you. We've just been through a little ordeal here with DH and I'm still a little upset.

I hope you find the kind of work you are looking for. It does sound like they were unprofessional. Sometimes, though, it's up to the employee to check-up after the interview. Next time, if you don't hear back by when they say, give them a call right away. Also, you can ask those questions during an interview. I encourage you too. This job thing shouldn't be so hard, should it?

sorry your DH has had problems with his job...I would be pretty upset too. One good thing out of this is I have learned to ask questions right from the begining. As mentioned before, I have only had 3 jobs in 18 years, so I'm very out of practice with interviewing I guess!

I hope to find a job in the school system....DD18 is going to college next year, I need to make more money but I have 2 younger girls that need to me to be home with them when school is out. Hoepfully I can get a job in the school system and have the same vacations and days off as them...no more nights ans weekends. My DH's job has him traveling a lot more now and working retail around his schedule is getting harder and harder.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Well, best of luck. Let us know when you get something.